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OK you 8x guys, I give in (1 Viewer)

There was some rumor that Nikon would change or delete the Monarch line, but no confirmation except one source. Monarchs have been the first affordable pairs fo many. If they keep them around, I may get one of each size, except not the 10x36 as the 10x42 is better. The 8.5x56 is a curioisty, but may weight too much.
 
OK, just to clarify, Monarch line stays.

I got to look at a Swarovki 8x30 and a Monarch 8x36 side by side. Just quicky trying both, I could see that I would find exactly the same number of birds with both. And I probably would not be $1000 happier with the Swaros. ;) Not at 8x anyway.
 
Tero said:
OK, just to clarify, Monarch line stays.

I got to look at a Swarovki 8x30 and a Monarch 8x36 side by side. Just quicky trying both, I could see that I would find exactly the same number of birds with both. And I probably would not be $1000 happier with the Swaros. ;) Not at 8x anyway.
Click to expand...

8x30 Swaros only cost $750 more! I can FIND as many birds with the 7x35 action, but I ENJOY the better view of the 8x32 LXl. Personal preference, but I think the differences are only really apparent after long use, days in the field. Personally I enjoy being able to watch a bird's feathers move in flight, which one needs excellent resolution to do.
 
I just find it easier to see the quality difference at 10x, at 8x the difference to me between mid price and top three brands is harder to see.
 
Two words, chromatic aberration. There is way more in mid price optics. Better coatings never hurt either for contrast, brightness, color, etc.
 
I was out looking at what was in the woods..the expected yellow rumped warbler and a red headed woodpecker. I used both my 8x32 Eagle Optics and the Red Head Epic 8x32, a Bass Pro Shop model that sells for some 130-140, one year warranty. The sweet spot was actually bigger on the red head, which I only noticed after finding all the birds. It did not bother me. The Red Head has a very slight reddish tint that may bother some (not noticeable in bright light), but otherwise still a pretty good deal.

The Eagle Optics 8x32 was another one of my experiments, I wanted wide fov. In hindsight I would have been happier with a Monarch 8x36. Even with the smaller fov. I think they also would have been visibly brighter.

The few times I get my 12 year old daughter , who wears glasses, out there (to the river or woods), she was happy with either. The Red Head actullay gives a wider fov with glasses on. Without, the fov is slightly less than the EO.

For all I know, these could come from two chinese plants in the same city.
 
Thank you for the update Tero. I do not know how much noticeably brighter the Monarchs would have been over the EOs. That wasn't one characteristic that struck me while using them.
 
Tero said:
I was out looking at what was in the woods..the expected yellow rumped warbler and a red headed woodpecker. I used both my 8x32 Eagle Optics and the Red Head Epic 8x32, a Bass Pro Shop model that sells for some 130-140, one year warranty. The sweet spot was actually bigger on the red head, which I only noticed after finding all the birds. It did not bother me. The Red Head has a very slight reddish tint that may bother some (not noticeable in bright light), but otherwise still a pretty good deal.

The Eagle Optics 8x32 was another one of my experiments, I wanted wide fov. In hindsight I would have been happier with a Monarch 8x36. Even with the smaller fov. I think they also would have been visibly brighter.

The few times I get my 12 year old daughter , who wears glasses, out there (to the river or woods), she was happy with either. The Red Head actullay gives a wider fov with glasses on. Without, the fov is slightly less than the EO.

For all I know, these could come from two chinese plants in the same city.
Click to expand...

I was told that Nikon has its wholly owned factory in China to make all the optics and components for binoculars and cameras. EO probably has different operating model.
 
Hi Alan!

Haven't you noticed a chromatic aberration with the Monarch? I would like to buy a binocular in the price range of Monarch.

alan_rymer said:
Tero

I just bought myself the Nikon Monarch 8 x 36. It was a step up from my very cheap 10x42 chinese roofs which are quite sharp but not that bright.
The Nikons are a revalation, they are very bright and pin sharp, I love them already.
The image is flat and sharp from edge to edge.
Yesterday in a hide a new Swarovski 8x32 owner and I exchange glasses. She's disappointed that she spent that amount of money on a pair of heavier glasses that are not nearly so bright and clear.

My only reservations are that the twist-up eye cups twist themselves down ( for eyeglass wearers its not a problem ), and the eyepiece lenscap comes off by itself. Small things, and acceptable.
Click to expand...
 
Some of us are fortunate to look at birds mostly. If I look at a branch against a bright sky, I can see the CA with all of my binoculars, I think. Well, not sure of porros.
 
eetundra said:
CA is possible in porros, possible in anything with lenses for that matter.
Click to expand...
You can find chromatic aberration in virtually every binocular and some porros are the worst offenders.
 
Very interesting, because the good spotting scopes have ED, SD, HD lenses.
It eliminates CA. The good roof binoculars (in the price range of Nikon Monarch) has CA, porros don't. Why?
Is it possible, that the roof prism binoculars have more CA than porros?

John Traynor said:
You can find chromatic aberration in virtually every binocular and some porros are the worst offenders.
Click to expand...
 
Mariusz said:
Is it possible, that the roof prism binoculars have more CA than porros?
Click to expand...

In general, yes, especially at the $300 price.

It seems that it takes a $300-$600 porro to see little or no CA, but it takes $1000-$1800 to see little or no CA in a roof.
 
Had a chance to check out the Monarch 8x36s again. I did not have my EO 8x32s to compare, but I think the view is very similar. The EO 8x32 is actually quite sharp in the middle. Both have a similar sweet spot but the EO has a wider field.

Looking at the EO indoors, they and the Nikon Action EX 8x40 have similar brightness. I was able to read the same text on books across the room on a shelf, but could be the EO is a tiny bit sharper than the Actions.

Looking at my TV, I could read video and audio over the RCA jacks with the EO at the same distance as I did with my 10x42 Monarchs. SOme other binoculars I had on hand were too dim to read that text, black on gray.

So I pretty much have lost interest in the Monarch 8x36, though it would make as good a 8x as the Eo 8x32 for most purposes. It was a pleasant view overall, I could bird with the 8x36s as well.

My plan is to move away from the 8x40 porros, but final test will come with warblers.
 
We are agreed, mostly, that 10x is not a good beginner binocular. I have seen plenty of 10x that were not all that sharp, and most are dimmer than the corresponding 8x.

But here comes my confession: I like my birds at 10x. Especially small birds not far away. I have no problem holding 10x, and I get a closer feel to the bird, perhaps even its behavior. Color you can see 8x, but I see lots of tiny movement at 10x.

9x I am working on, if they make my dream 9x32, I am willing to go with that.
 
Tero said:
We are agreed, mostly, that 10x is not a good beginner binocular. I have seen plenty of 10x that were not all that sharp, and most are dimmer than the corresponding 8x.

But here comes my confession: I like my birds at 10x. Especially small birds not far away. I have no problem holding 10x, and I get a closer feel to the bird, perhaps even its behavior. Color you can see 8x, but I see lots of tiny movement at 10x.

9x I am working on, if they make my dream 9x32, I am willing to go with that.
Click to expand...

Tero,
I have an old but mint pair of 9x35 Porros, (circa 1975), Bausch and Lomb Zephyrs. Were you aware that these were ever made?
 
Yes, have seen some eBay ads once in a while. There are some others in the UK also not made anymore. Somehow since 8.5x came around there was no serious interest in 9x.
 
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