Tonji's Binoculars: Nikon Monarch 10x42

Binoculars a birders most important tool.

My current bins are the Nikon Monarch 10x42 DCF. The number 10 is the amount of magnification. So for this pair you see as if you are 10 times nearer the object. The second number in this case 42 is the objective diameter of the binoculars. The higher the number the brighter the image. I used to use the Nikon 8x42 bins. When they were accidentally dropped into the ocean I decided to get the same brand but I thought 10 x42 might be more useful. I think I do prefer the higher magnification. I find that bins with the objective diameter of 50 are too large. I think 42 is just the right size and weight for something that will be around my neck the whole day.

Magnification is usually a personal choice. The two most common are 8x and 10x. A magnification of 8x gives you a bigger view while a 10x magnification makes the bird a little bigger. It is best to try both before buying to see which one suits you. I like 10x and Sylvia likes 8x.

The specs of the Nikon Monarch 10x42 binoculars are as follows:
Magnification: 10
Effective diameter (mm): 42
Angular field of view: 5.5 degrees
minimum focusing distance: 2.5 meters
weight: 620 grams

When I took this picture my bins were really dirty. We had just come home from a rugged week long trip. I fell from a horse, twice. I slipped on the mountain trail a few times. There was a lot of dust. And there was one time when a whole dust cloud of orange spores covered me. My hair was orange. I guess it can be seen here that I had not cleaned my bins very well yet.

The reason I am not so finicky with my bins is because I decided to go for the very reasonably priced Nikon Monarchs. This pair with the 10x42 magnification costs less than $300. They are light, clear and they work well. I usually strap them to my harness. Or they are in my car ready to look at any interesting birds. Bins live a hard life and I would rather get something that performs well but does not cost too much.

There are nicer bins, the Swarovski EL 10x42 is superb. I tried a pair of Swarovski bins and I must say they are much better than my Nikon. The Swaros were a pleasure to use, brighter, sharper and gave me less eye strain. It was like watching TV, not looking thru bins. The cost is much more than my Nikon bins. I like the Swaros a lot, but not the price.

A weakness of the Nikons are the covers. They are pretty horrible. Easy to lose. I actually just lost the front covers already. Another problem is the eye cups can get damaged and stop moving. It is disappointing. The overall construction is ok. But as I do more birding and subject it to more use it does not seem to be holding up very well. These bins are ok I guess but if you want something that will last for a long time you need to look at some of the more expensive binoculars.

I will probably upgrade to better binoculars at some point in time.

bins