trashbird
Well-known member
Hi, I'm new to birdforum and I tend to get obsessed about optics -- not that I have the bucks for the top-shelf stuff, but I have and have had some nice "middle-shelf" binoculars. Used to have Swift Ultra-Lite 8x42 (really nice optics but tendency to go out of collimation easily); Swift Ultra-Lite 8x32 (also really nice, but eye-relief was poor so I returned them right away). I currently have a Celestron Noble 8x32 (ruggedly built, nice handling, optics not as good as the Ultra-Lites, and barely acceptable eye-relief); B&L Custom Compact 7x26 (the best optics I own, incredibly bright for their size, razor-sharp center field, but a tendency to go out of collimation every now and then). Just a note on the collimation issues: I live in Tucson, Arizona, USA which has very hot summers. I think when a binocular is left in a hot car for any length of time and is bumped just right, it can go out of collimation. Though my roof-prism Celestron Nobles have never done so.
At any rate, recently I wanted some new full-size binocs with a budget of around 300 US$. After researching the web, I was interested in the Nikon Monarch 8x42 and the Swift HHS 8.5x44. The Swift was a little above budget. My requirements were roof-prism, phase-corrected, waterproof nitrogen purged, generous eye-relief, IPD below 58mm. Everything except the low IPD was pretty easy to find in many makes and models. The Nikon Monarchs and Swifts had it all.
A new store, Sportsman' Warehouse just opened up here, and I heard they carried a wide selection of optics. So i decided to actually go look through some binocs before I made a choice. This store carried the Nikon Monarchs but no Swift products. While I was looking through the Nikons, the salesman also showed me the Alpen Alpexes. We went outside and I was able to look around with the Nikons and the Alpens in both the 10x42 and 8x42 configuration. In both the 8x and 10x, the Alpen's were a little brighter than the Monarchs. The eye-relief on both 10x binocs were insufficient for me as a spectacle weare, however. So it came down to the 8x. The Alpen's had 341 ft./1000 yards field of view vs. 330 ft. for the Nikon. The Alpens cost 310 $US while the Nikons cost 290 $US (these prices were better or equal to prices I had seen from internet firms, not even including shipping).
Back inside the store, I looked through the two 8x42 models again, and the Alpens still seemed brighter. I looked at a resolution chart that the store had put up on the wall maybe 100 ft. away. The Alpens had better resolution than the Nikons. Really, the only thing better about the Nikons was the 25-year no-fault warranty, and that is a great selling point. But in the end, I opted for the Alpens. Even their styling seemd a little better to me. Dark green rubber armouring, smooth, nothing fancy. I am also aware that I am basically buying a Vixen binocular that is marketed by Alpen. The specs on the Alpen binocular look suspiciously like those of the Eagle Optics Ranger Platinum. One feature the Alpen Apexes have that the EO Platinums don't is something Alpen calls "HR Metallic Coating" on the prisms. I wonder if this is what makes the Alpens look brighter than the Monarchs.
After two birdwatching outings, I am impressed with the brightness and sharpness of the Alpens. I am able to resolve details on birds at a distance that I have never been able to do with any other binoculars I have owned. I like to bird in the late afternoon till dusk, and the Alpens allowed me to still see a lot well into twilight. And looking into the direction of the setting sun, I was able to still see a lot of detail without hardly any glare. There was color-fringing on sharp outlines when looking into the sunlight, but not too bad, and I think even the best binocs wouldn't do much better in this regard. The centerfield-resolution is excellent, as I said, and the resolution stays good till maybe the outer 20% of the field, and even the outer edges of the field are not horrible. I did some star-watching last night. The Orion nebula was a beautiful ball of gas with two distinct stars in the middle, and I was able to make out the star cluster below Sirius, which is pretty good, I think. I don't star-watch all that much, but I could do so pretty nicely with these binocs. Also, I'm glad I went for the 8x rather than the 10x, even disregarding eye relief. After a day of birdwatching, I was a little fatigued and noticed some shaking as I looked at the night sky. This would have been even more pronounced with the 10x.
A couple of negatives on the Alpen Apex 8x42. I could use an IPD that gets a little narrower. The Alpens are 57mm probably and are just barely enough for my eyes. The focus knob on the Alpen is smooth and fast (1-1/2 turn from min to max), but on my binoc the focus hits a couple sticky parts in the range, not really sticky but less smooth. I really only notice it when I am playing around with it at home. In the "heat" of birding, it doesn;t seem to bother me. My Celestron 8x32 on the other hand has perfect focussing motion.
I think I would be perfectly happy with the Nikon Monarch had I not compared it to the Alpen. Also, I am sure I would have felt "bulletproof" with the Nikon no-fault warranty. The Alpens have a Lifetime Warranty, but it doesn't cover negligent or accidental damage. Both the Nikons and the Alpens are really good for the price -- I just thought the Alpens were a little better optically.
Sorry for the long post, but I wanted to cover everything.
EDIT: I want to add one more comparison between the Nikon Monarch and the Alpen Apex: the eye cups. The Nikon eyecups rotate out with a few detents from all-the-way-down to all-the-way-up. The Alpens are all-or-nothing down or up. In this aspect, I find the Nikons to be superior. Both the Nikons and the Alpens have a lot of eye-relief...too much depending on the light and the way the binocs are held to the glasses. The Nikon's first detent is at just a few millimeters out from all-the-way-down and might be just the ticket for some people's eye relief needs. As it is, I sometimes rotate the Alpen's eyecups out just a little and they stay in place pretty well.
At any rate, recently I wanted some new full-size binocs with a budget of around 300 US$. After researching the web, I was interested in the Nikon Monarch 8x42 and the Swift HHS 8.5x44. The Swift was a little above budget. My requirements were roof-prism, phase-corrected, waterproof nitrogen purged, generous eye-relief, IPD below 58mm. Everything except the low IPD was pretty easy to find in many makes and models. The Nikon Monarchs and Swifts had it all.
A new store, Sportsman' Warehouse just opened up here, and I heard they carried a wide selection of optics. So i decided to actually go look through some binocs before I made a choice. This store carried the Nikon Monarchs but no Swift products. While I was looking through the Nikons, the salesman also showed me the Alpen Alpexes. We went outside and I was able to look around with the Nikons and the Alpens in both the 10x42 and 8x42 configuration. In both the 8x and 10x, the Alpen's were a little brighter than the Monarchs. The eye-relief on both 10x binocs were insufficient for me as a spectacle weare, however. So it came down to the 8x. The Alpen's had 341 ft./1000 yards field of view vs. 330 ft. for the Nikon. The Alpens cost 310 $US while the Nikons cost 290 $US (these prices were better or equal to prices I had seen from internet firms, not even including shipping).
Back inside the store, I looked through the two 8x42 models again, and the Alpens still seemed brighter. I looked at a resolution chart that the store had put up on the wall maybe 100 ft. away. The Alpens had better resolution than the Nikons. Really, the only thing better about the Nikons was the 25-year no-fault warranty, and that is a great selling point. But in the end, I opted for the Alpens. Even their styling seemd a little better to me. Dark green rubber armouring, smooth, nothing fancy. I am also aware that I am basically buying a Vixen binocular that is marketed by Alpen. The specs on the Alpen binocular look suspiciously like those of the Eagle Optics Ranger Platinum. One feature the Alpen Apexes have that the EO Platinums don't is something Alpen calls "HR Metallic Coating" on the prisms. I wonder if this is what makes the Alpens look brighter than the Monarchs.
After two birdwatching outings, I am impressed with the brightness and sharpness of the Alpens. I am able to resolve details on birds at a distance that I have never been able to do with any other binoculars I have owned. I like to bird in the late afternoon till dusk, and the Alpens allowed me to still see a lot well into twilight. And looking into the direction of the setting sun, I was able to still see a lot of detail without hardly any glare. There was color-fringing on sharp outlines when looking into the sunlight, but not too bad, and I think even the best binocs wouldn't do much better in this regard. The centerfield-resolution is excellent, as I said, and the resolution stays good till maybe the outer 20% of the field, and even the outer edges of the field are not horrible. I did some star-watching last night. The Orion nebula was a beautiful ball of gas with two distinct stars in the middle, and I was able to make out the star cluster below Sirius, which is pretty good, I think. I don't star-watch all that much, but I could do so pretty nicely with these binocs. Also, I'm glad I went for the 8x rather than the 10x, even disregarding eye relief. After a day of birdwatching, I was a little fatigued and noticed some shaking as I looked at the night sky. This would have been even more pronounced with the 10x.
A couple of negatives on the Alpen Apex 8x42. I could use an IPD that gets a little narrower. The Alpens are 57mm probably and are just barely enough for my eyes. The focus knob on the Alpen is smooth and fast (1-1/2 turn from min to max), but on my binoc the focus hits a couple sticky parts in the range, not really sticky but less smooth. I really only notice it when I am playing around with it at home. In the "heat" of birding, it doesn;t seem to bother me. My Celestron 8x32 on the other hand has perfect focussing motion.
I think I would be perfectly happy with the Nikon Monarch had I not compared it to the Alpen. Also, I am sure I would have felt "bulletproof" with the Nikon no-fault warranty. The Alpens have a Lifetime Warranty, but it doesn't cover negligent or accidental damage. Both the Nikons and the Alpens are really good for the price -- I just thought the Alpens were a little better optically.
Sorry for the long post, but I wanted to cover everything.
EDIT: I want to add one more comparison between the Nikon Monarch and the Alpen Apex: the eye cups. The Nikon eyecups rotate out with a few detents from all-the-way-down to all-the-way-up. The Alpens are all-or-nothing down or up. In this aspect, I find the Nikons to be superior. Both the Nikons and the Alpens have a lot of eye-relief...too much depending on the light and the way the binocs are held to the glasses. The Nikon's first detent is at just a few millimeters out from all-the-way-down and might be just the ticket for some people's eye relief needs. As it is, I sometimes rotate the Alpen's eyecups out just a little and they stay in place pretty well.
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