[Babzz]

Hi All, I think (!) I've decided b/w these two for all purpose bins. I was originally leaning towards the monarchs b/c they have been generally well reviewed, but I like the wide FOV of the excursions. I'm under the impression that the monarchs are a bit better overall, but my previous pair of bins were cheap little compact ones, so I don't think I even have the expertise to appreciate the difference. Maybe I'm wrong? I compared the two at the shop and never got a sense of "wow these are better" for either really. Any thoughs/opinions?
Thanks :)

[lucznik]

Of the two, the Monarch is the better binocular. The comparable Bushnell binocular would be the Bushnell Legend. The excursion is a definate step down in quality from both of these.

The Bushnell Discoverer would be a good step up and can often be found for not much more than the Monarchs/Legends. This is (I believe) due to Bushnell's discontinuing this line for their newer Elite 2 series. 8x and 10x Discoverers are relatively common and if you're willing to search a little 7x models are still around and can be had for under $300.

[Babzz]

By Legacy do you mean the roofs or porros? How exactly are the Excursions a step down? I don't know much about bins so don't know what to look for. Thanks!

[Babzz]

Also, is this improvement in quality noticeable to a novice?? Thanks

[lucznik]

I never mentioned Legacy.

In the Legend line, (an important distinction as there is a Bushnell Legacy line as well) the roofs are comparable to the Nikon Monarchs and both are better than the Excursions.

The Legend porro prism binoculars are optically superior to all of the mentioned lines though, they will be larger, more bulky, heavier, and probably will not be quite as rugged as the Legend or Monarch roofs.

Whether or not you can see the optical differences between these binoculars is something you will have to discover for yourself as I can't comment on your eyesite or how sensitive you will be to optical abberations. However, whether you can see them (or are bothered by them) or not, those differences do exist. So too, do differences in build quality exist though, depending on how rough you are with your equipment, you may or may not ever have cause to see these differences. I tend to be pretty hard on my gear so; I choose to invest the extra $$$ into products that can be expected to last longer.

[Babzz]

Thanks for the details :) Sorry, I meant Legend. I keep saying Legacy for some reason. I went to the shop today again to have another look. I didn't see a huge difference in clarity, only when I was looking at small text that was more blurry with the Excursions than the Monarchs (and the Legends). And wider FOV with the Excursions of course. For some seemingly unexplainable reason, I liked the Excursions more despite this, their heavier weight, and everyone saying how much better the Monarchs are. Am I crazy? Plus the Monarchs are quite a bit more expensive (about 1.5x more) so maybe I should be asking the question: are the Excursions good bins at that price point for those specs?

Build quality is definitely something to consider, as I tend to be a bit careless with my bins. Would you say the Monarchs are of considerably better build quality to invest in them over the Excursions?

Many thanks for your patient replies :)

[lucznik]

I would opt for the Monarchs (or the Legends) despite their higher price.

If I just flat out could not swing the coin for one of these two, then I would get an 8x42 porro prism Legend - which normally sells for about $120 US.

Actually, because I prefer a higher-quality image, I would be very likely to choose the porro prism Legend or perhaps a Pentax PCF WPII, or similar porro prism binocular rather than the Monarch or roof prism Legend as well.

Personally, I would not buy the Excursion at all. That blurriness which caused the inability to see small type clearly that you noticed is a big deal. It is a direct indication that the binocular cannot resolve details acceptably well. The fact that you can see it so easily answers your previous question of whether or not the optical differences would be "noticeable to a novice." Obviously, they are.

[dafi]

mate get the nikons i did thay are great for the price you wont regret it

[Babzz]

I just ordered the Celestron Noble 8x42s. The Monarchs were out of stock and I can't wait to purchase, need bins ASAP. Any opinions on the Nobles?

[talon_dfa]

The Monarchs are out of stock at many sites (except for camos)...

There are a few available at auction:

http://www.binoculars-and-scopes.org...arch&advanced=

[tripod123]

are Swift Reliant 744 any good

[FrankD]

I do not remember if lucznik mentioned it or not when he suggested the Discoverers but they do offer that same 420 foot field of view that the Excursions do but with noticeably less edge of field "distortion" and a brighter and sharper image to boot.

Their only negative in my opinion was that they weighed a bit more than the Monarchs/Legends. That would be the price you pay for a wider, sharper and brighter image.

If field of view is what you are looking for in an 8x then I would suggest checking out some of the Vortex models. I believe one of their bins, the Diamondback, or possibly Sidewinder, offers a 420 foot field of view and is in the same price range as the Monarchs/Legends.

Hope this helps.