Question about Monarch 5 vs Terra ED (1 Viewer)

Hi,

My wife uses a pair of Nikon Monarch 5 8x42 bins, which she likes. From time to time she also messes around with my extra bins, Zeiss Terra ED 8x42. She says she does not like the Terras, and that they "kind of make her dizzy."

My questions is: is there anything structurally or fundamentally different between these two binoculars that might cause this "dizzy" effect? I'm asking because she'll soon need a new pair, and I wonder if if there are certain "features" or designs to avoid. I'm thinking of something along the lines of (at the higher end), how some bins use field flattening vs not.

Thanks for any input.

It could be the Terra's are out of alignment or there could be something defective with them. There is a link at the bottom for a Youtube Video on how to check alignment. I have noticed higher quality binoculars in general will cause less eye strain when observing for a long time versus a less expensive lower quality binocular. Both of those binoculars are similar roof prism designs so they should not make your wife dizzy. Is she adjusting the diopter for any differences in her right and left eyes? That could be a problem if her eyes are different in prescription. Also, make sure the IPD is set properly so you get a nice concentric circle in your FOV. If you don't have any of these issues I would try a Nikon Monarch M7 8x42 to replace your Terra since she likes the M5. Maybe those Zeiss Terra's are just not her cup of tea.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4cqJwV2moto

Yeah, I think “dizzy” was probably a bit overstated, but she was apparently uncomfortable with the view. Given that they work great for me, I thought they might be a different optical design or something. I agree, M7s are probably a good bet for the next ones. Thanks for the input.

Head West

Forgive me for asking if she has done this, but did she set the dioptre adjustment to her own eyes or, because they are your binos and she didn't want to mess with them, did she just look through them using your setting? If she did this could easily explain why she was uncomfortable with the view.

Lee

Troubador said:

Head West

Forgive me for asking if she has done this, but did she set the dioptre adjustment to her own eyes or, because they are your binos and she didn't want to mess with them, did she just look through them using your setting? If she did this could easily explain why she was uncomfortable with the view.

Lee

Click to expand...

Good question! Yes though, she did readjust the diopter for her own eyes. Perhaps there's no logical/scientific reason for this one, and I'll just chalk it up to everyone having their own view through different bins.

HeadWest said:

Good question! Yes though, she did readjust the diopter for her own eyes. Perhaps there's no logical/scientific reason for this one, and I'll just chalk it up to everyone having their own view through different bins.

Click to expand...

These are both good binoculars, and so there are personal preferences in
play. I've owned both in 8x42 and gave a friend a choice of which one he
preferred best, and he got to keep either one.

I still have the Zeiss Terra, he liked the Monarch 5 better.

Jerr