. This doesn't seem strange to me.
At least for astronomy aperture and magnification often bring out fainter objects.
An 8×23 binocular is not in the same category as a high-performance 20×56.
My highly selected and special order 20×60 Soviet binocular actually betters the 18 x 50 image stabilised binocular.
Some of the surfaces of the Soviet binocular may be one 20th wave. Although the coatings are not modern.
If the 20×56 Nikon Monarch is very good quality it should better the 20 x 60 Soviet binocular although I'm not holding my breath to find out.
I do wish this 20×56 Nikon had an updated Canon image stabiliser.
I wasn't, of course, suggesting that an 8x23 compact, even a "high performing" one, was in the same "category" as a 20x56 bin, only that the exit pupil size was the same. My question was regarding whether or not the 20x56's
twilight factor would outweigh the liability of its
small exit pupils for "low light" use, or if the small exit pupils would be a factor. Perhaps one of our optics experts can do some ciphering and weigh in on that.
As to using the Monarchs for stargazing, well, Nikon isn't marketing its 56mm Monarchs to amateur astronomers. That was the realm of the "Prostar" and "Astroluxe" series. Like its brethren 8.5x, 10x and 12x models, the 56mm Monarchs were made for "low light" rather than "dark skies." Most 20x bins made for astronomy have 80 to 100mm objectives to gather more light and pump up the exit pupils along with the magnification.
The blurb under the title reads:
"Even with an uncontested heritage of all-conditions optical performance, the all-new 56mm objective MONARCH 5 further elevates its game with massive 56mm objectives and advanced
low light brilliance. Nikon's ED glass lenses put it in a class of its own for battling darkness with sharp, high-contrast views. Long eye relief and tripod adaptable further its versatility."
Of course, if the edges were good, the 20x56 could be used for stargazing (with only a 3.3* FOV, the edges would have to be better than average to be suitable). The small exit pupils would enhance the contrast on bright suburban skies.
Pier from binomania will probably evaluate how they perform on the night sky in his review, but if a buyer's purpose is to buy a bin for stargazing, he would be better served by the 70mm Astroluxe series if he can find them, considering the MSRP of the new 20x56 Monarch is nearly $900 (the retail price at volume dealers will be lower). You also won't get the roof edge "spike" from the porros.
Brock
