Nikon 7549 MONARCH 7 10x42 Binocular (Black)

After reading many reviews for 10x42 binoculars the best choices in the $400-500 range appeared to be these Nikon Monarch 7s and Vortex Viper HDs. The Nikons appealed because of the lower price but the Vortexes were consistently favored for their optics, although many reviewers credited the Nikon glass as well. My concerns are, in no particular order, close focus, eye relief, center of field and edge-to-edge resolution, robust build, and, of course, cost. Some day Swarovskis may be in my life, but not now. I am a weekend birder and full time professional photographer photographing works of fine art where familiarity with top-quality optics is a daily thing. I use Rodenstock, Fuji, and Nikkor (Nikon) optics at work, so I came to this purchase aware that Nikon produces from generally excellent to superb optics but also a few clunkers, largely dependent on cost but not always.Opting to pay slightly more for the Vortexes, I made my purchase and was initially impressed with their build, optics, and accessories (gorgeous case, nice strap), but upon taking them outdoors for a first test late in the day noticed a problem with light leaking past my eye on to a shiny surface inside the extendable eyecups where it created flare on that ocular and my eye, when the sun is low and at right angles to the optical center or slightly back from that angle. The problem is not so much with the ocular, the coating, or the rubber eyecup, but with the shiny inside surface of tube that holds the rubber eyecup; that surface should be black matte or felt not reflective. So I ordered pair of Nikon Monarchs so I could compare the two glasses and found that Nikon not only addresses this reflection issue, I honestly could find no area of optical performance where the Nikons fell short the of the Vortexes, except close focus where the Vortexes claimed an extra foot or so. The Nikons appears slightly superior for width of field. So I returned the Vortexes and happily kept the less expensive Nikons and, a year or so later, still love them.As a studio photographer I have to go to great lengths sometimes to shade my glass from direct and reflected light from the studio flash units. I feel binocular manufacturers are too casual about shading their lenses, where the race to create small binoculars, in this case shorter lengths, can come at the expense of external glass that is too close to the end of the housing where direct sunlight can hit the glass surfaces and reduce optical performance, fine coatings or no. I would happily trade half and inch of extra length if that half inch extended beyond the objective lens and provided shade for that glass. This issue is at the other end of the binocular from what i discussed above, but I thought it deserved mention. In the meantime Nikon has taken the prudent step of combing fine optics with appropriate non-reflective surfaces where they count along the optical path.

These are great binoculars! A little heavier than the 8 X 42's, but the price was excellent. We used them on safari, and the clarity, eye comfort, durability (they may have gotten banged up a little during the journey), and overall usability were far beyond any binocular that we have ever used. They are expensive, but given the cost of the trip and their true useful ness (no headaches, no blurry vision, no drift, etc.), we would definitely buy them again. (note, we use them for basketball games when we sit in the cheap seats. Their focus is great and field of vision is wide enough to follow the players easily. Note: the strap goes on the binoculars, but not the case, which has a belt loop if on the odd chance one wears a belt and is willing to have the case live on your hip. Would it hurt to have an extra strap for the case?

Received these binoculars just in time for the Warbler migration and they are great! Have always used my camera lens as my binocs, but what a world of difference! The image is clean, bright and clear across the whole image. I noticed when using to the farthest distance way out I have a little shake, and perhaps a tripod would be nice for stationary extended viewing. For normal distances, I didn't notice any shake. They are excellent in twilight, seeming to draw light into the image. I'm not sure what the concern is about the lens covers. The far end covers fit tightly and flip off but remain connected to prevent lose during use. The close end are deliberately slightly loose, and are set to be attached to the neck strap while in use and are out of the way, but again won't get lost. (I appreciate this since have lost camera lens covers). I've used them everyday for a couple hours bird watching for about a week. Very pleased.

These binoculars are very good and rival those costing way more. The clarity and light transfer is outstanding. I look forward to using them in the field as I suspect they will perform very well. My buddy bought the Vortex Viper HD's and he said when comparing the two he found not much difference between them, except the Vortex cost him $600. The Vortex case is way better, however, and the strap tabs accommodate his harness. I paid $416 from a camera store through Amazon, which is a bit less than the sale price at Cabelas ($420) and a lot less than at Bass Pro Shops ($499). I agree with other reviews that question why the case is so cheesy along with the eye piece covers, which are useless. The other knock on them is the neck strap connector tabs. They will accommodate the strap that comes with them but not the clips on the harness I purchased for them for an upcoming hunt. Zip ties will work but I don't want to trust plastic zip ties to secure them to my harness. I resorted to using 3/4" metal key rings which can be threaded through the tab. The harness clips to the key rings fine and doesn't look too funky. I may have to purchase a rugged case to protect them while in the field as the one it comes with is only good for storage in a closet when not in use. For the money, however, they are a bargain.

Great product. Images are clear and bright, and these will not be too heavy to take bird-watching, or as a second pair on the boat. The biggest problem with the purchase involved the warranty situation, because Nikon only provides a life-time warranty for items purchased from an authorized USA dealer. They have a list, and some of the sellers are not on the list. Amazon is, as is this dealer, so I went with them, in spite of the extra cost. But these dealers don't want to talk about the issue of grey market items. This one came with a Nikon USA warranty card, but the Nikon website is clear that you also need a dated invoice from an authorized dealer to get USA service. Keller did not provide one, and directed me to Amazon, who says that they will provide it. Be very careful that you get everything you need, for such an expensive purchase.