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The Nikon 8x30 E2 works better for my eyes. ........... it is sharper on-axis and the edges are just as sharp and the sweet spot is just as big as the MHG in my opinion. Plus it is 1/2 the price of the MHG.
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I spent some time comparing my Nikon 8X30 EII (newer black covered) with the Nikon Monarch HG 8X42. For me, the HG has a larger center view. That appears to be consistent with what Allbinos is reporting when reviewing the 8X30 EII with the 10X42 Monarch HG. "Blurring at the edge of the FOV" score is 4/10 for the EII and 6.5/10 for the HG. I was at Cabela's yesterday to check out a Euro on sale and while there I also looked through the 10X42 Monarch HG on display. The center view of my 8X HG is at least as large as what I saw in the 10X HG. Sounds like you had a poor HG or you have a really good EII. Although Allbinos gives less than a stellar score to the EII for a large center, I find it larger than my primary area of vision and so it is not an issue.
The size of the center view of my 10X Tract Toric and it's near twin, the 10X iMagic, is larger to me than the both the HG and EII. They compare closely with the Zeiss 10X42 Conquest HD which gets a "blurring at the edge" score of 6.5/10 from Allbinos.
I also spent some time comparing on axis sharpness between the 8X30 EII and the 8X HG and find them to be equally as sharp in side by side comparisons. There is a noticeable difference in color balance with the EII being much more toward the pink/red. Depending on what you are looking at, that could influence apparent sharpness but actual resolution for my acuity (near 20/15) looked to be the same.
No doubt the EII at under $500 is a great buy considering the quality.
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I don't think the nervous impression or lack of sharpness I got from the MHG was due to eye placement because I saw the full FOV and it was steady. The MHG will no doubt be a good binocular for a lot of people but it is not for me. The Nikon 8x30 E2 works better for my eyes. It gives me a more relaxed view .........
Another factor that comes to mind in eyecup fit is the diameter. A larger diameter eye cup will most likely come into contact with the eyebrow area or cheek sooner than a smaller diameter. This results in the eyepiece lens being further away from pupil when the eye cup length is the same but the diameter is larger. So the distance of the net eye relief when viewing without glasses is governed by both the length of the eye cup and the diameter. The approximate outside diameter of the HG eyecup is 41mm, the EII is approximately 43mm and the Tract Toric is also approximately 43mm. The smaller diameter of the HG eyecup may have contributed to the poor fit for you. I can see where different facial structures can result in different results when it comes to eye cup diameter.
I was out late Monday afternoon at Fountain Hills where they have a large man made pond surrounding a large fountain. There is a small island not to far from the bank with a Palo Verde tree that was serving as a perch for a male Vermilion Fly Catcher in full reddish plumage. I watched him with the HG for about 20 minutes as he would dart off the branch and splash onto the surface of the water to get a bug, then return to the perch and shake off the water. It was a fantastic experience, the best I have had watching a Vermilion Fly Catcher. I am happy to say I never had any issues with a nervous impression, strain, jittery view or any other issues. It was just a great enjoyable and relaxed viewing experience. Like you say, a binocular may not work for one person but is just right for someone else. I do think proper eye placement is a key factor in a relaxed view and I suspect your view quality was hindered because the fit of the HG did not work for you.
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No matter how many reviews you read you really have to take them with a grain of salt because what matters is how the binoculars work for your eyes. The reviews can tell you which binoculars might be worth trying but that is about it.
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It just goes to show you have to try a binocular yourself to determine if it works for you.
Well, I totally disagree that the reviews should be taken "with a grain of salt". Most of the reviews are well thought out and contain a lot of valuable information that it helpful in evaluating a binocular and go beyond just deciding on which binoculars might be worth trying. I suspect if you had paid more attention to the multiple reviews of the HG and had not taken them with a grain of salt, you would have known the view was not sharp edge to edge and you would have avoided that disappointment. To me, saying reviews should be taken with a grain of salt indicates a lack of awareness of the work that went into the write ups and the vast knowledge of many of our members. I hope our reviewers keep on posting. :t:
You are right that ultimately the individual has to determine what works for that person but there still is a lot of knowledge to be gained from the reviews. It is a very rare occurrence that I have been surprised by a binocular after studying comments from the knowledgeable members on this forum.