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Nikon Monarch 7 8 x 30 Review (1 Viewer)

I made the 100 mile trek up to the Norfolk coast yesterday in the hope of comparing the Monarch 7 to the Kite Lynx..... only to find they'd sold out of the Nikons the day before.

The only time I've tried the Nikon 8x30 was a pre-production sample on the stand at BirdFair last summer. It impressed me at the time, but I'm quite aware it may not of been representative of the production run. I wouldn't trust my memory to make any serious comparison to the Kite I tried yesterday, but there is one point of difference that was a show stopper for me. The available ER is definitely shorter on the Lynx. The Lynx is listed as 15mm and the M7 15.1 but with my glasses on I know I could see the full FOV with Nikon but definitely couldn't with the Lynx. We know the eyecups are different and I suppose it's down to the more rounded edge of the Lynx design eating into an extra millimetre or so of the ER.

Other than that the Lynx was pretty well behaved. The sharpness was good but not exceptional. Colours and contrast were good for the price point. In the sunshine the sweetspot was very good. With my glasses on, I was getting more glare than I would like, but I think that was linked to the ER problem. Without glasses it seemed much better controlled. How it would do in trickier light I couldn't say. All the internal surfaces looked well blackened to me.

The focus had perhaps more resistance than I personally like but it was smooth and the action precise and no issues with the other mechanical elements. The Lynx is listed as about an ounce heavier than the Nikon but somehow it didn't feel quite as dainty as I recall the Nikon did, but as I said, I wouldn't trust my memory on that.

Just a mention for One Stop Nature Shop on the Norfolk coast. A good if not extensive range of optics on offer but unlike some other places they have toys for a broad range of natural history interests. They had a few cheaper microscopes on show. I was amazed how good the GMX stereo zoom was for the money.

David
 
Been thinking seriously about either the Lynx or the M7 as a lightweight hiking bin, you may well have just saved me a lot of time and money David, I think I'll skip the Lynx now. The M7 8x30 sounds a better and much cheaper bet for me. Need to try one out first, it will have to be rather better than the 8x42 version to impress me though.

Incidentally on a purely optical level how would you compare the M7 or the lynx to the 7x26 custom? I know they are completely different beasts, but the exit pupil works out about the same. I cant get on with a small and fiddly exit pupil of an 8x25 but could do with a small bin for long hikes. Decent options seem very limited on my budget.
 
Incidentally on a purely optical level how would you compare the M7 or the lynx to the 7x26 custom? I know they are completely different beasts, but the exit pupil works out about the same. I cant get on with a small and fiddly exit pupil of an 8x25 but could do with a small bin for long hikes. Decent options seem very limited on my budget.

I no longer have the Elite. I sold them in the expectation of getting an M7, but have held off so far 'till I could check them for myself.

The Lynx I'd rate about the same as my Elite on sharpness though the M7 I tried in the summer was better still IMO. I thought the colour closer to neutral than the warm Elite but I suspect the latter may have had the edge on contrast. The wider FOV is quite striking. The field curvature coupled with 7x magnifcation of the Elite gave an excellent perceived DOF which is missing in the Lynx, however where that gains is a massive sweet spot by comparison.

Of course the Lynx/M7 are sealed whereas the Elite is open to rain and dust and I expect they will be a better fit for a jacket pocket.

David
 
Thanks David, I know how much you liked the elite 7x26 so to sell it to get an M7 8x30 says a lot.
Not being able to test any out locally I'd have to order an M7 and that brings in the whole problem of sample variation, I know from experience that this can make a real difference.
Reports of glare problems with the M7 are a bit worrying too. Still, options are very limited for a bin with similar qualities so might have to bite the bullet and order one.
 
Yes I do miss the Elite, I really liked it. A proper piece of Japanese engineering and a delight to use. I just need something I can feel comfortable about taking out in the rain. The M7/Lynx is the best fit I've found in a jacket pocket size for hiking/travel.

David
 
I’ll wrap the tip of the threaded shank with a bit of teflon tape and see if that does the trick.

I very much liked your review of the Nikon. Its down-to-earth and written from a normal user´s point-of-view.

Bees wax makes also for a good thread-locking-compound. Scratch the tread along a cnadle and screw it in, the wax will met a bit and hold the screw securely.
 
..................................

I will send Mike F. a PM and see what he has to say.

I was asked to post a follow-up of my experience with the 2nd Nikon M7 8x30 that I ordered. The first unit's serial number was 001845. The second unit's serial number is 0001877. The second unit displays the same set of uncoated internal components that the first unit did. ...........................

............................

Hello Frank,

I am just checking in to see if you found out any more about the glare issue with the 8X30 Monarch 7. Were you able to contact Mike F. or Nikon? There were questions if the light leak is a design problem or a manufacturing issue and if it applies to only some or all units. There is also the question if Nikon has fixed it.

I am curious as to what you ended up doing with the second unit from B&H. Did you do like BinoBoy and send it to Nikon for repair or return it to B&H.

The light leak issue is holding me back from ordering one of these.

The Nikon is similar in style and weight to the Zen-Ray ZRS 8X32 HD. Did you ever have the opportunity to use the ZRS and if so, can you provide any comparisons between the two?

Thanks!
 
The Nikon is similar in style and weight to the Zen-Ray ZRS 8X32 HD. Did you ever have the opportunity to use the ZRS and if so, can you provide any comparisons between the two?
Thanks!

Well, I'm not Frank, but I have a ZRS HD 8x32 ;).

Actually the Nikon is smaller and will have better ergonomics for those wishing for smaller size. The ZRS is a nice glass, but is a notch down from the Nikon...assuming you wait for a glare fix release issue of the M7. The M7 I had was maybe not perfect in glare control but had a better image than the ZRS. The M7 has a noticeably wider fov, nearly one degree.

The actual similarity between the two is probably not as much as you might think. They look and feel quite different. The focus is faster on the Nikon.

The image differences are not great, but about what I would tend to expect from a nearly $200 price difference. The M7 is a bit sharper, has a bit better edge and a tad less field curvature.
 
Steve - Thanks for responding. I knew you had the Nikon for review and I should have figured out you have a ZRS 8X32 HD!

I have a ZRS 8X42 HD and it is a great binocular for the money. I keep it in the travel trailer and it is right by the door when camping. The center view gets the job done (especially considering the price), but it would be nice if the center were a little larger and if the eye cups were longer. It sounds like there is a lot of similarities between the views of the 32 and the 42 ZRS.

The Nikon would serve a more primary role so the additional $91 dollars during the Nikon promotion would be worth it for the wider FOV, the larger center, and for me, a better physical fit. The hang up of course is the glare issue but I may be making a bigger deal out of than it is. As long as my pupils are not dilated near the 3.75 mm exit pupil, I would most likely not notice the glare. Most of my viewing is in good light and it gets very bright out here. I suspect the 10X30 with the smaller exit pupil would be more problematic.
 
The ZRS 8x32 is just about the dead bang optical equivalent of the ZRS 8x42. Kind of imagine a scaled down 8x42 ZRS and you have the 8x32 ZRS. I just gave my ZRS 8x32 to my nephew for a birthday present. I let him select from my stash of 8x32 and the ZRS was his choice. FWIW he liked it better than the M7 which I had at the time. Point being I suppose is he does not get into optics much. If he likes it he uses it and doesn't worry a whole lot about all the stuff we banter about. The ZRS will be his pickup binocular.

I still think that when all points are evaluated the Nikon is a winner by a neck.
 
Monarch 7 42 mm and the halo ring

Steve - Thanks for the additional follow-up. Somehow I am thinking your Theron Wapiti was not in the stash your nephew picked from!


I was at the somewhat local Cabela's the other day and looked at an 8X42 Monarch 7 on display in the Bargain Cave. I did the test of pointing the objectives toward a light source while holding it away from my face. I was able to see the same halo like ring around the edge of the exit pupil just like a did when doing the same test with the 10X30 Monarch 7. Does this mean the 42 mm has the same issue as the 30 mm? I do not recall this being an issue discussed. The main complaint I recall on the 42mm when it was introduced was some thought it was not as sharp as other models. If the construction is the same, then maybe the glare is not an issue because of the larger exit pupil in a 42mm or maybe the lack of perceived sharpness was due to glare.
 
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A general RFI: in a binocular, can a very uniformly diffused reflection, undetectable as such, cause a lessening of of sharpness? Is this known? Thanks. (PS. If that sounds like an oxymoron, what I mean is, not readily detected, but known after being tracked down!)
 
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Steve - Thanks for the additional follow-up. Somehow I am thinking your Theron Wapiti was not in the stash your nephew picked from!


I was at the somewhat local Cabela's the other day and looked at an 8X42 Monarch 7 on display in the Bargain Cave. I did the test of pointing the objectives toward a light source while holding it away from my face. I was able to see the same halo like ring around the edge of the exit pupil just like a did when doing the same test with the 10X30 Monarch 7. Does this mean the 42 mm has the same issue as the 30 mm? I do not recall this being an issue discussed. The main complaint I recall on the 42mm when it was introduced was some thought it was not as sharp as other models. If the construction is the same, then maybe the glare is not an issue because of the larger exit pupil in a 42mm or maybe the lack of perceived sharpness was due to glare.

Actually his choice was between the ZRS and the Theron. He has a 10x42 ZRS he really likes, so I think that sealed the deal.

I went and looked at the 42 mm Nikon Monarch 7 while I had the 8x30. I see somehow I forgot to add that observation, so I will include it here. The Monarch 7 is a glass I can almost really like.. almost. I always thought that a couple of the specimens were a bit washed out in their color rendition. I took Phil's 8x30 int the local dealer that carries the Monarch 7. The 42 mm Monarch 7 was lacking on having quite enough interior blackening. It was about identical to the 8x30. It was not as well blackened inside as the Leupold Mojave 8x32, which while pretty good in that regard is not perfect. So I have to wonder if the interior blackening issue noted here in the 8x30 is symptomatic of the Monarch 7. Some will be blackened properly and some not depending on luck of the draw during assembly maybe. One 10x42 Monarch 7 I looked at I thought was really good, the next two not so good. Was that the issue? Sometimes I need to make better notes.

Pompadour, I am not sure about the degree to which your described condition is known, but with the diffused internal reflection of at least some of the Monarch 7's I have to think the answer to your question has to be yes.
 
Various types of glare can be very difficult to detect in short-term testing. I own the 8x32 Conquest and used it extensively in the field and thought it near perfect in this regard. It wasn't until I got to the diffuse lighting of the Costa Rican jungle that I started to notice veiling glare when looking up into the canopy - not terrible but there none-the-less. I was able to try an SV 8x32 at the same time and it showed the same sort of glare / washout and loss of contrast. So far, the only binocular I have tried that is almost totally immune to stray light is the HT, although my 20 year old 7x42 BGAT/P is pretty darn good too, better by far than many newer models!
 
I tried the M7 8x30 today and the glare was dreadful!
Otherwise the bin felt fantastic.
Serial was 00003660-something. Guess the unpainted ring was there messing it up.

Tried a Kamakura 8x32 and a swedish branded Kamakura made bin and they had no glare and was equally good.

I will either buy the rebranded Kamakura or wait for the M7 to get better.

Jan
 
................
I will send Mike F. a PM and see what he has to say.

I was asked to post a follow-up of my experience with the 2nd Nikon M7 8x30 that I ordered. The first unit's serial number was 001845. The second unit's serial number is 0001877. The second unit displays the same set of uncoated internal components that the first unit did. ..................

......................

Hello Frank,

I am just checking in to see if you found out any more about the glare issue with the 8X30 Monarch 7. Were you able to contact Mike F. or Nikon? There were questions if the light leak is a design problem or a manufacturing issue and if it applies to only some or all units. There is also the question if Nikon has fixed it.

I am curious as to what you ended up doing with the second unit from B&H. Did you do like BinoBoy and send it to Nikon for repair or return it to B&H.

The light leak issue is holding me back from ordering one of these.

.................................

Thanks!

I am interested too.


Hello Frank D,

Do you have any follow-up information on the Nikon Monarch 7 30mm glare issue?

Thanks.
 
Call me a skeptic but I still wonder if there's really some of these with glare problems and some without. I suspect it's just different users.

Has anyone yet seen a good sample beside a bad one? Also, I seem to recall that somebody sent theirs to Nikon for a repair, but again nobody knows what Nikon did to "fix" them.

I just wonder if this "fixed" version might fall under the heading of "urban myth."

It would be nice to know for sure.

Mark
 
Call me a skeptic but I still wonder if there's really some of these with glare problems and some without. I suspect it's just different users.

Has anyone yet seen a good sample beside a bad one? Also, I seem to recall that somebody sent theirs to Nikon for a repair, but again nobody knows what Nikon did to "fix" them.

I just wonder if this "fixed" version might fall under the heading of "urban myth."

It would be nice to know for sure.

Mark

I've been wondering the same thing myself. I seem to remember some posts here where there were no complaints. Allbino's also had a favorable report on them, with no comments about glare or the "Kuo Ming" ring or whatever it is called.

http://www.allbinos.com/189-news-Nikon_Monarch_7_8x30_-_binoculars'_review.html

It seems to me that whenever an inexpensive roof prism binocular which has a very wide FOV comes out there is going to be a bug in it somewhere which will affect some people in some manner.

I'm not purchasing one right now because there are other things I'd like to get first; so any critics should not read into my comment here any implications that they, heaven forfend, could could possibly be in a minority of people troubled by this binocular! It is possible that they are right and it is a total disaster, although that would also be unrealistic IMHO.

Bob
 
There is a Nikon $80 instant rebate for this binocular and some other models till mid May that gets the cost down to $299 or less. This makes it even more attractive if it was not for the glaring flaw noted.

Tom
 
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