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NEW nikon monarch 7 (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter theo
- Start date
Jason Bugay Reyes
Well-known member
Ah nice means the Monarch is putting ED glass !
brocknroller
porromaniac
Theo,
Welcome to BF! Leave it to the Dutch to hear the news first!
I hope that info is accurate. If so, then someone at Nikon has been listening to me, at least partially. I was asking for these upgrades (wider FOV and ED glass) on the outdated Premier model. Now that pricier model will be even further behind if the Monarch gets those upgrades first.
Glad I held off on purchasing a Monarch when they were on sale last year. My main reason was due to the 6.3* FOV. As the French tight rope walker said: "Wider is Bedder".
I tried a Monarch ATB yesterday at a nature center, compared it to my 8x32 SE and thought the SE's image was "superior" and the view less cramped.
It must have been the latest version because it had thumb indents. The previous pair I tried didn't (Monarch "III").
The new, new Monarchs have piqued my interest (anyone want to hazard a guess about its number designation? 6? 4?).
From past history is seems likely that the "5" will get the upgrades, but I hope Nikon makes the upgrades to the Monarch 3 rather than the Monarch 5/ATB, because I like the 3's body style better. Shorter bridge, more barrels to grip. It reminds me of the EDG II.
Keep us posted if you hear anymore news.
Alvin
David Swain
Well-known member
absolut_beethoven
Well-known member
Specifications for the new Monarch 7 8x42 from www.nikon.de I'm not sure why Nikon USA doesn't have them listed on their site yet?
8° Angle of View
140m/1000m Apparent Field of View
56mm to 72mm IPD
142mm Length X 130mm Width
Weight unavailable
ED Lens (lenses) with dielectric and phase coated prisms. Scratch resistant coating on ocular and objective lenses. Waterproof, fogproof and nitrogen purged.
Should be available some time in June AND I'll definitely be one of the first people to buy one as soon as they become available here in the USA. My CC is already itching in my pocket just at the thought.
The specs for the Monarch 7 10x42 is almost identical to the 8x42 model except AOV = 6.7° and apparent FOV = 117m/1000m.
Attachments
BruceH
Avatar: Harris Hawk
AB .... What is it about the possible new Monarch that has you excited and motivated to the point of having ICCS*? As I recall, you have a great collection of binoculars. I would sure hate to miss out on something good here!
* - ICCS: Itchy Credit Card Syndrome -- Per Sancho from another recent thread. :t:
* - ICCS: Itchy Credit Card Syndrome -- Per Sancho from another recent thread. :t:
brocknroller
porromaniac
Ab_Bee,
They may be calling it a Monarch "7" but that photo looks identical to the Monarch "3". The length is 5.6" not 7" like the current "7".
Nikon continues to befuddle with its designations, but whatever the number, with the class-leading FOV and ED glass, they might finally get me as a buyer.
But only IF the edges are good (sharp to at least 70% and gradual fall off at the edges), IF the distortions/aberrations are low (Action has 8.2* FOV and gradual fall off at the edges, but too much pincushion, the EX has the same FOV but too much field curvature), IF it has thumb indents (shallow like the ATB), and IF the price is right.
My guess is that after these new ED 7s are released, the Monarch "X" will be history.
Brock
brocknroller
porromaniac
Good point! But that would increase the price considerably. Now we're talking in the Monarch X price range, but at least the ED 7s might be worth that price unlike the "X".
Brock
absolut_beethoven
Well-known member
Good question. Using my daughter's 8x36 Monarch SHE binos ($119 from B&H) and owning the new Zeiss Conquest HD 8x42 for a short while, I have come to appreciate that tiny extra that the larger diameter delivers.
It's not that they show me anything that I can't see with my 32mm binos, just that they make finding things in the shadows and less than ideal light conditions so much easier.
On a related note, I also owned the Nikon Premier LXL 8x20 for a short while, but sent those back to B&H and paid the difference for the Pentax 8x32 DCF ED instead. Eye placement was too finicky and viewing in poor light conditions virtually wasn't possible. I personally couldn't see any CA except right at the very edge and even then it was miniscule. Sharpness was almost edge to edge delivering a sweet spot of about 90%. Plus under bright conditions they looked almost as vivid and delivered contrast almost on a par with the much larger and much more expensive Nikon Edg. But that extra 12mm objective made a HUGE difference when the sun went down.
Obviously I don't expect these new Nikons to be as good as the Zeiss Conquest HD optically. But as a huge Nikon fan, I do expect them to be at least as bright and offer exceptional value for the money.
Rest assured that I'll put them through their paces once I get my hands on a pair :t:
brocknroller
porromaniac
Joe,
I think the Monarch X was overpriced. The ED 7 would fill a nice niche in the same price point if they were made in Japan.
However, if they did price them at $1,000, then people would expect them to be as good as the Conquest HD and Meopta HD.
If that were the case, they would no longer be "Monarchs" except in name.
Plus, what would happen to the $1,000+ Premiers that do not have dielectric coatings, do not have a wide FOV (at least the 8x42 model), and do not have ED glass?
Well, to be honest, being a 'rollingballer," I don't care, but the midsized 8x32 Premier would be missed, because Nikon would then have nothing as good at that price point in that configuration. You've got to pay double the price for an 8x32 EDG II.
So even though I can't hold the 8x32 Premier comfortably myself, and can't use the 8x and 10x42 because of RB, I'd hate to see that line disappear, but if the ED 7's optics were as good as the Conquest and Meopta, who would still buy the full sized Premiers?
I suspect the ED 7 is positioned to compete against the Bushnell Ultra 8x and 10x42 ED, and will be made in China and be priced accordingly.
Brock
Dorian Gray
Well-known member
Price is a better indicator of quality than where they're made.
The new Monarch may be optically good, but the real question is whether it's built to last. If it's another flimsy plastic affair with prisms set in Blu-Tack and eyecups that fall apart, it won't distract me for long.
Here's something in English, for those who don't speak Dutch.
The new Monarch may be optically good, but the real question is whether it's built to last. If it's another flimsy plastic affair with prisms set in Blu-Tack and eyecups that fall apart, it won't distract me for long.
Here's something in English, for those who don't speak Dutch.
joe101
Well-known member
I was thinking that they might replace the premiers , i was very impress with their edg line up but was quite disapointed with the premiers. i think if they would close the gap that would be great.
brocknroller
porromaniac
yes, the fact that they are using the name and designation from their lowest priced phase coated roof with the oldest technology (aluminum prism coatings) suggests to me that they are not going to jump from a $200 bin to a $1,200 one.
i too wish that Nikon had a mid-tier roof (with enough pincushion to stop the ball from rolling) that incorporated the latest technology.
upgrading to dielectric coatings is a minimal cost, and Meopta went "HD" for only a $100 bump in price. with the Meopta HD, Pentax ED, and Conquest HD all competing at the same price segment as the Premier, after the ED 7, i don't see how Nikon cannot follow suit with the Premier.
Brock
James Bean
Well-known member
The Monarch ED7 could be a big seller for Nikon, with phase correction, dielectric coatings and ED glass, but only if the price is right... How much?
"And it would be nice if Nikon also simplifies the Monarch model range" says 'Confused of Chester'...
"And it would be nice if Nikon also simplifies the Monarch model range" says 'Confused of Chester'...
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NDhunter
Experienced observer
James:
I agree with you, this new Monarch is just what Nikon needs in the Monarch
series. There are older Monarchs to clear through the system, but when
the dust clears, they have the Monarch 3, with the new styling, and silver
coated prisms, and priced in the mid $2-300 range, in the US.
Then the new Monarch 7 will be the new best one.
Nikon has had a large market share with the Monarch, and this will help
keep them there.
As far as being built in China, Nikon has had a lot of experience with this,
as in good quality control, and no surprises, as some other mfrs. have dealt
with. I suppose they own, and have total control of the whole process,
rather than just be a rebrander.
Jerry
Steve C
Well-known member
This sounds like an interesting binocular and it is on my list of ones I'd like to look over. This tends to get to a pretty big beef I've had with Nikon for awhile now. Here is Nikon, a company obviously capable of producing top grade stuff. They produced what will be probably go down in binocular history as a mid price PC classic with the Monarch ATB...and then promptly sat on their laurels while it finally took some unknowns to recognize the fact that we'd gotten to the point where a heck of a lot better than the Monarch was possible for not much more money. So what did we get from Nikon...the Monarch X! We are finally now at the Monarch 7 for Nikon to maybe have gotten off top dead center and to quit sitting on their laurels. Finally there is something with the Monarch name that might actually be a significant improvement over the original Monarch ATB. It seems to me that if Nikon were really interested in innovation and leadership we would not have seen the X. We would have seen the 7 several years ago, and not all the other Monarch shuffle stuff we have seen.
I figured they were not interested in producing a really good mid range binocular like I always figured they could have done because it would give sales of their high end stuff a hit they were unwilling to take.
I figured they were not interested in producing a really good mid range binocular like I always figured they could have done because it would give sales of their high end stuff a hit they were unwilling to take.
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