Bushnell Marine vs Nikon Action 7x50 Binoculars (1 Viewer)

[Emily Taylor]

Has anyone here ever tried both and know if one performs particularly better than the other? My main desire for these is the lowlight viewing capability though I'm also interested if one has better clarity than the other. Both go for under $150

I really like the ergonomics and body of the Bushnell as well as the maritime ruggedization but have been disappointed with the quality on a lot of their optics the past few years so am worried there might be issues whereas Nikon has never given me any problems with the Monarch series over the years.

Nikon

Bushnell

 

[richard866945]

For years I was the Bushnell UK gtee repair workshop.
My pocket binocular is a Nikon Travelite EX 8x25.
Need I say more?

 

[mwhogue]

Has anyone here ever tried both and know if one performs particularly better than the other? My main desire for these is the lowlight viewing capability though I'm also interested if one has better clarity than the other. Both go for under $150

I really like the ergonomics and body of the Bushnell as well as the maritime ruggedization but have been disappointed with the quality on a lot of their optics the past few years so am worried there might be issues whereas Nikon has never given me any problems with the Monarch series over the years.

Nikon

Bushnell

The Bushnell certainly "looks" good but my Nikon Action EX 7x35 is built like the proverbial tank. Also Action EX has great image quality for the price and a wide FoV which is nice generally and enjoyable in low light. The only potential issue is the diameter of the eyecups is quite large, some don't get along with that, including if you need a smaller IPD. Signature butter smooth Nikon focus wheel function and good ER on the 35mm for me.

Mike

 

[Emily Taylor]

The Bushnell certainly "looks" good but my Nikon Action EX 7x35 is built like the proverbial tank. Also Action EX has great image quality for the price and a wide FoV which is nice generally and enjoyable in low light. The only potential issue is the diameter of the eyecups is quite large, some don't get along with that, including if you need a smaller IPD. Signature butter smooth Nikon focus wheel function and good ER on the 35mm for me.

Mike

Yes the reviews seem to confirm that too with the Bushnells positive reviews pinging in at decent and the Nikons being a bit more overwhelming about the good performance at night and the build.

 

[Binocollector]

Not the biggest fan of the Action EX because of them not being fully multi-coated which really should be standard at this point in time. The 7x35 is still nice for the good eye-relief and build. But optically there are better binos out there.
The missing coatings on some elements (prisms and one surface of the doublet objective) are definitely noticeable in direct comparisons against better binos.