Nikon 7246 Action 12x50 EX Extreme All-Terrain Binocular, black

Bought theses as a gift for husband. He absolutely loves them. He takes the hunting. Hiking and states does what they say they do

Hope this helps the reader. Did extensive subjective testing of these Nikon Action EX 12x50's compared to Nikon Monarch 5 12x42's and Monarch 7 10x42's. Initially decided I really wanted the 12 power...did bring in objects a bit closer than the 10's and "shake" is not a noticeable problem for me. Then, regardless of the "specs and lab test results" and a call to Nikon customer service itself for their overall recommendation in the 12 power strength, all of which pointed to the Monarch 5's, I really preferred the EX's the best overall. I spent 3-4 hours in bright sun, cloudy weather, dusk into dark, and checking out the moon. Pros of the EX's...slightly sharper detail, easier to focus (more range), colors seemed more true, slightly larger viewing area due to the 50 vs 42 size. Pros of Monarch 5's...more compact, "fit" of eye cups to my face felt more comfortable, attached lens protector is convenient. Brightness during dusk viewing a draw. If one wants easier portability, the Monarch 5's are fine. If one wants binoculars to be binoculars, I'd go with the Action EX's and save about $100 to boot.

I own two telescopes, including one 5 foot long 10" diamater Dobsotnian. I like that a little more than this, but this is about half as good at 1/4th the price, and 1/20th the size and weight.These are VERY high quality binocs at a reasonable price. Great optics, suprisnlgly powerful and clear. Very 3D view if you adjust them first to your two differnt eyes.User tip: wrap the strap over your elbow and put your arm through, to reduce shake. It's a rifle trick but works for binoculars.I also got a tripod adapter for these, but the strap trick is almost as good without carrying a tripod.These also have excellent nigh abilities. Not night vision, but sort of feels like it.These would be useful in the possibility of a coming soft collapse. You can see threats coming in the dark with the eyes of a cat, not a human.

For our 10-day backcountry sea kayaking trip, I bought myself this pair of binoculars (12x50) and my husband the Monarch 7s (10x42) (which are three times the price). Both pairs were rained on very heavily and appear to be holding up magnificently. Both were also exposed to plenty of seawater. We used these binoculars to scout out potential campsites, boats, animals of all kinds (breaching whales, bears on shore, etc.), and we were both happy with their performance. The Monarchs are obviously more compact and a little lighter, which makes them better for the backcountry. They also have the advantage of not having those stupid individual lens caps. If you're regularly using your binoculars, it is a pain to attach them to the strap all the time, and then individually detach them to put them back on the binoculars. Even when they are attached to the strap, as I discovered, they can easily be knocked off. They can also be easily knocked off the lenses. I ended up removing mine completely on day 2 and putting them at the bottom of a dry bag. Obviously, I risked scratches, and had I prepared beforehand, I could've made something classy out of floss and duct tape to keep them together. My husband didn't have this problem, since his lens caps (top and bottom) were attached to the binoculars at all times.As far as visibility goes, they're both great. I'm no expert. I prefer the 12x because... I can see more. We had overcast conditions, and I couldn't notice a difference in the total illumination between the two models. Both were sharp. His might be a smidge sharper, but it's hard to compare b/c the magnifications are different.

I am taking to Alaska and i can't wait to see the scenery and wildlife with these. They are a quality pair of binoculars.

It took a lot of research before deciding on this pair as a gift for my S.O. But I made the right choice and he adores them!He wanted something that would get good distance, zoom, and be something he could take hiking, so it had to be both light and durable. I chose these over compact ones so they would work with the iphone adapter (take photos through the binoculars!) They aren't too heavy, look really impressive, and deliver crisp detailed views from great distances away. We saw our family sitting on the beach from the top of the Assateague lighthouse! He likes the lens protectors that clip right onto the shoulder strap or come off and stay in the case. (It would be nice if the case had clips to attach a shoulder strap as well - it only has a belt loop) The collapsible eye-cups are great for if you are wearing glasses or not, and they are waterproof! I use Nikon camera gear so it was a good fit as well. Highly recommended!

The Nikon 12x50 gives a great view both terrestrial and astronomy. I'm disabled and I spend a lot of time on my back porch bird watching. With a selection of food, feeders, and a bath I have 10 - 20 different species in a day. Close in my Nikon Monarch 7 8x30 are perfect, but farther out, not so much. These 12x50s give me a view to the crow tree half a block away where crow, northern flickers, and woodpeckers frolic.For night time views they are bright. From a darker site I picked out half a dozen Messiers and the Andromeda galaxy.My complaints would be weight and the eyepieces that seemed designed to remove nose skin. Overall I am super happy with these binoculars and the reach they give me.

The focusing ring is so hard to turn that your hand shakes from the effort, making focusing difficult. I really expected better from Nikon at this price point.