Thanks for posting your comments Petrus and looking forward to your review. Down here in Yorkshire I never see Nikons being carried, nor on CalMac ferries which usually bring a fair cross-section of brands. Do you see any?
Lee
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Nikon Monarch HG 8x42 (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Binastro
- Start date
Thanks for posting your comments Petrus and looking forward to your review. Down here in Yorkshire I never see Nikons being carried, nor on CalMac ferries which usually bring a fair cross-section of brands. Do you see any?
Lee
Lee,
Sorry it's taken me so long to post. No, I don't see many Nikons around. Sometimes some of the cheaper stuff but I don't often see mid-range to alpha level. Although I once went on a trip with a group and a guy had the Monarch 5 8x42!
kestrel1
Well-known member
Very good price for MHG here in Europe, just 740euro...
http://www.das-fernglashaus.de/Nikon1P.htm
http://www.das-fernglashaus.de/Nikon1P.htm
Clouds cleared this morning.
8.33 a.m. clear sky.
Bird on chimney pot 104m. Not the normal crow, unknown smaller.
Monarch 8x42 HG.
It was a magpie in shadow. No CA centrally on magpie, but near field edge plenty of false colour.
Also moving away from axis. Up/down resolution reduced rather quickly. Magpie getting blurred.
Reduction in resolution less quickly left/right away from axis.
This is because I have little accommodation.
People with more accommodation would not see such quick changes.
Another magpie walking around roof in shadow.
One magpie flew off. In flight nice view.
8.37 a.m.. Magpie sitting on another chimney pot at 118m in sunshine. Still no central CA on magpie.
White pillars, some CA seen centrally.
I could identify magpie with unaided eyes in sunshine, but not in shadow at 104m and 118m.
This is my first look at birds, rather than testing, and the binocular was good here.
The central resolution was also very good with rested eyes.
8.33 a.m. clear sky.
Bird on chimney pot 104m. Not the normal crow, unknown smaller.
Monarch 8x42 HG.
It was a magpie in shadow. No CA centrally on magpie, but near field edge plenty of false colour.
Also moving away from axis. Up/down resolution reduced rather quickly. Magpie getting blurred.
Reduction in resolution less quickly left/right away from axis.
This is because I have little accommodation.
People with more accommodation would not see such quick changes.
Another magpie walking around roof in shadow.
One magpie flew off. In flight nice view.
8.37 a.m.. Magpie sitting on another chimney pot at 118m in sunshine. Still no central CA on magpie.
White pillars, some CA seen centrally.
I could identify magpie with unaided eyes in sunshine, but not in shadow at 104m and 118m.
This is my first look at birds, rather than testing, and the binocular was good here.
The central resolution was also very good with rested eyes.
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A short while ago while making tea I saw a crow sitting on the chimney pot at 118m in bright late sunshine. Cloudless transparent sky.
Got 8x42 Monarch HG.
While watching a magpie landed on the roof and walked along then stopped. Separation of birds about 1 degree. Magpie c. 110m. Both central in binocular field.
Centrally I could see no CA on either bird, although a little on white vertical pillar edge.
I think my pupils small about 2.5mm?
Also my eyes a bit tired from watching T.V.
So my resolution maybe a bit down.
Then magpie sat on chimney pot at 124m.
I could clearly see false colour on both birds near field edge.
Magpie in flight good.
The crow sticks around a lot longer as king of the castle.
7.25p.m. to 7.30 p.m. BST observation.
Must drink tea.
Got 8x42 Monarch HG.
While watching a magpie landed on the roof and walked along then stopped. Separation of birds about 1 degree. Magpie c. 110m. Both central in binocular field.
Centrally I could see no CA on either bird, although a little on white vertical pillar edge.
I think my pupils small about 2.5mm?
Also my eyes a bit tired from watching T.V.
So my resolution maybe a bit down.
Then magpie sat on chimney pot at 124m.
I could clearly see false colour on both birds near field edge.
Magpie in flight good.
The crow sticks around a lot longer as king of the castle.
7.25p.m. to 7.30 p.m. BST observation.
Must drink tea.
04.45 to 05.12 a.m. BST this morning. Cloudless, but at the end some cirrus and sky lightening..
Sky very transparent.
8x42 Monarch HG.
Saw satellite passing through Orion mag 3 to mag 6.
Pleiades good.
About 3.5 magnitude gain over unaided eyes.
Field size 8.33 degrees left and right barrel binocular fixed. Eye central
8.35 deg handheld (bigger due to involuntary hand movements, this increase is normal).
If one moves ones eyes around the field is a bit greater.
My pupil sizes > 5.2mm probably.
Star images good in focus and out for 8x binocular.
Star colours good.
Edge stars quite good but deformed.
I prefer a 10x42, but this binocular is fine for astronomy..
Field size adequate for astronomy.
Unequal double star good.
The chief complaint that I have with this binocular is that at this price and with ED glass there shouldn't be CA in the daytime.
Also it is disappointing to find ghosting or flare near to a light source, of full Moon brightness, just outside the field, but this may be due to small size and weight.
With the light source actually in the field it is very difficult to see any ghosting.
I don't know if these points are typical of all samples.
The binocular is bright, fairly contrasty and centrally sharp.
I don't know if later ones are the same as this early sample.
After sunset looking at people in the street the view is very good and bright under street lighting.
Sky very transparent.
8x42 Monarch HG.
Saw satellite passing through Orion mag 3 to mag 6.
Pleiades good.
About 3.5 magnitude gain over unaided eyes.
Field size 8.33 degrees left and right barrel binocular fixed. Eye central
8.35 deg handheld (bigger due to involuntary hand movements, this increase is normal).
If one moves ones eyes around the field is a bit greater.
My pupil sizes > 5.2mm probably.
Star images good in focus and out for 8x binocular.
Star colours good.
Edge stars quite good but deformed.
I prefer a 10x42, but this binocular is fine for astronomy..
Field size adequate for astronomy.
Unequal double star good.
The chief complaint that I have with this binocular is that at this price and with ED glass there shouldn't be CA in the daytime.
Also it is disappointing to find ghosting or flare near to a light source, of full Moon brightness, just outside the field, but this may be due to small size and weight.
With the light source actually in the field it is very difficult to see any ghosting.
I don't know if these points are typical of all samples.
The binocular is bright, fairly contrasty and centrally sharp.
I don't know if later ones are the same as this early sample.
After sunset looking at people in the street the view is very good and bright under street lighting.
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Binastro try testing for flare by looking UP at an object at a steep angle as if you were looking at something on a mountain on a sunny day. That is a tough test for most binoculars. Also, what type and size of telescopes do you use for astronomy?
We don't have many mountain goats around here, but I may try to take the binocular out into the sunshine.
80 deg F today, Sunny very nice. There are a few crazies who freeclimb tall structures and sometimes parachute off them. The local squirrels climb straight up the outside of 8 floor buildings. Perhaps I'll look at them.
I have sold all my large telescopes from 8.5 inch to 20.5 inch, as they are too big for me now.
The largest now is 6 inch Maksutov, but I have refractors from 66mm to 125mm, and a lousy 135mm refractor made when the maker's eyesight was clearly age affected. That also gives horrible ghost images.
Also the H alpha PST, which I have used on over 1,500 days. I have never refocused or retuned since set up new. I use the 12mm Kelner eyepiece field curvature to scan the Sun's disc. A great scope.
The Monarch HG is actually very nice if I ignore some CA and avoid flare situations.
80 deg F today, Sunny very nice. There are a few crazies who freeclimb tall structures and sometimes parachute off them. The local squirrels climb straight up the outside of 8 floor buildings. Perhaps I'll look at them.
I have sold all my large telescopes from 8.5 inch to 20.5 inch, as they are too big for me now.
The largest now is 6 inch Maksutov, but I have refractors from 66mm to 125mm, and a lousy 135mm refractor made when the maker's eyesight was clearly age affected. That also gives horrible ghost images.
Also the H alpha PST, which I have used on over 1,500 days. I have never refocused or retuned since set up new. I use the 12mm Kelner eyepiece field curvature to scan the Sun's disc. A great scope.
The Monarch HG is actually very nice if I ignore some CA and avoid flare situations.
Today 13.40 BST.
Went out with 8x42 Monarch HG looking for mountain goats on lower roof line.
Unfortunately I was not light adapted having been indoors.
The binocular was possibly focused at infinity and the lower roofline at 40ft 50 degree elevation.
Sun behind cirrus hidden just to left of roof line.
The view was exceedingly bright and I could not see any flare.
There may be none.
There may be some flare washed out by extreme brightness.
I may not have got the right angle to see flare.
The Sun was to left, the streetlight at night is below binocular.
I could only look for less than a minute.
I will not repeat this experiment.
What I did see was masses of central CA with roofline a bit out of focus.
Even in focus there was a lot of central CA in extreme conditions.
I did not find any mountain goats.
13.50 BST wind 250 deg 9 kn visibility 50km cloud few 3,100 ft 23C TDP 13C 1019.5 hPa.
There was also cirrus.
Went out with 8x42 Monarch HG looking for mountain goats on lower roof line.
Unfortunately I was not light adapted having been indoors.
The binocular was possibly focused at infinity and the lower roofline at 40ft 50 degree elevation.
Sun behind cirrus hidden just to left of roof line.
The view was exceedingly bright and I could not see any flare.
There may be none.
There may be some flare washed out by extreme brightness.
I may not have got the right angle to see flare.
The Sun was to left, the streetlight at night is below binocular.
I could only look for less than a minute.
I will not repeat this experiment.
What I did see was masses of central CA with roofline a bit out of focus.
Even in focus there was a lot of central CA in extreme conditions.
I did not find any mountain goats.
13.50 BST wind 250 deg 9 kn visibility 50km cloud few 3,100 ft 23C TDP 13C 1019.5 hPa.
There was also cirrus.
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mfunnell
Registered Confuser
Binastro, re Post 49,
Mountain goats are white and very reflective. If there were any on the lower roof line you should have seen them.
Suggest you repeat this experiment again after eating and drinking the same things you did before you conducted this one. Except if you had mushrooms. Don't eat them! You never know with them.
Bob
Mountain goats are white and very reflective. If there were any on the lower roof line you should have seen them.
Suggest you repeat this experiment again after eating and drinking the same things you did before you conducted this one. Except if you had mushrooms. Don't eat them! You never know with them.
Bob
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james holdsworth
Consulting Biologist
A good comparison would be your Conquest HD's - I find their CA control very good, but a notch or two below both the FL and HT's.
More CA than the Conquests would likely be too much for me.
SuperDuty
Well-known member
I just spent a fair amount of time with the 10X42 HT and FL, both were excellent at controlling CA, the FL the best of the two by a small but noticeable margin. Both are clearly superior any of the SVs I've seen or owned.
"Went out with 8x42 Monarch HG looking for mountain goats on lower roof line."
Isn't there some OLD goats in England you could look at?:king:
I have tested dozens of binoculars for CA. If you are sensitive to CA get a Zeiss FL.
SuperDuty
Well-known member
I've owned the 8.5X42, 10X42, 10X50, and seen the 10X32. I meant clearly superior to the SV series at CA control, depending on your preferences, it could always be argued that the 10X50 SV is the best overall binocular available at the present time.
