Nikon Monarch HG 8x30 - worth or not to buy, considering prose n cons? (1 Viewer)

[Andy Gan]

Hello to good people.
Have Nikon mhg 10x42 - a good pair, very like it.

So now thinking about buying small (115-125mm in long) pair of 8x30 or 8x32, that will do not worse than mhg 10x42 overall. Thinking about buying younger brother mhg 8x30, but worrying about its eternal downsides - glaring and blackouts.
And after all i cannot finally decide - buy it or not. Will it be worth in action of the older brother 10x42? Or maybe i should choose another small 30/32 (zeiss tfl (that can find used), leica uvhd+, zeiss sfl (that will be available by spring 2023), kite lynx hd+ or others).
So have questions to anser:
1. Are cons (glaring and blackouts) of nikon mhg 8x30 so well expressed? Or those not significant and mhg 8x30 overall excellent bino?
2. Can Kite Lynx HD+ 8x30 compete well against mhg 8x30?
3. Zeiss TFL 8x32 vs Leica 8x32 uvhd+ - which one better OPTICALLY (only optically)?
4. Did anyone heard any useful information bout sfl 8x30?
5. Does exist another compact variants of 30/32s that will be worth the level of mhg 10x42?

 

[lmans66]

Great binocular…. Nice view. Slow focus though and for me while I got ‘pop’ from the view…. I never got excited about just holding the bins. Blah…. I was a bit disappointed by that

 

[MiddleRiver]

We (wife and I) purchased 8x30HG for a trip for which we wanted to pack light. I was stunned by the IQ, compact form factor, ergos, etc. They became her EDC binos and I was tempted to buy a 2nd one but ended up getting 8x40SFL - mostly out of curiosity - and keeping those. There is something about Nikons that seems lesser quality design (aesthetics) but I'm a leica fan and obviously quite prejudiced in that regard.

 

[Andy Gan]

We (wife and I) purchased 8x30HG for a trip for which we wanted to pack light. I was stunned by the IQ, compact form factor, ergos, etc. They became her EDC binos and I was tempted to buy a 2nd one but ended up getting 8x40SFL - mostly out of curiosity - and keeping those. There is something about Nikons that seems lesser quality design (aesthetics) but I'm a leica fan and obviously quite prejudiced in that regard.

1. So Leica UVHD+ 8x32 better than Nikon mhg 8x30 by much? How Leica does with eye-positioning, is it finicky?
2. How does Zeiss SFL 10x40? Does have objective weaknesses? Much worse than 8x40 (heard someth on forums)??

 

[lmans66]

For me… the MHG just lacked something. You know how it is when you really like a binocular, you just want to pick it up all the time. The ‘fun factor’ is what I call it., well, the MHG lacks the fun factor. On the other hand, the Leica UV ‘has the fun factor’…And, the view is a better all around and should, for double the price. The UV was still light weight, but for me, ergonomically it was a better fit.

 

[dorubird]

Worth to buy a MHG 8x30!
it's worth because it's very portable and at the same time with a generous visual field of view. Mechanically and optically, it is a top binocular, even if some presented it unfavorably influenced by allbinos review.
The new 32mm binoculars from Zeiss and Swarovski are too big for me, I'd rather choose the 42mm instead. 32mm should be small, otherwise I prefer 42mm

 

[lmans66]

Worth to buy a MHG 8x30!
it's worth because it's very portable and at the same time with a generous visual field of view. Mechanically and optically, it is a top binocular, even if some presented it unfavorably influenced by allbinos review

Total agreement here....a very good binocular which got a real bum review based upon laboratory results in Albinos.

 

[A2GG]

I recommend it. I’ve been using only this binocular for over 2 years now.

 

[albie...]

I take anything written by Allbinos with a grain of salt . If I want to read a review on a binocular I look somewhere else .

 

[Scott98]

The new 32mm binoculars from Zeiss and Swarovski are too big for me, I'd rather choose the 42mm instead. 32mm should be small, otherwise I prefer 42mm

same here - too big and too expensive for the aperture IMO - the best thing about the Monarch 8x30 is the small size and weight....16 ounces. Maven makes a 16 ounce 8x30 but they need a plastic body to get the weight that low, all the other options seem to be 20 ounces or more, which is 25% more weight on your neck.

 

[tenex]

If you really want 30 rather than 32, I expect MHG is quite nice but wouldn't be in a hurry to buy one before trying the new SFL. Personally I'd much rather carry a classic small 32, FL or UV depending on taste. Objectively, FL has better central sharpness and lower CA (at least in 10x; 8x may not be quite as good in the outer field) but UV is excellent in a different way (contrast?); if you can try both, you'll know which you prefer.

 

[HenRun]

Tenex: do you have the 10x32 FL or the 8x32 FL?

I have my old 8x32 FL back home and cannot directly compare it to my old 10x32 FL.
"From memory" I felt the 10x32 was a little sharper across the image / the outer field. The 8x32 FL is excellent in the center (where it matters the most to me anyway) but I recall the 10x32 was even better when I compared the two many years ago and and ended up buying the 10x32 FL.

 

[Swissboy]

............................................................................, all the other options seem to be 20 ounces or more, which is 25% more weight on your neck.

You need to get the SFL x30 on to your radar!

 

[tenex]

Tenex: do you have the 10x32 FL or the 8x32 FL?

10x. I've read here that it has an extra correcting lens in the eyepiece which could make the mid/outer field better; also it has the somewhat wider AFOV typical for the magnification difference. My only 8x bin is EII.

 

[Scott98]

You need to get the SFL x30 on to your radar!

I am lucky to have a local bird watching store that has both - I would like to compare these two soon....although I have a pact with myself not to buy any more new binos until at least September

 

[dries1]

As Beth has suggested I would give the 8x30 MHG a go.

 

[brocknroller]

For me… the MHG just lacked something. You know how it is when you really like a binocular, you just want to pick it up all the time. The ‘fun factor’ is what I call it., well, the MHG lacks the fun factor. On the other hand, the Leica UV ‘has the fun factor’…And, the view is a better all around and should, for double the price. The UV was still light weight, but for me, ergonomically it was a better fit.

That's what I always found lacking in every reviewer's evaluations--no category/points for "fun factor!"

It sounds like ergonomics are at least part of what makes using binoculars fun. I can relate. Great optics are no fun if you can't hold the binoculars comfortably. Having said that, I would have to try the 8x30 HG myself to find how just how fun/unfun they are!

Brock

 

[albie...]

I believe "fun factor" is a personal thing attached to the individual owning the binocular or whatever they're reviewing and therefore really doesn't belong in a review . Am I wrong?

 

[[email protected]]

I tried the the Nikon MHG 8x30 again and even though I like it, sadly it had too many black-outs for me without glasses.

 

[brocknroller]

I believe "fun factor" is a personal thing attached to the individual owning the binocular or whatever they're reviewing and therefore really doesn't belong in a review . Am I wrong?

You're right! And that's the reason that "secret sauce" is what's missing from reviews and discussions of binoculars. Dennis mentioned 'image blackouts," which is another issue that might affect one person but not another. Same with CA, "rolling ball," eyecup/face fit, AFOV, etc.

Tobias Mennle thought the "ergonomy" of the 8x42 EDG was perfect for him, but it was not at all perfect for me. But what he wrote about the optics and focuser were right on.

What I've learned from purchasing bins based on reviews and user's comments is that it's "hit or miss." There's no substitute for trying a bin before buying it. Not always easy depending on where you live unless you're willing to buy online only from Amazon or some other online store that has free returns, no questions asked. Some NYC stores charge restocking fees.

Plus you might not have the budget to buy a $3k+ bin, but you might like to try it to see if it's as good as reviewers say or hyped.

But in the end, it's that "fun factor" that makes it a deal or no deal. The combination of featurers either works for you or it doesn't. You can't find that out from reading reviews because binoculars are a personal instrument that must interface with the person.

The 8x30 HG is a good example since I wrote it off after reading Allbinos review before realizing that Arek and Co. put extra emphasis on edge sharpness, which may not be what birders necessarily want more than a large FOV and other factors.

Also based on my experience with the 8x30 M7, which has very noticeably blurry edges, which I found distracting while panning since my eyes dart ahead into the direction I'm panning and I see a blurry image. But I liked the ergonomics. The way the Allbinos' review is written is that the HG is not much better than the M7 in that regard, but I've read other reviews that put the edges as being much better.

Since I already have the 8x32 EDG, which is highly rated on Allbinos in part because of its sharp edges, I wrote off the 8x30 HG. But after reading Beth's and other's comments, I'm curious to try an 8x30 HG, and I might get the opportunity to try one this year.

Brock