Has anyone compared these two? On the price list and spec sheet, they play on the same field.
I have been using Nikon Premier 8x42 as my primary bino. They work well and give a nice view, and offer comfortable eye relief for my eyeglasses. But they weigh a ton (35 oz), and the field of view is only 7 degrees. Not quite tunnel vision, but I enjoy a field closer to 8 degrees. The Minox and Nikon address both weight and FOV concerns, but how much would I be giving up in optical performance and durability?
I handled the Monarch 7 briefly in a shop several months ago and should do so again - I remember the optics looked nice but eye relief was barely adequate (for me) and they had a rubbery feel that I didn't really care for. I have no idea where to handle the Minox locally. The Kowa BD-XD is another contender in this price range but gets mixed reviews for optics and focusing, and again I don't know of local dealers.
I have been using Nikon Premier 8x42 as my primary bino. They work well and give a nice view, and offer comfortable eye relief for my eyeglasses. But they weigh a ton (35 oz), and the field of view is only 7 degrees. Not quite tunnel vision, but I enjoy a field closer to 8 degrees. The Minox and Nikon address both weight and FOV concerns, but how much would I be giving up in optical performance and durability?
I handled the Monarch 7 briefly in a shop several months ago and should do so again - I remember the optics looked nice but eye relief was barely adequate (for me) and they had a rubbery feel that I didn't really care for. I have no idea where to handle the Minox locally. The Kowa BD-XD is another contender in this price range but gets mixed reviews for optics and focusing, and again I don't know of local dealers.
