Nikon Monarch 7 new 8x30 and 10x30 (4 Viewers)

[Kammerdiner]

Mark,

The 15mm ER of the 8 x 30 is the same as the ER on the Swarovski 8 x 30 CL and on the 15.8mm ER on the 10 x 30 it is almost 2mm longer than the 14mm ER on the Swarovski 10 x 30.

If their eye cups are bigger, so much the better. I brace the eye cups on my brow ridge just under my eyebrows. We will see because I have used my wife's 8 x 30 CL quite a bit.

BTW, I stopped trying to get CA to "show itself" long ago. I think that is a good policy. But Elk Cub probably knows more about that what with the eye and brain working together and all that stuff.

Bob

PS: Have you seen one of these new Nikons? Where did you get the information that the "eyepieces" are huge? The "eye cups," from the pictures of them, do look larger than the ones on the Swarovski CLs.

Bob,

Check Adorama's website. They have the best and most photos I've seen so far, and one shows the eyepieces. They look to be 20mm or more in diameter.

I don't think I'd have eye relief problems with the Nikon, but I suspect others might. I've seen the 10x30 CL (but not the 8x) and although I had to push them against my glasses a bit, I could see the whole field.

Mark

PS: the 8x has 6 photos, the 10x only one

 

[ceasar]

Bob,

Check Adorama's website. They have the best and most photos I've seen so far, and one shows the eyepieces. They look to be 20mm or more in diameter.

I don't think I'd have eye relief problems with the Nikon, but I suspect others might. I've seen the 10x30 CL (but not the 8x) and although I had to push them against my glasses a bit, I could see the whole field.

Mark

PS: the 8x has 6 photos, the 10x only one

OK. I'll check Adorama. But how did your PS above get into my post which you were responding to?

 

[Kammerdiner]

OK. I'll check Adorama. But how did your PS above get into my post which you were responding to?

I wondered where my first PS disappeared to! :-O I don't know what I did, but I'll try to edit it.

 

[typo]

Just a heads-up that after the initial pricing glitch Clifton Cameras (UK) now have the 7 8x30 at £259 and the 10x30 at £279.
http://www.cliftoncameras.co.uk/Nikon_New_Monarch_Binoculars/resultpage=2

David

 

[Kammerdiner]

Quick update:

The B&H website now shows the M7 30mm's are not expected till Nov. 25/26. Dang it.

 

[ceasar]

Take their time and get them right!

 

[typo]

Seems there has been a larger shipment of the baby 7s to the UK now and more retailers have them. One retailer told me they had sold 10 in the last week. Anyone here got one yet?

David

 

[CSG]

I'm dying to hear first reports. Not due in the states until the end of the month from what a couple dealer sites stated.

 

[crinklystarfish]

As Part of our update of equipment to meet current needs I’ve just purchased a Monarch 7 10x30 for my wife to use as her travel / general use binocular. The closest thing I have to compare it with is my newly acquired (and so far much used) Swarovski CL Pocket 10x25. I completely accept this is arguably a duff comparison but it’s the best I’ve got right now.

Ergonomically the Monarch 7 is generally very good with a good grippy armour, a very smooth and precise main focus control and a nicely dampened bridge hinge. It’s also definitely very light. It does feel a little unwieldy in my own hands though as the strap-lug ‘flares’ do mean there’s an odd conglomeration of ridges and contours to negotiate in order to find a comfortable grip. The strap is nice and comfortable and the binocular sits on the chest well – it is not at all cumbersome to carry and is most certainly a comfortable-all-day affair. The dioptre control is perhaps a little on the light side and could do with a bit more resistance in lieu of detents or a locking mechanism.

The eyecups are twist out affairs and have intermediate positions. They are comfortable against the eye and are big enough to utilise bony parts of the face for support if preferred. Eye relief is good and I could easily use the instrument with my reading glasses on, subjects are quickly and easily acquired. Helping this in no small part is the generous (for a 10x30) field of view.

Optically, given the price point, the Monarch 7 is very good overall. The image is generally bright and clear and colour fringing is well controlled. The quality does not deteriorate markedly towards the periphery which is quite something given the impressive field of view. I do not perceive excessive rolling ball, and suffer no blackouts when panning.

Being very critical, and bearing in mind the aforementioned price point, there are a couple of issues. The resolution is just not that sharp when compared side by side with my CL-P (or my Leica 8x32 Trinovid) and though this shouldn’t be a problem most of the time, it is an issue where the finest details of a subject are sought. Similarly, colour resolution is not as vivid as with the CL-P. Again though, this is only likely to be an issue in difficult viewing situations. This morning, I was watching a finch flock in the top of a denuded tree against a uniformly dull grey sky and had a little difficulty picking out that the dark face parts of a goldfinch were red. With my CL-P the red was far more obvious. In this high contrast situation, the Monarch 7 also threw up a tiny amount of blue chromatic aberration – nothing disastrous, but I saw it. Again when quickly swapping to the CL-P, this was a non-issue.

All told, at the price, the Monarch 7 is a very nice piece of equipment that is comfortable and easy to use all day long. Only in tricky light or when trying to resolve hyper-fine detail does it struggle a little.

Impressive value for money.

 

[typo]

Many thanks for the report.

I tried the pre-production versions of both the 8 and 10x30 Monarch 7s back in August and have eagerly been waiting accounts of the production version. Your comments are pretty much as I found them, except for one aspect... sharpness! The 10x was OK for the price point but the 8x was very sharp, both embarrassing the Monarch 7 x42s and the 8x not too far off the EDG. These may well have been cherry picked for the show of course and might be too much to expect for a £260 roof.

I also tried the Swaro CL pockets. The two 8x25s I tried were not sharp, to stress the point I'd call them bad, certainly much worse than those Monarchs, (though they would beat the Monarchs on CA brightness and colour.) I realise that is out of step with several owner comments here.

It's definitely possible I tried atypically good Monarchs and bad Swaros so if your findings are more representative the little 7 may not be the exciting prospect I had hoped.

David

 

[[email protected]]

As Part of our update of equipment to meet current needs I’ve just purchased a Monarch 7 10x30 for my wife to use as her travel / general use binocular. The closest thing I have to compare it with is my newly acquired (and so far much used) Swarovski CL Pocket 10x25. I completely accept this is arguably a duff comparison but it’s the best I’ve got right now.

Ergonomically the Monarch 7 is generally very good with a good grippy armour, a very smooth and precise main focus control and a nicely dampened bridge hinge. It’s also definitely very light. It does feel a little unwieldy in my own hands though as the strap-lug ‘flares’ do mean there’s an odd conglomeration of ridges and contours to negotiate in order to find a comfortable grip. The strap is nice and comfortable and the binocular sits on the chest well – it is not at all cumbersome to carry and is most certainly a comfortable-all-day affair. The dioptre control is perhaps a little on the light side and could do with a bit more resistance in lieu of detents or a locking mechanism.

The eyecups are twist out affairs and have intermediate positions. They are comfortable against the eye and are big enough to utilise bony parts of the face for support if preferred. Eye relief is good and I could easily use the instrument with my reading glasses on, subjects are quickly and easily acquired. Helping this in no small part is the generous (for a 10x30) field of view.

Optically, given the price point, the Monarch 7 is very good overall. The image is generally bright and clear and colour fringing is well controlled. The quality does not deteriorate markedly towards the periphery which is quite something given the impressive field of view. I do not perceive excessive rolling ball, and suffer no blackouts when panning. HaHa!

Being very critical, and bearing in mind the aforementioned price point, there are a couple of issues. The resolution is just not that sharp when compared side by side with my CL-P (or my Leica 8x32 Trinovid) and though this shouldn’t be a problem most of the time, it is an issue where the finest details of a subject are sought. Similarly, colour resolution is not as vivid as with the CL-P. Again though, this is only likely to be an issue in difficult viewing situations. This morning, I was watching a finch flock in the top of a denuded tree against a uniformly dull grey sky and had a little difficulty picking out that the dark face parts of a goldfinch were red. With my CL-P the red was far more obvious. In this high contrast situation, the Monarch 7 also threw up a tiny amount of blue chromatic aberration – nothing disastrous, but I saw it. Again when quickly swapping to the CL-P, this was a non-issue.

All told, at the price, the Monarch 7 is a very nice piece of equipment that is comfortable and easy to use all day long. Only in tricky light or when trying to resolve hyper-fine detail does it struggle a little.

Impressive value for money.

Your remarks on the lack of sharpness on the Nikon Monarch 7 10x30 mirror my experience with the Nikon Monarch 7 8x42. I was afraid that the baby Monarch 7 might be similar in this respect but now you have confirmed my fear. I guess I will take mine off of pre-order. I am glad I bought the Zeiss Conquest 8x32 HD instead although it put a bigger dent in my wallet. HaHa!

 

[ceasar]

Your remarks on the lack of sharpness on the Nikon Monarch 7 10x30 mirror my experience with the Nikon Monarch 7 8x42. I was afraid that the baby Monarch 7 might be similar in this respect but now you have confirmed my fear. I guess I will take mine off of pre-order. I am glad I bought the Zeiss Conquest 8x32 HD instead although it put a bigger dent in my wallet. HaHa!

Why would you come to this conclusion based their comparison with a binocular that cost more than twice as much in an otherwise very complementary report about about one single binocular from England when these binoculars have not yet been released in the USA? HaHa!

Are you starting rumors about them already? HaHa!

The report concluded that they were an "Impressive value for the money." HaHa!

 

[[email protected]]

No rumors just facts. A 25mm compact out resolving a 30mm binocular does not look good for the Nikon Monarch 7's 10x30. When I had the Nikon Monarch 7's 8x42 they were the least sharp of any of the binoculars I compared it with and among those included several sub $300 Chinese ED binoculars. Several people also have commented about their lack of sharpness also so I think it is a common complaint. The Nikon Monarch 7's didn't score very well at Allbinos either. With the much less expensive Vixen New Foresta HR 8x42 WP scoring within 1 point of them. HaHa!

 

[crinklystarfish]

One thing I forgot to mention above was the impressive close-focussing distance which is definitely sub 2 metres.

I have no brand loyalty or prejudice and am completely persuaded that there is variation in quality in ostensibly identical optical products. With a different Monarch 7 10x30 and a different CL-P 10x25 my observation of relative sharpness might be different. With the instruments we have though, the Monarch is simply not pin-sharp and the CL-P is; to my eyes anyway.

 

[[email protected]]

One thing I forgot to mention above was the impressive close-focussing distance which is definitely sub 2 metres.

I have no brand loyalty or prejudice and am completely persuaded that there is variation in quality in ostensibly identical optical products. With a different Monarch 7 10x30 and a different CL-P 10x25 my observation of relative sharpness might be different. With the instruments we have though, the Monarch is simply not pin-sharp and the CL-P is; to my eyes anyway.

I believe you. Although there could be sample variation I observed similar results with the Nikon Monarch 7 8x42 when compared to other binoculars. I was looking at an open field with cactus and yucca plants and the Monarch 7 did not give me the pinpoint sharpness of my other binoculars. I am sure that compact Swaro 10x25 is probably a pretty good performer. I had the 8x20 and it was the best compact I ever had.

 

[ceasar]

No rumors just facts. A 25mm compact out resolving a 30mm binocular does not look good for the Nikon Monarch 7's 10x30. When I had the Nikon Monarch 7's 8x42 they were the least sharp of any of the binoculars I compared it with and among those included several sub $300 Chinese ED binoculars. Several people also have commented about their lack of sharpness also so I think it is a common complaint. The Nikon Monarch 7's didn't score very well at Allbinos either. With the much less expensive Vixen New Foresta HR 8x42 WP scoring within 1 point of them. HaHa!

Allbinos has not reviewed the 10 x 30 Monarch 7 yet.

It's not surprising that binoculars priced $500.00 to $1500.00 could be perceived to be sharper than $350.00 binoculars.

As far as the binoculars closer in price to the Monarchs I am wondering if you did Dennis's fabulous, eye-opening DVD test for Sharpness on them to come to your conclusion that the Allbinos tests were correct afterall?3

In the light of your famous binocular test for sharpness and your own binocular expertise it is surprising that you would take a comment about a single binocular's sharpness and test scores, combine it with allbinos test scores and unconfirmed comments from users of another Monarch 7 binocular of a different format and impute the same results to the new 10 x 30 Monarch which is still unreleased for use here in the USA.

That is bad science, Dennis. You should at least purchase one and give it the DVD test! You can always send it back. All it will cost you is postage and a restocking fee! What could be more reasonable when your reputation as an expert is a stake?

Go for it!

 

[[email protected]]

Allbinos has not reviewed the 10 x 30 Monarch 7 yet.

It's not surprising that binoculars priced $500.00 to $1500.00 could be perceived to be sharper than $350.00 binoculars.

As far as the binoculars closer in price to the Monarchs I am wondering if you did Dennis's fabulous, eye-opening DVD test for Sharpness on them to come to your conclusion that the Allbinos tests were correct afterall?3

In the light of your famous binocular test for sharpness and your own binocular expertise it is surprising that you would take a comment about a single binocular's sharpness and test scores, combine it with allbinos test scores and unconfirmed comments from users of another Monarch 7 binocular of a different format and impute the same results to the new 10 x 30 Monarch which is still unreleased for use here in the USA.

That is bad science, Dennis. You should at least purchase one and give it the DVD test! You can always send it back. All it will cost you is postage and a restocking fee! What could be more reasonable when your reputation as an expert is a stake?

Go for it!

I will when they get them in stock. But I fear from what I am hearing that the 8x30 is going to be like the 8x42 regarding sharpness. I will let you know how they compare to my Swarovision's 8x32 and my Zeiss Conquests 8x32 HD's. I admit that is unfair competition but they are all I have right now for comparison. I am glad you respect my skill in testing sharpness with my ground breaking DVD test.

 

[kestrel1]

Also had M7 8x42, and it does not match center resolution of 8x32SE 503xxx /edges had even bigger difference/, and compared SE to SV8,5x42 and resolution was similar, but contrast and whiteness of image was better in SV / edges was better in SV with no fall off SE has fall of in the last 10%/.

 

[ceasar]

Also had M7 8x42, and it does not match center resolution of 8x32SE 503xxx /edges had even bigger difference/, and compared SE to SV8,5x42 and resolution was similar, but contrast and whiteness of image was better in SV / edges was better in SV with no fall off SE has fall of in the last 10%/.

That is not a surprise. Why would you expect it to be as good as the SE and SV?

The Monarch 7 was never meant to compete with the Swarovision which costs almost $2000.00 more. If it was that good it would also be competing with the Nikon EDG which costs about the same as the SV and that wouldn't make sense would it?

What we should be asking is why is Swarovski not making binoculars in the same price range as the Monarch 7 to compete with it!:h?:

As for the Nikon SE, everybody knows by now that it is one of the sharpest porro prism binoculars ever made but even with it's low price it's sales are limited because of a number of other reasons which have been discussed on this forum ad infinitum!

Bob

“Sometimes the first duty of intelligent men is the restatement of the obvious.” George Orwell

 

[FrankD]

What we should be asking is why is Swarovski not making binoculars in the same price range as the Monarch 7 to compete with it!