master5
Well-known member
15.1mm
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Monarch M7 (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter dries1
- Start date
Is 15,1mm enough or do i need more? Im very new to this.
I just bought one, a store had one in stock.
It's my first bino. I haven't had the chance to test it out, but so far it's a very good and solid product. I wear glasses but the view is perfect for me.. I had the chance to test the gpo Passion ED, while the optics of the gpo are a tiny bit better, I couldn't live with the flimsy focus wheel. The m7 focus wheel was miles ahead.
It's my first bino. I haven't had the chance to test it out, but so far it's a very good and solid product. I wear glasses but the view is perfect for me.. I had the chance to test the gpo Passion ED, while the optics of the gpo are a tiny bit better, I couldn't live with the flimsy focus wheel. The m7 focus wheel was miles ahead.
master5
Well-known member
8х30?
Yes
master5
Well-known member
what are your impressions? M7 8x42 I want to see and compare with MHG 8x42
I didnt compare them to 8x42 ones because i was only looking for 8x30's. But my first impression are very good. At this price point i don't think there are better ones out there.
Did a comparison of the new M7 10x42 with the HG yesterday. The M7 was impressive for its price but the HG was definately a little brighter and sharper. Especially apparent when looking at distant mountain basins and cliffs. About what you would expect given the price difference. Love the razor sharpness at long distances in the HG. Carefully adjusted the diopter on both at the same o next. M7 is no slouch though. Nice ez view with the wide fov.
master5
Well-known member
your photo?
Yes
master5
Well-known member
Please write a review when you test it!
Really looking forward to Catnip’s comparative review of the Nikons. I’m very pleased to see they’ve come out with a new model as I really wasn’t certain which direction the company was headed WRT binoculars in the post-COVID era. I haven’t yet had a chance to sample one yet, but they look attractive, and at ~$500, if it has good mechanics and optics, should sell well here in the USA. In addition to optics and hunting stores, Nikon Monarchs are currently offered in non-optics-specialty shops that don’t sell the big-3 - like camping/hiking shops = REI, LLBean, etc. A solid-quality ~$500 offering from Nikon will have a wide USA marketing base, and the brand is already fairly well respected here.
Peregrine Took
Well-known member
I want to upgrade my bins (and my scope), and would interested if anyone has an opinion on the M7 vs the Hawke Frontier ED X? (Preferably in 8x42.)
The latter gets the best reviews I've found for this price bracket (and seems to compare with many higher priced bins), but as an ex-photographer the Nikon name always tugs at the heart strings.
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The latter gets the best reviews I've found for this price bracket (and seems to compare with many higher priced bins), but as an ex-photographer the Nikon name always tugs at the heart strings.
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Mike Crawley
Emeritus President at Burnage Rugby Club
Try to find shops where you can try them, only you can tell if they comfortably fit your hands.
I have 10x42 Hawke as my spare binoculars (usually in the car, just in case) and Hawke 8x32 in the kitchen for watching the garden.
Hawke are very impressive and represent great value for money.
Also, try to find out more about customer service.
Heaven forbid that anything should go wrong but it’s good to be reassured.
My local optic shop stopped dealing with a big manufacturer because of their poor customer service.
Peregrine Took
Well-known member
The closest dealers to me are by appointment only right now (Covid); it pains me, but it's actually more convenient to buy online and return what I don't like. Just thought I'd ask here first - I'd be interested to read some opinions, but I won't base my purchase on them.
Hawke's service and no fault lifetime warranty seems unbelievably good. I've not heard a bad word about Nikon's service, but that's just among photographers.
Peregrine Took
Well-known member
Took a leap of faith and bought a pair of Nikon Monarch M7 8x42's today, online, and hope to demo a few other brands in person within the week. I'm curious to see how much better all of the usual suspects are, compared to my Olympus EXPS. Will report back.
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Peregrine Took
Well-known member
Got the M7s and wow! But in an underwhelming way...
Microscopically better than my 10 year old Olympus EXPS 8x42s at controlling CAs - I had to really try hard to see any difference. Slightly less contrasty than the EXPS. No difference in sharpness, or edge-to-edge sharpness; even though the Nikon has a wider FOV I didn't perceive this to be advantageous because of the lack of edge sharpness. Ergonomics were nice, with handling and the eye-cups comfortable. No idea about build quality - not sure how you can tell unless you've abused them for a few years.
Verdict: no better (except that they are waterproof) and certainly, optically, not worth three times the price of the Olympus EXPS.
On paper, and from the reviews (of this and the previous iteration), I thought they would be a big improvement on non-ED glass. I love Nikon cameras and wanted to love these binoculars, but sadly, they are going back from whence they came.
I should put in a good word for London Camera Exchange. True to their word when their website promises 'next working day delivery'. It's not always the case with online retailers, so well done to them.
Sorry it's not a scientific analysis, but my eyes (non-glasses wearing, tested three weeks ago!) tell me more than a spec sheet - and as an ex-photographer/designer, I like to think I have a discerning eye ('eyes like a 5h1t house rat', a printer once told me). I acknowledge we all see things differently (or perhaps want to see things differently - ie. confirmation bias), so YMMV as they say.
I have an appointment tomorrow to try: Hawke APO and Frontier ED X, Kowa BD II XD, Zeiss Terra. Now that I've dismissed the Nikon, it'll be interesting to see if the latter two (in particular) are as ordinary as some people make them out to be. I might also order the Olympus Pro online.
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Microscopically better than my 10 year old Olympus EXPS 8x42s at controlling CAs - I had to really try hard to see any difference. Slightly less contrasty than the EXPS. No difference in sharpness, or edge-to-edge sharpness; even though the Nikon has a wider FOV I didn't perceive this to be advantageous because of the lack of edge sharpness. Ergonomics were nice, with handling and the eye-cups comfortable. No idea about build quality - not sure how you can tell unless you've abused them for a few years.
Verdict: no better (except that they are waterproof) and certainly, optically, not worth three times the price of the Olympus EXPS.
On paper, and from the reviews (of this and the previous iteration), I thought they would be a big improvement on non-ED glass. I love Nikon cameras and wanted to love these binoculars, but sadly, they are going back from whence they came.
I should put in a good word for London Camera Exchange. True to their word when their website promises 'next working day delivery'. It's not always the case with online retailers, so well done to them.
Sorry it's not a scientific analysis, but my eyes (non-glasses wearing, tested three weeks ago!) tell me more than a spec sheet - and as an ex-photographer/designer, I like to think I have a discerning eye ('eyes like a 5h1t house rat', a printer once told me). I acknowledge we all see things differently (or perhaps want to see things differently - ie. confirmation bias), so YMMV as they say.
I have an appointment tomorrow to try: Hawke APO and Frontier ED X, Kowa BD II XD, Zeiss Terra. Now that I've dismissed the Nikon, it'll be interesting to see if the latter two (in particular) are as ordinary as some people make them out to be. I might also order the Olympus Pro online.
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