Hi Tom,
I'm afraid not. However, as the Monarch HG x30's were introduced in mid 2018 it's a relatively recent compilation
It clearly demonstrates the approach to marketing used by major Japanese companies - offering a wide range of products with different features and prices
In this instance, all the way from premium down to entry level
This same approach can also be seen with both Nikon and Canon in relation to their reflex and non-reflex camera offerings
Often the differences seem relatively minor, or even non-existent e.g. comparing the EDG and Monarch HG lines, in relation to coatings and transmission, they appear to be identical
Though to confound the issue, of course the quality/ complexity of the coatings may differ between the lines
So there needs to be some caution as to how much information a single indicator can convey
Fortunately, as Allbinos has done transmission testing of various EDG's and HG's it's possible to dig deeper e.g. compare:
- the 2015 test of an EDG 8x32:
https://www.allbinos.com/281-binoculars_review-Nikon_8x32_EDG.html , and
- this year’s test of a Monarch HG 8x30:
https://www.allbinos.com/331-binoculars_review-Nikon_Monarch_HG_8x30.html
As can be seen the HG is somewhat better to 600 nm, but the EDG is better to 700 nm - though it's matters of degree
But as always, the testing only measures objective transmission vs perceived image brightness
So the question remains: How much the transmission differences matter in actual use, compared to all the other aspects of the respective models, and a particular user's preferences?
And to further muddy the waters, later EDG’s may have improved coatings!
John
