I was at Cabelas in Hamburg the week before Frank and they had the 8x and 10x in stock. It was packed so didn't bother to look at them. The 8x was out of stock online when Frank posted but in a few days they had limited stock online so I ordered a pair of 8x. Will be delivered tomorrow. Cabelas is also offering 0% financing on them for 12 months if you use their CC. I was at Cabelas again yesterday and they only had 10x in stock but I did pick up a pair of Viper HDs in 8x to compare to the 7. Loser goes back.
Just judging by their inventory 8x seems to be the better seller unless they just ordered more 10x.
I look forward to reading your comments. Looks like mixed reviews so far, but that's the way it was with the Conquest HD and the 8x30 CL too. Some people liked them, some didn't. Seems to be the trend at the mid-tier level, which requires making some compromises that some people can live with and others can't, whether that's FOV, edge performance or aberrations, but at the same time builds up higher expectations and invites comparisons with top shelf models.
Jumping from 6.3* to 8* was "one giant leap" for Nikon with the M7, considering the sweet spot isn't all that big on the non-ED Monarch, but the fall off is gradual enough that I don't find the edges distracting, I'm more bothered by the "tunnel effect".
At this price point and configuration, I would have accepted a 7.3* TFOV M7, which is still a whole degree gain over the original Monarch, Monarch X, and Prostaff 7, the same FOV as the Minox 8x43 HG/APO, and only 1/10 of a degree less than the 8x42 Ultravid. Not too shabby.
My guess is that the Bushnell 8x42 Ultra HD drove the specs. There, too, you have buyers who don't like the fuzzy edges and others like Rick who think they are fine (btw, what happened to Tokyo Rick? he was supposed to move to the US last I heard).
The 8.2' close focus seems decent, but I could have lived with 10 ft. if it helped with better control of aberrations. I still would have gotten a better view at 10 ft. with the roof than with the SE, because of the lack of overlapping barrels.
Some people suffer from lactose intolerance, I suffer from distortion intolerance, and unfortunately, there's no pill for that malady. Too much or too little distortion and I'm not a happy camper.
Yesterday, I stopped at Sportman's Warehouse to see if they had the Prostaff 7 or Monarch 5, but they didn't even have the Monarch III they had last time or the Bushnell Trophies. They became an authorized Hawke dealer so they are "hawking" the Hawkes.
Last year, I tried the 8x42 ED, which I didn't like, too much distortion and the ergos were not comfortable despite it being an open bridge design. I also tried an open bridge 8x42 Frontier last year, which had a rather small area to get your fingers in because of the "ledges" sticking out on top of the bridge (sort of a semi-open bridge model).
This year, they had the 8x36 and 10x36 EDs and a closed bridge 8x42 Frontier. I liked them all better than I did the previously year's models. I'll write more about them on the "Others" forum.
But suffice it to say here that for $300 or under, there are more and more decent offerings out there that incorporate features that have trickled down from above. And that's a good thing for those who can't pay the price of admission to the alpha club.
However, I do wish that companies making these mid-tier bins wouldn't try to overreach and try to spec them up close to alpha-level specs. That sets up unrealistic expectations (guilty, as charged) and invites bananas and Ruby Roman grapes comparisons.
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