Hi everyone. I started lurking here a few months ago specifically around monoculars for watching birds. Due to strabismus, which childhood surgery only corrected aesthetically, I basically have monocular vision. My husband suggested that instead of trying to use binoculars I try a monocular--which, other than a classic pirate's scope, and I didn't even know they had!
So, I was plunged into a new world of research, both in binoculars to get a good grounding in the optics, and then what kinds of monoculars were available. I had a few main criteria:
1) ~$100. Since my birding is rather casual, I was reluctant to spend big bucks on a Zeiss or Leica Monovid. However, I wanted something with good optics so I didn't want to risk buying a super-cheap one either.
2) It had to be small enough for me to stick in my purse, so I could always have it with me if I chose
3) 8X magnification, which seemed to be the largest most ppl recommended for birding. (Yes, I know the opinions vary widely, but figured this was safe.)
4) Decent eye relief, since I wear glasses
In the end, I found myself with not one monocular, but three. (Yes, I might as well have splurged on that Leica!) I am now the proud owner of a Vortex Solo 8x36, a Zen-Ray ZRS HD-M 8x42, and the Nikon 5x15 HG.
I know monoculars aren't hot items, but since these forums helped me so much I thought I'd post some impressions for anyone else traveling down the same path, plus links to selected photos.
Vortex Solo
First I "settled" on the Vortex. It advertises an eye relief of 18mm, exit pupil 4.5mm, FOV 393 feet/1000 yards (7.5 degrees), close focus 16.4 feet. It is 4.9 inches long and weighs 9.7 oz. It doesn't come with a lens cap, but does come with an utterly useless holster that is open on two sides. It also has an integrated belt clip that I unscrewed and removed, after reading a review from someone who had done so. Supposedly it has one of those complete lifetime warranties that covers the fumble-finger factor. Hopefully I'll never have to use it. And, retailing at about $100, it was well-priced too.
Pros: It does indeed give a bright and crisp picture, so it passes the main criteria. Ergonomically it's pretty sweet too. The design of the housing allows my hand to curve neatly and comfortably around it, and the focus wheel right in right of the eyepiece is easy to turn. The housing also feels rugged--like I really could drop it from an airplane and have it survive--so I don't feel like I have to baby it.
Cons: Since I'm a bit of a girly-girl, I find the army-green ridged housing too military; too ugly. Yeah, I know it shouldn't matter but...it bothered me. Also, although I may rarely use it for anything other than birds, I had a slight hankering for something with a better close focus.
Zen-Ray
After all of my research I somehow missed the Zen-Ray until after I placed the order for the Vortex. That was also because I managed to find every site under the sun except for this one. After hemming and hawing, my husband told me to just buy this one too. That way we could each have a monocular if we were both out together.
It is sized at 5.5x2 and weighs 10 oz. FOV: 393ft/1000yards. Eye relief: 17.3mm. Close focus: 6 ft. It comes with lens caps for the front and back (the cap for the eyepiece stays on pretty well, but the "tethered" lens cap for the objective lens falls off easily; don't be surprised if I lose it). Lifetime warranty, but only against defects. So don't go dropping this baby. And it's just slightly more expensive than the Vortex, but not so much more than it should make a difference in one's decision.
Pros: With a sleek, tubular matte black body, it is much prettier than the Vortex. Much. Picture is sharp, and the larger lens lets in significantly more light than my Vortex as the sun wanes. And, yes, the close focus is much better too.
Cons: The cylindrical housing isn't as ergonomic as the Vortex. It's also a bit slippery, and the "classier" metallic feel of the body actually makes me want to baby it more since it feels more fragile. The placement of the focus wheel, about halfway down the housing, is more awkward to turn than the Vortex, and you definitely couldn't do it with one hand, which I sometimes can manage with the Vortex. But here's the weirdest con, which I partly think has *got* to be illusory. Last week I was switching between the Vortex and the Zen-Ray while looking at the same scene. I would swear that even though they are both 8X, the Vortex seemed to magnify better. The shorebirds I was looking at seemed larger, no matter how many times I swapped the two monoculars. It was rather weird.
Nikon
The advantages of the teeny, sweet Nikon are obvious. After trying my darndest, it was just too much to carry either the Vortex or the Zen in my purse at all times. The Nikon had great reviews, and what I was sacrificing in magnification I was gaining in portability. *This* monocular would add almost no weight to my purse, was sometihng I could tuck into the pocket of my jeans, and hide pretty well in my hand if I wanted to. It comes with a pleather pouch that fits it perfectly and a lens cap...that falls off every time I take the monocular out of the pouch. It's also twice as much as the Vortex or Zen.
Size: 2.8x1.2. Weight 2.6 oz. FOV: 472. Eye Relief: 15.8. Close focus: 2ft
So, my conclusion? If you want the most ergonomic one, go with the Vortex. If close focus and/or birding in somewhat lower light is a factor, the Zen-Ray. I would only go for the Nikon if ultra portability is the most important factor, but, as I found, sometimes that's not an insignificant issue.
Here's also an attached photo of them all together, with a beer can for further comparison.
So, I was plunged into a new world of research, both in binoculars to get a good grounding in the optics, and then what kinds of monoculars were available. I had a few main criteria:
1) ~$100. Since my birding is rather casual, I was reluctant to spend big bucks on a Zeiss or Leica Monovid. However, I wanted something with good optics so I didn't want to risk buying a super-cheap one either.
2) It had to be small enough for me to stick in my purse, so I could always have it with me if I chose
3) 8X magnification, which seemed to be the largest most ppl recommended for birding. (Yes, I know the opinions vary widely, but figured this was safe.)
4) Decent eye relief, since I wear glasses
In the end, I found myself with not one monocular, but three. (Yes, I might as well have splurged on that Leica!) I am now the proud owner of a Vortex Solo 8x36, a Zen-Ray ZRS HD-M 8x42, and the Nikon 5x15 HG.
I know monoculars aren't hot items, but since these forums helped me so much I thought I'd post some impressions for anyone else traveling down the same path, plus links to selected photos.
Vortex Solo
First I "settled" on the Vortex. It advertises an eye relief of 18mm, exit pupil 4.5mm, FOV 393 feet/1000 yards (7.5 degrees), close focus 16.4 feet. It is 4.9 inches long and weighs 9.7 oz. It doesn't come with a lens cap, but does come with an utterly useless holster that is open on two sides. It also has an integrated belt clip that I unscrewed and removed, after reading a review from someone who had done so. Supposedly it has one of those complete lifetime warranties that covers the fumble-finger factor. Hopefully I'll never have to use it. And, retailing at about $100, it was well-priced too.
Pros: It does indeed give a bright and crisp picture, so it passes the main criteria. Ergonomically it's pretty sweet too. The design of the housing allows my hand to curve neatly and comfortably around it, and the focus wheel right in right of the eyepiece is easy to turn. The housing also feels rugged--like I really could drop it from an airplane and have it survive--so I don't feel like I have to baby it.
Cons: Since I'm a bit of a girly-girl, I find the army-green ridged housing too military; too ugly. Yeah, I know it shouldn't matter but...it bothered me. Also, although I may rarely use it for anything other than birds, I had a slight hankering for something with a better close focus.
Zen-Ray
After all of my research I somehow missed the Zen-Ray until after I placed the order for the Vortex. That was also because I managed to find every site under the sun except for this one. After hemming and hawing, my husband told me to just buy this one too. That way we could each have a monocular if we were both out together.
It is sized at 5.5x2 and weighs 10 oz. FOV: 393ft/1000yards. Eye relief: 17.3mm. Close focus: 6 ft. It comes with lens caps for the front and back (the cap for the eyepiece stays on pretty well, but the "tethered" lens cap for the objective lens falls off easily; don't be surprised if I lose it). Lifetime warranty, but only against defects. So don't go dropping this baby. And it's just slightly more expensive than the Vortex, but not so much more than it should make a difference in one's decision.
Pros: With a sleek, tubular matte black body, it is much prettier than the Vortex. Much. Picture is sharp, and the larger lens lets in significantly more light than my Vortex as the sun wanes. And, yes, the close focus is much better too.
Cons: The cylindrical housing isn't as ergonomic as the Vortex. It's also a bit slippery, and the "classier" metallic feel of the body actually makes me want to baby it more since it feels more fragile. The placement of the focus wheel, about halfway down the housing, is more awkward to turn than the Vortex, and you definitely couldn't do it with one hand, which I sometimes can manage with the Vortex. But here's the weirdest con, which I partly think has *got* to be illusory. Last week I was switching between the Vortex and the Zen-Ray while looking at the same scene. I would swear that even though they are both 8X, the Vortex seemed to magnify better. The shorebirds I was looking at seemed larger, no matter how many times I swapped the two monoculars. It was rather weird.
Nikon
The advantages of the teeny, sweet Nikon are obvious. After trying my darndest, it was just too much to carry either the Vortex or the Zen in my purse at all times. The Nikon had great reviews, and what I was sacrificing in magnification I was gaining in portability. *This* monocular would add almost no weight to my purse, was sometihng I could tuck into the pocket of my jeans, and hide pretty well in my hand if I wanted to. It comes with a pleather pouch that fits it perfectly and a lens cap...that falls off every time I take the monocular out of the pouch. It's also twice as much as the Vortex or Zen.
Size: 2.8x1.2. Weight 2.6 oz. FOV: 472. Eye Relief: 15.8. Close focus: 2ft
So, my conclusion? If you want the most ergonomic one, go with the Vortex. If close focus and/or birding in somewhat lower light is a factor, the Zen-Ray. I would only go for the Nikon if ultra portability is the most important factor, but, as I found, sometimes that's not an insignificant issue.
Here's also an attached photo of them all together, with a beer can for further comparison.
. 
