7578 MONARCH 5 12x42 Binocular (Black)

These are quite fantastic. I'm comparing these to my Meade binoculars 8x32, which are actually quite nice (clear lens, no edge distraction, good prisms, some coating, etc) based on some info I read about binoculars. In daylight they both performed well nature watching, but its clear that the Nikon is superior in every way! It really shines in low light conditions too!Simply, my old bins (they're not bad really!) are like a standard CRT TV and the Nikon's are like a modern, nice, large, high frequency, HD TV. Its not that the old binoculars were bad. The Nikon's provided much more light, cleaner image, much more vibrant colors, especially in low light conditions.There's a mounting point for a tripod bracket. I found it hard to justify the expense of $270, but i was convinced on my last trip to out to nature.EDIT: Its nearly 3 years later and I'm extremely happy with my purchase, i feel like the price is well worth it. I also love these for stargazing and when looking at the moon, i can't stop saying wow. Spend the money and get a nice pair like this!. The 12x is perfect too, i thought it'd be too close/shaky.

I began buying monarch scopes for their clarity and quality. All my long distance rifles have them( 3.5 X 14) with the mil-dot recticle. The image through the scope is vivid and crisp...even in low light. Under normal conditions, At 300 yards, I get the same detail as a 3X9 at 100 yds. This is my second pair of monarch binos....and I can't speak highly enough about them. The detail, sharpness, and crispness of the vision is remarkable. I took my monarch 5 hunting last night...and when it was too dark to see with the naked eye, this bino performed well...even at 12X. My first monarch was much larger and had a 52 lens. This monarch 5 is much smaller and lighter...to wear all day. A couple things that could use improvement. First the cap to cover the eye lenses....is a piece of crap and does not fit well. The other thing is that while the eye relief is fine for the eye lenses ( once you figure they screw out to adjust ) the cup could be better. Still, these small issues do not deminish the quality of the performance of the bino. I highly recommend this and all the other Nikon monarch glass I have purchased......and no I have no personal interest or contact with Nikon.

I bought four binos all highly regarded as top notch for the PRICE POINT OF $300This Athlon MidasThe Nikon Monarch 5The Maven C1The Meopta OptikaAll “HD” or “UHD” glassAl with ED glassAll 10x42, except for Monarch, 12x42Though the Monarch did very well, it was edged out slightly for #1 by the MeoptaDay time clarity was very good.Its low light capabilities were very good.Its was one of the lightest in the group.Ergonomics were excellent.The Monarch and the Meopta were neck and neck in all categories except that the Meoptas clarity was slightly better, even considering it was 10x and the Monarch was 12x.Though the Monarch had higher power, the Meopta was clearer even with its lower power.I returned the Monarch (and the Midas and Maven) and ended up keeping the Optika as it was the clear winner in all categories except weight.

A wonderful pair of binoculars. The depth of field is amazing. The field of view is wide for a 12x42 but is smaller than an 8x42's field of view. The binoculars have a fitment on the bridge between the tubes for fitting a tripod. It helps to have a tripod to mount them on when using them for a long period of time. The ed glass is amazingly clear and the 3d effect is amazing. The exit pupil is relatively small so you must fully extend the eye pieces when using bare eye balls. If you use glasses you will find plenty of eye relief by having the eye pieces fully collapsed. These are a fun set of binoculars. I have noticed some shakiness when just using my hands to support the binoculars. It is not an issue if just doing some quick spotting. If doing some long term scanning I find a tripod helps.