Good value in a hunting/birding binocular
Pros:
Fully multi-coated lenses, rubber casing, water-proof, eyeglass-friendly, light-weight. Relatively low cost.
Cons:
Included lens caps are almost worthless. A small price to pay for such a value.
The Bottom Line:
If you're in the market for a compact, quality, versatile set of binoculars to be used for hunting, birdwatching or just general use, try these before buying anything else.
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Overall Rating:
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Author's Review
For a compact, lightweight set of binoculars that features fully multi-coated lenses, the Nikon Monarch is an excellent value. The twist-up eyecups will be appreciated by the many eyeglass wearers (like myself) who have a need to use binoculars on more than casual occasion. When twisted down, they also offer the benefit of making the right diopter adjustment harder to move. This may or may not be viewed (no pun intended) as a benefit by some, but it is for me. Once set where I think my focus is optimal, I have no need to move it and prefer that it doesn't get accidentally moved, either.
The center focus mechanism is easy to manipulate, even with gloves on (as I usually have on during hunting season). The rubber casing appears to be substantial, though I'm happy to report that I have not had to rely on it by dropping or bumping the binoculars in any substantial way that would necessitate the cushioning benefits of this casing. The included carry case is okay, and has a nice belt loop if you happen to have a need or desire to carry these on your belt. The weight of these binoculars does not make that prohibitive, either.
I've used these binoculars in rain, fog and snow, and have had no fogging issues with them yet. In the hunting situations I use these in, I prefer to use them with a double shoulder-type harness to take the strain off the neck. This works very well, especially since the brand of harness I eventually found was also Nikon. It was a nice fit for about $25 and makes all-day wear much more comfortable and convenient. These binoculars perform very admirably for the price considering the quality brand and fully multi-coated lenses. They gather an exceptional amount of light in low-light conditions, and I've found the focus is exceptionally sharp out to about 300-400 yards. These features typically come at a premium price. While approximately $300 may seem high to some, if you look at a similar set of binoculars with similar features from Swarovski, Zeiss, Steiner or Leica (as referred to in another post), you're talking a few hundred dollars more MINIMUM. In some cases (i.e. the really high-end brands), you're into the $1000+ range. Key words to remember: fully multi-coated lenses. Don't take my word for it: research further, compare......and decide.
