| Brand: | Nikon | ||
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Nikon is a precision optical company with worldwide manufacturing, research and marketing capabilities. The Nikon name is equated with extraordinary photographic performance, innovation, precision and optical quality.
PRODUCT FEATURES:
100% Waterproof/Fogproof/Shockproof; Ultra-rugged, rubber-armored, roof-prism design; Extended eye relief and central focus for viewing convenience; Fully Multicoated lenses for bright, clear images; Precision aligned optics for extended viewing. more info
{ 25 comments… read them below or add one }
Great binoculars for my Alaskan trip
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I purchased this pair of Nikon 7430 Monarch 8 x 42 a few days before leaving for my trip to Alaska. Although I already owned the very small Bushnell 8 x 21, I realized that my husband and I might want to use them at the same time. After reading and researching, I made the decision to purchase the Nikon. They are bigger and heavier than the Bushnell, but show a clear, bright image, just like the reviews mentioned. I did not have any rain in the two weeks I was there, so being waterproof was not challenged. Because I saw clearly wildlife of all sorts, birds, glaciers, and mountains (including Mt. McKinley), I would certainly buy them again and feel that they are a good compliment to the smaller pair I already owned.
Best Deal in Binoculars
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Bought a pair of Pentax DCF SP 8×43 binoculars over a year ago. I like them but I bought this Nikon 7430 Monarch 8 X 42mm ATB a couple of weeks ago because they are less expensive. I consider these two binoculars about equal. The Nikon’s feel slightly lighter. That’s a good thing. The image quality of both binoculars is equal in my opinion. I see what people are saying about the front lens covers. The attachment is of a material that is more plastic than rubber, must be bent at a sharp right angle, and will probably break over time. That could have been better designed. So far, I am very happy with the Nikon’s and would buy them again.
As Advertised
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
These are replacements for my trusty but funny looking Nikon Travelites which were seriously dropped. I use them mostly for sporting events (football and the like), concerts, casual birding, a bit of night sky scanning and on the water at Lake Tahoe on ocassion. The Monarchs are rugged, extremely bright, have excellent optics (that 3D effect) and unlike other reviewers I actually like the captive lens caps – no problems here. I also like the ability to easily view with (sun)glasses on, something really lacking with my old pair. I am however still trying to get used to the larger form factor. The Travelites while not as bright or sharp were small enough to fit into a fanny pack, on a belt or even in a front pocket if needed, While not huge like a full sized set the 8X42 Monarchs though compact remain “something to carry” even if the case is a pretty good one. I find when hiking that I now slide them in the case into a small day pack rather than sling the short strap. This size vs. performance was a planned trade off and I am not unhappy one bit with my choice expecially with the rock bottom Amazon price and the Nikon mail in rebate on top! These are a step up for me. Excellent!
Great for all-around wildlife viewing
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
We have 2 houses on lakes in central Florida, and have had just about every kind of wildlife found in the Southeast, from alligators to foxes to bald eagles, wander into our yards. I have several sets of cheaper binoculars, but wanted something a little better for general wildlife watching. Based on the great reviews I found on the Internet I bought the Nikon 7430 Monarch. These binoculars are fantastic, far better than most others I’ve used over the years. Images are bright and crystal-clear. Although some people in other reviews complained about the lens caps that came with these binoculars, I like them. I can find absolutely nothing negative to say about the Nikon 7430 Monarch, and would strongly recommend them to anyone looking for a pair of high-quality, medium-priced binoculars.
Best binoculars ever!!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I bought these binoculars for an Alaska cruise. To my delight, we brought with us our older binoculars (another well known brand)and we were able to compare the two. With our well known American brand, we could see the shore when steaming along and see trees, etc. But with Nikon Monarch, we could not only see the trees, but the limbs, the birds in the trees, and the bears coming down to the water. In Glacier Bay, we could see inside the crags of the glaciers and spot glaciers high up mountains with detail. My wife and I have decided it’s time to sell our older (only a few years) binoculars at our next garage sale. I don’t have equal eye sight in each eye. With the Nikon Monarch I can see clearer than wearing glasses and much farther. I highly recommend these binoculars!
Replacement Binocs
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I purchased these based on the recommendation of a fellow birder. They were selected due to the longer focal length which allows me to use them without removing my glasses. They are wonderful. The field of view is very bright and clear. I can again focus both eyes through the instrument. An added bonus was the great price.
great binoculars for the money
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
What a difference from my cheap older binoculars! Very crisp and clear. I would recommend for general viewing and birding.
Bowhunter Approved
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I purchased this from Amazon and got a great price and read many reviews on the web. I received them 3 days after I ordered. It was in time for my deer hunting trip over a bean field in driving rain. They performed very well considering it was a hard rain for 3 hours. As stated in other reviews the rain guard caps do suck but it certainly wouldn’t be a deal breaker for me. My eyes aren’t as good as they use to be being just south of forty but I could easily see spike horns at 200 yards in the last hour of daylight so to me thats worth the price alone and ofcourse it can’t fog up. It doesn’t matter what magnification or how bright it is if they are fogged up.
Great Binoculars For a Great Price
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I spent a lot of time looking at reviews before I purchased these and I am very happy with them. I also went into a store and compared them to binoculars that cost hundreds more. The very high end ones were slightly better, but not enough to justify spending an extra $600. The lens covers can kind of be a pain but it’s really not that big of a deal. These are a great value and also have a great warranty. Only real complaint is that I have not received my $50 rebate from Nikon yet.
Great glass
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
First rate glasses with second class accessories. Wonderfully clear and sharp to the edges. The case and caps are another story. The rear lens cap really is pretty terrible.
Yes You Need These!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
After thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail this year I decided I wanted to stay close to nature and began searching for a good set of binoculars that wouldn’t break my bank account (as always, Amazon had the best price!). I wanted a set mainly for birding and nature spotting. The decision to purchase the Nikon Monarch 8x42mm All-Terrain model was a good one. No wonder they won best mid-priced bino as rated by Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
These are lightweight, solid, water and fogproof, and provide good eye relief fro eyeglass wearers. The first time I took them out on a local bird walk I was amazed at the image quality. Now they’re my favorite “go to” binoculars. They’ll be yours too.
Very Nice
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Recently, my father let me borrow a pair of his VERY expensive Swarvoski binoculars. I was extremely impressed and decided to buy a nice pair for myself. Not wanting to spend $1,800+ on binoculars unless absolutely necessary, I did a fair amount of research and settled on these, with the idea that I could send them back if necessary. I’m not sending them back. I’m not sure they have quite the “wow” factor as my fathers, but they’re pretty darn close. I was extremely impressed with the quality of the image and the brightness. The images are extremely crisp, the binoculars feel very good in my hand and are extremely comfortable to use and are worth every penny. I agree with other reviewers regarding the lens cap covers — they’re cheap and fairly useless. But they stay on in the case and serve their purpose. No big deal.
I very highly recommend these binoculars for anyone wanting a very nice quality pair of binoculars without breaking the bank.
Great set of binoc’s
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Incredibly bright and amazing contrast make these binoc’s a pleasure to use under any field lighting condition. These are an outstanding set of binoculars.
The Reviews Were Right!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I purchased this product based on the reviews here on Amazon and some other sites as well. I’m always a little nervious when purchasing a product this way but there were enough positive reviews that I felt fairly confident about the purchase. That’s why I’m adding my own postive review. These binoculars are amazing! I’ve never used any of the “$2,000 field binoculars” that some have talked about in the other reviews but optically I cannot imagine a drastic improvement over these binoculars. I say that because when you look through them there is simply no occlusion or distortion of the light. If it were not for the border around the view you would not know that you’re looking through glass. My wife and I were astounded and at one point were more focused on trying to see lenses more than the view just to see if we could see them. These binoculars are magical! You will not be disappointed if you buy them. Oh and yes the lens caps are a little weird but hardly worth fretting over.
A little overrated.
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
This is a very good binocular, but not equal to those that cost 2-3X as much, as asserted by some reviewers. It is covered in a dark grayish green rubber-like material that should offer some protection against bumps and makes it easy to grip in wet weather. (When seen in sunlight, the color is not the near black shown in the photo.) This is my first binocular with ‘turn and slide’ eyecups rather than the fold down style of eyecups. I much prefer this ‘turn and slide’ style. The long 19.6mm eye relief allows me to easily view the entire field when wearing my eyeglasses. An oddity of this binocular is that the focus wheel is turned clockwise to go from near to far focus, the opposite of my other four binos. This is annoying, as I often begin turning the wheel the wrong way when focusing.
During general use in daylight, I noticed some moderate chromatic aberration (CA) when viewing dark tree branches against the bright sky. Overall it is not bad; but it can be fairly noticeable in some lighting conditions. There is a little pincushion distortion, most noticeable near the edge of view, when looking at straight lines at close distances. The field of view is about average for this style. The image is TACK SHARP in the center of the field, deteriorating only when relatively close to the edge of the field. Colors are vivid and true. Collimation and alignment of the optical components is good.
However, the most stringent non-scientific testing of optics the layperson can perform is during the night, by stargazing. Stargazing will bring out optical shortcomings that may not be visible in daylight, so I did some informal testing over several nights. The 42mm objectives place some limits on light gathering and resolving power when stargazing, but the purpose of these sessions was to test the optics, not to locate difficult objects.
I started with the first-quarter Moon and immediately noticed the CA. It appears as a bright, thin, yellow-green outline around the Moon’s limb. There is also moderate light scatter that appears as haze around the Moon, and the infamous roof prism ‘X’ shape of faint light beams can be seen emanating from the Moon. The craters and mountains are exceptionally sharp and detailed, with good contrast between the sunlit and shadow areas.
Jupiter appears as a small pearl in the sky, with some CA, very minimal light scatter and no ‘X’ light. I am able to easily discern the four brightest moons of Jupiter, which appear as tiny pinpoints of light near the planet. These pinpoints of light are good indicaters of the sharpness of this instrument. Stars will not focus to pinpoints due to the diffraction of our atmosphere (not a fault of the binocular); Jupiter’s moons are not affected as much by atmospherics, so they appear more point-like. The view of Jupiter and his moons is beautiful through this binocular. Saturn is not up for viewing, it would look similar to Jupiter, on a smaller scale. At this low 8X power, Saturn’s rings would not be resolved. (Even my 20X80′s won’t show the rings.)
I did not see ANY indications of coma, astigmatism, internal reflections, or ghost images during my day or night viewing, and other than a little CA and some light scatter, I am very impressed with this binocular. The fact that I am able to see all four of Jupiter’s brightest moons with this relatively small binocular in my somewhat light polluted sky is a testament to the high optical quality, and shows what the binocular is capable of.
The soft carry case has a belt-loop, but no means of attaching a shoulder strap, which I would much prefer. The binocular fits into it nicely, but there is no room for the bino’s neck strap. If the case had a shoulder strap and was at least two inches taller to allow for the neck strap, I would say it was a pretty nice carry case. I have already ordered a padded cordura, sm/tall, binocular case from Buckstitch Canvas, as a replacement.
The bino’s unpadded neckstrap is wide enough to be reasonably comfortable on my neck for an hour, the longest I have worn it, but I will probably replace it with an Op/Tech E-Z Comfort strap (on Amazon).
At first I was skeptical of the eyelens cover, but I have grown to like it. It is basically two standard rubber eyelens covers connected by a flexible bridge, better than some ‘raincovers’ that are just a single piece. It is quite practical when attached to the neck strap; just slide it up the strap to view, then slide it back down when finished; no chance of it getting lost, and it stays in place over the eyelenses fairly well, though a little loose.
I like the tethered lens caps; but I think those caps and tethers should be a bit more ‘substantial’ to match the build of the binocular.
In summary: The Nikon Monarch 8X42 ATB binocular is a high quality, daylight use binocular, with very good-to-excellent optics. It has some minor optical anomolies that will have little effect on most daytime viewing, and the backward focusing. I would say this binocular is worth the asking price and MUCH MORE; but not 2-3 times more. At the current very low price and Nikon’s significant rebate, it is an absolute steal! (Amazon deleted the dollar amount of the rebate from this review!) Overall, I am very impressed with the views, capabilities, and feel of this instrument. It is the one I grab first for daytime viewing. I do not recommend it as a primary stargazing or low light binocular; binos with larger objectives are better suited to those purposes.
ADDED: I just received my rebate check (three days before Christmas). Perfect! Also; I have received my Buckstitch bino case, it is as if the case was custom made to fit this bino and strap, but the case’s shoulder strap could be just a bit longer.
(Look out Fujinon and Steiner, quality Chinese optics have nearly caught up to you!)
Great Binoculars
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I wanted a good pair of binoculars but didn’t want to spend big bucks for them; the Nikon 7430 turned out to be a great pair. I am not a bird watcher, but I do own a boat in Puget Sound Washington and wanted something that would give me close ups of marine life and scenery. I was amazed at the detail I could see using these. I would highly recommend them to anyone.
Best Binoc for the money
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
These are the best Binoculars for the money. I compared them to the Vortex Diamondback and Steiner 8×36 military marine. By far the Nikon’s are extremely bright and clear. The last pair of Nikon’s I owned were the 8×36 monarch’s. Unfortunately they were stolen at the beach. They were great but if I had to choose I would still pick the 8×42 Monarch’s
Nikon 7430 Monarch 8 X 42mm All Terrain Binoculars
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Excellent set of all weather binoculars, This is my second set as I received the first set as a birthday present from my wife and we were both so happy with the performance of these that I purchased a set for her for Mothers Day. She was thrilled. We would recommend this item to friends and have done so.
Clear picture at an affordable price.
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Save thousands and go for Japanese products instead of Austrian/German products, the quality difference is very small.
Crazy about my new binoculars!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I bought these Nikon binoculars based largely on the comments left by others on Amazon. I got my purchase today and am positively thrilled. Thanks, reviewers.
Focusing is easy, the weight is good, the strap is substantial, and the lens caps are ATTACHED! I won’t lose them! I live in Costa Rica now and my long time hobby of birdwatching and nature study demands good optics.
My 8×25 Swarovskis were a gift (sort of hand-me-downs), but didn’t have the warranty information, case, lens covers, etc. Furthermore, living in the tropics means there’s lots of rain and my Swarovskis just weren’t cutting it for me because they weren’t letting in enough light. Also, without lens caps, I couldn’t protect them easily from off-and-on rain showers while out in the field. Finally, they got just too banged up, and without warranty info, I couldn’t see shipping them off to Austria.
We just got back to the house with my Nikon binoculars late this afternoon. I can hardly wait to start using them in the morning and find out just how much they may help me see new birds.
P.S. My identification (Conniedallas) is not applicable any more. :->
Great value and quality
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
High quality optics for a bargain price. These binoulars punch well above their weight. Great for birding.
Best Binocs for the price
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
These binoculars are better than a lot of binocs that sell for 3 or 4 times the price. The picture quality is crisp and they’re very easy to focus. Also, they work well for people with glasses or without. I highly recommend this pair.
The best binoculars I have ever used.
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I’ll be honest and tell you up front: I have no experience with comparable binoculars. The only ‘nocs I have ever had were cheap pocket-sized ones. I bought the Monarch binoculars on the hearty recommendation of various Internet reviews and have been overwhelmingly pleased. They collect so much light that sometimes I catch myself thinking they must be powered binoculars. Images are crisp, easily-focused, and quite bright – even in low-light conditions (such as at night with just street lamps lighting the evening). I do wish I had had a chance to try a pair of 10x ‘nocs before purchasing, but there is a good chance that those would have had too much wobble, so I am highly pleased with my purchase. You will be too.
for the birds
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I needed a new pair of binoculars. Until now, I’ve used a more portable pair. I’d always thought the optics were fine. But, the first time I took these out, the difference was obvious. The clarity, sharpness and depth of field are all excellent. The image through the lenses seems brighter than the actual conditions. I have never seen birds so clearly. The fact that these binoculars are waterproof means there are no worries in less than optimal conditions.
Great binoculars for birds watching
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Very high quality product with exceptional accessories and high fidelity resolution. Brings everything right into clear view; easily adjustable to accommodate each individuals particular needs. Would recommend to anyone although they are a bit expensive.