John Cantelo
Well-known member
Nikon Monarch 7 8x30 vs Kite Lynx 8x30
I realise I lack the technical insights of many here and am daunted by the prospect of posting a comparative review of these two instruments. It's a birder's point of view rather than that of a technically expert optics obsessive. So please read the review with this in mind.
Accessories: Both come with eyepiece covers and detachable objective covers (which can be quickly discarded). The Monarchs come with a broad (up to 53 mm) neoprene neckstrap which may seem like overkill for such lightweight binoculars, but it does mean it's easy to forget you actually have a them round your neck at all. In contrast, the Kites have a disappointingly narrow neoprene strap (23 mm) which makes carrying the binoculars less effortless than might have been the case. However, the Nikon's small padded case, closed by a velcro flap, is strapless, so the neck strap must also serve as the case strap – which seems somewhat miserly. The Lynx have a more substantial zipped case with it's own strap and additional zipped pocket (for those discarded objective covers, obviously). It is, however, oddly overlarge even accommodating my much larger old 8x32 porros (was it designed for a larger instrument?). Both cases have belt loops which, given the instruments' lightweight, might actually be quite functional.
Ergonomics: Ergonomically I found them two of the most pleasant binoculars I've ever handled. They are so similar that they surely have a common origin; both have slim narrow barrels, linked by a single, slight prism housing topped by a satisfyingly wide focus wheel.Both are very nicely balanced sitting very comfortably in the hand. The fingers automatically curl satisfyingly round the bins – two round the barrel, the index finger across the prism housing and a forefinger resting on the focus wheel – to give a very solid grip. Both are lightweight (although the Lynx have a slight edge here). Whilst their small size and light weight makes them an ideal binocular for smaller or younger birdwatchers, they shouldn't be dismissed by other users. They were perfectly comfortable in my hands (which I guess are 'average' adult male sized) so only those with larger hands might have problems with the instruments' size. Whilst I preferred the feel of the Monarch's softer more tactile rubber armouring, I found its subtle contouring not quite so comfortable as the simple plain barrels of the Kites. However, it wasn't a deal breaker either way. The ridged focus wheel on the Monarchs also seemed better than the Kite's delicately embossed version, but both work perfectly well even with gloved hands. The Monarch's 'click-stop' eyepieces seem to slip into place more firmly than the Lynx's single stop eyepiece.
Optics: Both of these instruments produce a very acceptable sharp and bright image. Given the small objective size, the brightness may seem surprising. In bright sunshine I could detect no difference between the Lynx and my 8x42 Zeiss, a marginal difference (when looked for and in direct comparison) in very dull and overcast conditions and only a signficicant difference at the last dregs of dusk. For some this might be a significant factor, but as I primarily got the binoculars to use when on holiday in Spain – more often bright and sunny and with a short period of dusk – this was an acceptable compromise. As for that missing 2mm we're all used to these days, I could detect no difference at all when compared to 8x32 binoculars of similar quality. The Monarch's were very similar optically to the Kites, but seemed marginally less bright (obvious only when directly compared) with a slightly yellower tone. This may reflect the Lynx's 'cleaner and whiter' image which seemed to add an extra 'punch' to the image. For me, this gave the Kites a little 'edge' optically and that indefinable extra 'wow' factor. That said both produced sharp images across the field of view with only the outer edge being a little softer. However, in some circumstances – when viewing close to a bright light source for example – the Monarchs sometimes suffered from 'flare' which made the image 'milky'. Although annoying when it happened, this wasn't generally a significant problem. I could not replicate this effect with the Lynx. The Monarchs and the Lynx also have an exceptional field of view (145m @ 1,000m and 151m @ 1,000m respectively). Inevitably, like all binoculars, there was some distortion of the image and (fine) colour fringing at the outer edge of the field. The first did not distract from the excellence of the image overall and the second was invisible unless actively looked for. I found that both focused down to 1.6 m (although this isn't quite so good as the 1.3 m that the manufacturers of the Kites claim). This makes them an excellent choice for dragonfly/butterfly watchers. In both of these respects they significantly out perform the far more expensive Swarovskis.
The Monarchs proved to be the first 'full size' binoculars my petite wife has ever found comfortable enough to use. Hence I got her a pair at the Bird Fair in August. However, my expectation that they'd double as a good spare pair for myself foundered when I discovered that I couldn't wrest them from her clutches. Asking for a quick squint was a like asking Gollum for a look at 'Precious'! Thanks to that generous strap she loves how weightless they feel round her neck, how comfortable they feel in her hand and, above all, the extra brightness and clarity of the image compared to her old 8x25s. The light weight and handy ergonomics also made them an ideal companion on hikes. When I did manage to have a play with them, I found that I liked them as much as she did.
Since she wasn't co-operating, on our return to the UK I was tempted to get a second pair of the Nikons for myself. However an unexpected windfall, that covered much of the additional cost, made me look again at the Lynx. The whisker of an optical advantage that they offered over the Monarchs persuaded me to shell out the extra cash and buy the Lynx. Are they worth the extra £180? It's a close call and in all honesty, probably not unless you'd find the lack of that marginally better performance and occasional problems with flare irritating. I miss the Monarch's wide strap and click-stop eyepieces (the Lynx eyepiece seems more prone to slip down), but relish the more 'punchy' view obtained with the Lynx. Kite optics in a Nikon body hanging from a Nikon strap with a slimmed down Kite case would be ideal. Optically the Lynx compare very well with 32mm 'alpha' binoculars (with the Nikons not too far behind) and both, for me at least, outperform them ergonomically by a wide margin (an often neglected consideration). It was not entirely surprising to discover that the website 'Best Binocular Reviews' (www.bestbinocularsreviews.com) recently rated the Lynx as one of the best new binoculars of 2014.
I realise that I ended up spending enough to buy a pair of Swarovski CLs 8x30s, but, if not quite so robust, the Lynx seem to produce an equally 'snappy image' with a much better field of view and close focus. Besides, with a pair each there's no chance that Gollum would stop me using the second pair and no chance of confusion as they're recognisably distinct bins!
I realise I lack the technical insights of many here and am daunted by the prospect of posting a comparative review of these two instruments. It's a birder's point of view rather than that of a technically expert optics obsessive. So please read the review with this in mind.
Accessories: Both come with eyepiece covers and detachable objective covers (which can be quickly discarded). The Monarchs come with a broad (up to 53 mm) neoprene neckstrap which may seem like overkill for such lightweight binoculars, but it does mean it's easy to forget you actually have a them round your neck at all. In contrast, the Kites have a disappointingly narrow neoprene strap (23 mm) which makes carrying the binoculars less effortless than might have been the case. However, the Nikon's small padded case, closed by a velcro flap, is strapless, so the neck strap must also serve as the case strap – which seems somewhat miserly. The Lynx have a more substantial zipped case with it's own strap and additional zipped pocket (for those discarded objective covers, obviously). It is, however, oddly overlarge even accommodating my much larger old 8x32 porros (was it designed for a larger instrument?). Both cases have belt loops which, given the instruments' lightweight, might actually be quite functional.
Ergonomics: Ergonomically I found them two of the most pleasant binoculars I've ever handled. They are so similar that they surely have a common origin; both have slim narrow barrels, linked by a single, slight prism housing topped by a satisfyingly wide focus wheel.Both are very nicely balanced sitting very comfortably in the hand. The fingers automatically curl satisfyingly round the bins – two round the barrel, the index finger across the prism housing and a forefinger resting on the focus wheel – to give a very solid grip. Both are lightweight (although the Lynx have a slight edge here). Whilst their small size and light weight makes them an ideal binocular for smaller or younger birdwatchers, they shouldn't be dismissed by other users. They were perfectly comfortable in my hands (which I guess are 'average' adult male sized) so only those with larger hands might have problems with the instruments' size. Whilst I preferred the feel of the Monarch's softer more tactile rubber armouring, I found its subtle contouring not quite so comfortable as the simple plain barrels of the Kites. However, it wasn't a deal breaker either way. The ridged focus wheel on the Monarchs also seemed better than the Kite's delicately embossed version, but both work perfectly well even with gloved hands. The Monarch's 'click-stop' eyepieces seem to slip into place more firmly than the Lynx's single stop eyepiece.
Optics: Both of these instruments produce a very acceptable sharp and bright image. Given the small objective size, the brightness may seem surprising. In bright sunshine I could detect no difference between the Lynx and my 8x42 Zeiss, a marginal difference (when looked for and in direct comparison) in very dull and overcast conditions and only a signficicant difference at the last dregs of dusk. For some this might be a significant factor, but as I primarily got the binoculars to use when on holiday in Spain – more often bright and sunny and with a short period of dusk – this was an acceptable compromise. As for that missing 2mm we're all used to these days, I could detect no difference at all when compared to 8x32 binoculars of similar quality. The Monarch's were very similar optically to the Kites, but seemed marginally less bright (obvious only when directly compared) with a slightly yellower tone. This may reflect the Lynx's 'cleaner and whiter' image which seemed to add an extra 'punch' to the image. For me, this gave the Kites a little 'edge' optically and that indefinable extra 'wow' factor. That said both produced sharp images across the field of view with only the outer edge being a little softer. However, in some circumstances – when viewing close to a bright light source for example – the Monarchs sometimes suffered from 'flare' which made the image 'milky'. Although annoying when it happened, this wasn't generally a significant problem. I could not replicate this effect with the Lynx. The Monarchs and the Lynx also have an exceptional field of view (145m @ 1,000m and 151m @ 1,000m respectively). Inevitably, like all binoculars, there was some distortion of the image and (fine) colour fringing at the outer edge of the field. The first did not distract from the excellence of the image overall and the second was invisible unless actively looked for. I found that both focused down to 1.6 m (although this isn't quite so good as the 1.3 m that the manufacturers of the Kites claim). This makes them an excellent choice for dragonfly/butterfly watchers. In both of these respects they significantly out perform the far more expensive Swarovskis.
The Monarchs proved to be the first 'full size' binoculars my petite wife has ever found comfortable enough to use. Hence I got her a pair at the Bird Fair in August. However, my expectation that they'd double as a good spare pair for myself foundered when I discovered that I couldn't wrest them from her clutches. Asking for a quick squint was a like asking Gollum for a look at 'Precious'! Thanks to that generous strap she loves how weightless they feel round her neck, how comfortable they feel in her hand and, above all, the extra brightness and clarity of the image compared to her old 8x25s. The light weight and handy ergonomics also made them an ideal companion on hikes. When I did manage to have a play with them, I found that I liked them as much as she did.
Since she wasn't co-operating, on our return to the UK I was tempted to get a second pair of the Nikons for myself. However an unexpected windfall, that covered much of the additional cost, made me look again at the Lynx. The whisker of an optical advantage that they offered over the Monarchs persuaded me to shell out the extra cash and buy the Lynx. Are they worth the extra £180? It's a close call and in all honesty, probably not unless you'd find the lack of that marginally better performance and occasional problems with flare irritating. I miss the Monarch's wide strap and click-stop eyepieces (the Lynx eyepiece seems more prone to slip down), but relish the more 'punchy' view obtained with the Lynx. Kite optics in a Nikon body hanging from a Nikon strap with a slimmed down Kite case would be ideal. Optically the Lynx compare very well with 32mm 'alpha' binoculars (with the Nikons not too far behind) and both, for me at least, outperform them ergonomically by a wide margin (an often neglected consideration). It was not entirely surprising to discover that the website 'Best Binocular Reviews' (www.bestbinocularsreviews.com) recently rated the Lynx as one of the best new binoculars of 2014.
I realise that I ended up spending enough to buy a pair of Swarovski CLs 8x30s, but, if not quite so robust, the Lynx seem to produce an equally 'snappy image' with a much better field of view and close focus. Besides, with a pair each there's no chance that Gollum would stop me using the second pair and no chance of confusion as they're recognisably distinct bins!
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