MONARCH 7 8x30

A few months back I had two pairs of binoculars stolen from my truck. One was a pair of Pentax 8x28's that lived in my pickup all the time, while the other was a pair of 8x32 Vortex Vipers that I considered my everyday knock-around binoculars. For serious birding, my wife and I have Nikon Premier LXL's in 8x42 and 8x32. I decided to give these Nikon 8x30's a try for several reasons. 1) Over time, I've come to consider Nikon as my first source of optics, and 2) The 8x30 configuration seemed to likely cover both sets of stolen binoculars. My one worry was the 15mm of eye relief. As a glasses wearer, I've always considered 17mm to be a minimum, with 20mm preferred. I've now owned and used the new 8x30 Monarch 7 binoculars for about 3 weeks, and absolutely love them! The eye relief is just adequate, but the superb, wide field of view makes it a non-issue. The edge-to-edge sharpness is excellent, and in my opinion, well above the price point. The focus wheel is very smooth and precise. The strap is comfortable but larger than I'd like on a compact pair of binoculars, so I swapped it with that from my 8x42 Premiers... perfect! After I wandered around the yard admiring the view through these binoculars, I handed them to my wife to try. She was astonished, and did the same thing I did... taking them from her eyes and looking at them wondering how such a compact pair of mid-priced binoculars could possibly perform so well! I could see the envy on her face, and she promptly ordered a pair for herself! We own at least a dozen pair of binoculars between us, but I'm pretty sure that most will be relegated to dust collectors since we've acquired these Monarch 7's. In my opinion, Nikon hit a home run with these!

I have purchased these binoculars twice once when they first were released and once just a week ago. When they were first released they had serious glare problems but according to many reviewers Nikon had solved the problem. The glare starts at the bottom of the FOV when you are panning up and keeps getting worse until it covers the entire field. It doesn't matter if it is extremely sunny or not. I tested them in overcast weather and it will still occur. The new models I just tested are the same as the first models so Nikon did nothing to correct it. I compared these Nikon's to several different binoculars I own and these were by far the worst at controlling glare. I am surprised nobody else notices it but I assure you it is there. I promptly returned mine for the glare problem and will not buy them again.

I purchased these binoculars for birdwatching and was very skeptical since my standard binoculars are Swarovski 10x42's that I use for work. These binoculars baffle me. They are not 10x42's, so the exit pupil is smaller and they are not quite as forgiving if they're not held square to the face, but otherwise, they're very sharp with bright glass.

Pros:
Sharpness and light gathering are top tier, hard to tell apart from other top binos.
Size and weight are much less noticeable than larger binos.
Field of view is wider (how?!) than binos with larger objective lenses.
Close focus distance is closer than advertized (mine are around 5').
Opticaly quality is hard to tell apart from my Maven B3 binoculars, but the Mavens have metal in place of plastic for focusing knob, diopter ring, etc. Maven is also much colder on the hands when it's cold, and they weigh a few ounces more. The smooth eye cups on the Nikon are much nicer after a day of use than the textured eye cups on the Mavens.

Cons:
Periphery light seems to glare, particularly around the edges with these, and it often feels like you can see the "hoods" around the objective lenses.
Must be a bit more square to the eye than larger objective binoculars in order to get a full viewing image.

Unless you already have a pair of small binoculars, these are the first binoculars I'd suggest buying. If you are always stable (sitting or in a vehicle), I'd opt for something with more magnification.

Great for hunting Bears! I love it the riflescope is wonderful.

i use these ever day when bow hunting ,, using a strap to hold them close to my chest ,, no problem shooting a longbow /compound with these Bono's on,, field of view is the best 435ft FOV at a 1000 yards,, has helped me when hunting in the woods ,, i see so much more with the wide field of view and more clearly than any pair of other brands i have had in the past ,and i have had other brands that was 3 times the cost of these ,, the best in low light conditions ,, can not say enough good things about Monarch 7 ---8x30 ,, ,rain,cold and bright sun light & low light they perform --Rayfromohio

These binoculars offer a comfortable and easily adjustable clear optic. The range of these works well for hunting and seeing things pretty clearly within about a half mile. They are also very easy to carry and are not very bulky. The pair I have has lasted me close to two years and I recommend these to anybody looking for a good pair at a good price.

This is the finest pair of binoculars that I've ever had. They're performers. They truly produce and are worth the investment. I love the ULTRA-wide angle of view as well as the excellent glass and well-thought design and craftsmanship. I use these as a means of seeking out wildlife, landscape and other types of nature-photography subject. I also use Nikon photography equipment, so I might be a little biased, since I've been a Nikon loyalist for awhile. :-) These are excellent for seeking out something off in the distance, plus they're extremely bright. The excellent glass and coatings, combined with great technology make these so superior to other binoculars that I tested. The wide field of view makes for quick movements with an amazingly steadfast find-and-focus capability. Basically, they're quick. Another great feature is the compact design and size. I can easily stuff these in almost all of my camera bags. So, if any of you are nature photographers in need of a good, dependable, small pair of binoculars, I highly recommend the Monarch 7 8x30's. They're a great all-around set of glass to have in your camera bag.

these are clear and bright even in the evening and morning periods. way better then the pair they replaced. they will fit in a larger pocket. I will use these for deer and waterfowl hunting.