Whenever you come across Nikon Monarch binoculars, the term high-quality comes to your mind. This is because the Nikon company has been making the best optics for a while now.
The Monarch line of binoculars is great when it comes to several outdoor events such as bird watching, camping, hiking, hunting, and more.
Some of the Monarch models are cheap while others are expensive. One is for sure, you always get value for money. Those who have used these models always have something positive to say about it.
So, what are some of the models under the Monarch lineup?
Well, get to learn more about them below.
Nikon Monarch 3 Models
For the Monarch series, this one is the cheapest you can buy. Just simply because it is cheap it does not mean it would not meet your needs. Many users always have an easy time finding uses for it. Since it is lowly priced, it should easily serve as the entry level model.
They would have a silver alloy coating for the prisms. It is not hard to achieve such a coating and thus the reason for having the low price. It can start at around $197 or less if there is a discount on the models.
These models would also have a close focus of about 10 feet. This puts them at a disadvantage for certain uses such as bird watching. If you do a lot of bird watching in your backyard or out in the wild, it could need you get closer.
If you are new to binoculars, then this could be a relatively good start. Some people have used for hunting and still bird watching. If you are willing to spend a bit more, then you would upgrade to the Monarch 5 models. This does not mean you will not find use for these models.
1. Nikon 7540 Monarch 3 8×42 Binocular
This is one of the cheapest Nikon Monarch binoculars you can buy today. Even though it is cheap, you will find it has relatively top features. The model comes with high reflective silver alloy phase corrected prisms. Such type of technology helps with eliminating the degradation of the image produced.
The best part is that the lens surface is also multicoated. The multi-coating is done by using anti-reflective coatings. Its polycarbonate body is important for the durability of the model. It will make the model to last for a long time.
2. Nikon 7541 Monarch 3 10×42 Binocular
The model is great for those who might have had a problem using binoculars with glasses. This is all due to the adjustable eyecups. You can easily adjust the eyecups by sliding into various positions. It is now possible to use it, whether you have glasses or not. You will also get enough eye relief. Well, there is no doubt this will feel comfortable for you.
The model still comes with unmatched warranty of 25 years. It will be important to know that Nikon will be able to handle any repairs that you want.
The overall construction of the model is strong. You will end up with a durable and rugged body type in the end.
3. Nikon 16007 Monarch 3
The model comes with a nice finish that just makes it beautiful. It would be great to have it among your collections. The finish can also act as a camo so that you blend into the environment. When you are in any green environment, you might not even notice it.
It also features the multi-coated eco-glass lenses. Such types of lenses are important for having the best light transmittance. The images you will get with the model are sharper and brighter too. The multi-coated lenses also work great in low light conditions.
Nikon Monarch 5 Models
The Monarch 5 models could be seen as the best binoculars of the line. Of course, there is still the Monarch 7 model, but the Monarch 5 line is the best-selling. It is simply because it comes with an affordable price but superior features. That is a good combination that many would want.
The models under this line are one of the most sought after for being rugged, waterproof, and fog proof. These are just but a few features by mentioning. The rugged nature of these models works great for many people. You will always find that the binoculars outlast your expectations.
There is also the rubber armor coating on each model. The coating of rubber comes in handy to make the binoculars set is shockproof. With such top features, you will always find several outdoors activities.
Based on the information from the manufacturer, this line works also as the all-terrain model. This means that you can take them outdoors and not worry much that they might break easily.
1. Nikon 7576 Monarch 5 8×42 Binocular
The top feature the model has is the premium ED glass. This type of glass is known for having a low light dispersion. The results from such a glass is having a sharper and clearer image. Another thing you will get is a brilliant field of view because of the new glass technology.
You should also notice that the model is lighter as compared to other models in its range. You should find it easy to carry it around during the next adventure.
It might be light, but it is still strong. Nikon invested a lot in making sure it remains rugged enough for the outdoors.
2. Nikon 7577 Monarch 5 10×42 Binocular
The fully multi-coated is always something worth mentioning. It is going to give you the best images at all times. You will find it easy to use the model at all times even in low light conditions. The images mostly would be sharper and clearer than other models you might have used before.
The rubber eyecups are great for comfort and usability. You will not have to worry about feeling that the model is uncomfortable to use over an extended period. You can also adjust the eyecups so that they fit like you want. This is whether you have glasses on or not.
3. Nikon 7578 Monarch 5 12×42 Binocular
Other than having a powerful magnification, the model also boasts of having a rugged construction. The manufacturer had durability in mind when making this model. There was the need to make sure it could perform in the extreme environments. Based on several reviews, it has done quite well with many people always going for it.
The model would not be good for extreme use if it was not waterproof and fog proof. It is designed to work in various outdoor environment without necessarily failing. The presence of the rubber armored body makes it even better for most people.
Nikon Monarch 7 Models
If you are looking to have something better, then the Monarch 7 model would be recommended. As much as it is one of the best, it is going to cost you a lot more extra. Compared to the Monarch 3 model, you would have to pay an additional $200 to get to Monarch 7. That being said, you should get some of the features it has worth the amount.
It comes with a better prism glass construction. Right now, the ED glass is common with the Monarch 5 and 7 models. Previously, it was just the Monarch 7 that had it.
The ED (Extra-low Dispersion) glass is important for better image resolution. The same thing goes for the brightness. You will get to notice that your images are brighter than when using other inferior models.
Another quick bonus of the series is the larger field of view. You will get a wide field of view at 419 ft. This is larger for what you get in the Monarch 5 model, which has 330 ft. Is this type of field of view worth it? That will depend on where you want to use the binoculars.
1. Nikon 7548 Monarch 7 8×42 Binocular
The model is known for having an exceptionally wide field of view. This in turn makes it easy to find your subject. Focusing would also be easy as you do not have to focus a lot to change the view.
The dielectric high-reflective coating works great for this model. You must have noticed it is different from what you see in the other models. Like in monarch 3, the series uses the silver alloy coating. With this model, you will end up with high-contrast images with impressive color reproduction.
The use of the ED glass in the model is still good for the brightness and color fidelity of the images in the end.
2. Nikon 7549 Monarch 7 10×42 Binocular
Its powerful magnification will work for many people who will spend money on it. The magnification plus the wide field of view gives the user a new experience. You will always get to zoom into different subjects in a snap.
The rubber armored coating is going to be a good thing. This coating is there to provide protection such as being shockproof. There is no doubt you will have it around for years. The rubber coating is also good for making the model highly comfortable to touch.
3. Nikon 7580 Monarch 7 10×30 Binocular
This model comes with an angular field of view of 60 degrees, then it should be easy to find the subject in a short time. There is no doubt the wider field of view will work well with bird watchers. Some hunters would also love to use such type of binoculars.
The design gives it a compact look. For many, they should find it easy to carry the model around. The best part is that it comes with a carry case. You cannot easily misplace its accessories when you have to travel with it.
The dielectric high-reflective coatings on the prisms helps it produce better images. You will find it is superior over the other monarch models.
Nikon Monarch ATB Models
If you are new to the term, ATB simply means All Terrain Binoculars. This is a term that is slowly being applied to almost all the Monarch lines, but there are those models that are ATB specifically. These models are tough, just from the name ATB. You can be sure they will always work well for different environments.
The line comes with a couple of options in the binoculars size. You can choose the size based on what you need it for. There might be a difference in the size, but the features are similar all across.
These models come with the fully multicoated lenses. Such lenses are known for their impressive image reproduction. You will also get the phase correction prisms. Such correction is important so that you get the correct image sizes. There is no doubt the experience will always be great.
1. Nikon 7295 Monarch ATB 10×42 Binocular
Being an ATB model, you would expect that the emphasis would have gone to the construction part. There is no doubt that is the case with the model. Even from just looking at it, you will notice that it looks tough. The rubber armored coating gives it a tough look that is something for sure.
It would not be ATB if it was not waterproof and fog proof. These two features are now like standard features for the best binoculars. This is something that users would ask about before they can pick a set of binoculars.
The model comes with multi-setting click for the eyecups. This means that you can set your eyecups to a point that is comfortable for you.
2. Nikon Monarch 5 10×42 ED ATB Binoculars
The design of this model is made specially for the tough hunts and outdoor express. The next time you are outdoors having a good time, these binoculars could be a nice addition. The best part is that you get a model with a bright field of view and high resolution view.
The model also comes with a multi-coated eco-glass. Of course by now you know the importance of such type of glass. It will always give you sharper images.
Even though is a rugged model, it is amazing how lightweight it is. You are going to enjoy going to keep using this model for several years to come.
The manufacturer has included a cleaning kit with the model. This should help you with the proper maintenance of your binoculars at all times. Since the kit comes from the manufacturer, you can have confidence that it is of the best quality.
Monarch 3 vs Monarch 5 vs Monarch 7
From the different reviews above, you now have an idea about what you will be getting from each series. Sometimes that might not be enough unless you compare all the monarch series side by side. So, which would be the best model to buy? We get to check out how the Monarch 3, 5, and 7 compare below.
1. The body style
It is always interesting to note how the three series models compare. The largest of the three is the Monarch 3, and the smallest is Monarch 7. You might also note that the Monarch 7 would weigh more than the Monarch 5 models. This is the case even though Monarch 7 models are shorter physically.
It is assumed that the Monarch 7 model is heavier in weight because of the lens system. The system requires having more glass to achieve its wide field of view. The heavy ED glass also plays a part in making the model heavier.
The three still rock a few similarities when you have them standing side by side. One thing to see will be the rubber armor coating. Each one comes with this as part of the construction. The three lines of models also have a single center hinge.
2. Focus mechanism
There are some differences with the models when it comes to the focus mechanism. It should be noted that the Monarch 3 and 5 will need 1.25 revolutions to move the focus wheel to infinity mode. The same is not for the Monarch 7 as it needs 1.5 turns. There is no doubt we all want a faster focus model, but in this case there is no much difference.
3. Prism coatings
One thing that is for sure is that the optics for the three lines is all impressive. There is the phase corrective coating, but these coatings differ from one line to another.
The Monarch 3 model comes with the silver alloy reflective coatings while the Monarch 5 and 7 come with dielectric coatings. The dielectric coating is often seen as superior thanks to the performance it offers.
These reflective coatings will have an effect on the image produced. The one in Monarch 3 model makes the image look somewhat lighter than when in the other models. The Monarch 5 coatings had the image resolved better and sharper.
For those who have used dielectric coated optics even from other brands, they claim such models would have better performance always. You can expect to see a great impact on the brightness and resolution.
Even as Monarch 5 and 7 use the same dielectric coating, the number of layers in 7 is more than in 5. This would give the difference in pricing and performance between the two.
4. The field of view
There is no doubt you would have wanted to see how the three compare in terms of field of view. Well, the angular field of view for a 10×42 Nikon Monarch 3, 5, and 7 is 5.7 degrees, 5.5 degrees, and 6.7 degrees respectively. As you can see, there is no much difference between Monarch 3 and 5.
You might not get much difference between 3 and 5 over the 1000 yards/m distance.
The Monarch 7 will however have quite a large difference between the three. The large angle makes it easy for you to see a lot more and also clearly. Many people would feel comfortable spending their money on Monarch 7 for the large field of view it has to offer.
5. Color rendering
The way the binoculars displays the colors can be an important factor when it comes to buying. The silver alloy coating on Monarch 3 has a good performance, but it is slightly affected by the issues in silver properties. Silver can reflect good, but it does not keep it even. It is noticeable that the yellow color would be reflected more by silver than the other colors.
The bias in reflection by the silver coating sometimes is what makes brings a downfall to it. So, what about in Monarch 5 and 7. The dielectric material in these two removes any significant color bias to report.
6. Low light and strong light viewing
You might never know when you would have to use the binoculars. It would be good to know how it behaves in low light condition. If you compare Monarch 3 and 5, the two seem to perform the same in low light viewing. The Monarch 5 has a bit of sharper images than Monarch 3 models. Well, that was expected with the difference in the coating.
It would be fair to conclude that the Monarch 7 models perform better than both 5 and 3. The low light viewing in 7 still gives you more details when compared to the other two.
When it comes to the ability of the binoculars to deal with strong light, the price tag almost made the decision. Well, based on data collected, you will have more glare in Monarch 3 and 5 models. The monarch 7 models easily outperformed the others when it came to strong light viewing.
Conclusion
No one would blame you for choosing the Nikon Monarch models. They have proven to be vital for the outdoor experience. It is without a doubt that you will be getting value for money when using these models. Make sure to understand the difference between the three as outline above to make an informed decision. You can always pick the Nikon 7548 Monarch 5 model as it comes with top features for its price. It stands out as a top model you would want today.