I am always amazed at the incredible depth of knowledge that is apparent in all of your reviews. From knife steels to optics and everywhere in between, you demonstrate a keen sense of awareness and scientific observation. Even the methods you employ to prove your observations are educational for me. And above all of that, your English vocabulary, with words chosen very carefully and slowly, accurately describe what you want to say. Your delivery is extremely absorbing and enjoyable to listen to. I look forward to all of your vids and thank you for them.
I agree.. but then again Waku ,could be as full of crap as the next guy. After all, it's just his opinion and even HE admits that.. Which is why i like him.
This is a great review, thank you. I have found that even the most expensive binoculars have some rectilinear pincushion distortion. It is intentional and necessary to cancel the natural rectilinear barrel distortion of your eyes. Under ordinary circumstances, you don't notice this natural distortion, but with high magnification, the distortion becomes apparent. Evidently, Zeiss discovered this when they first began manufacturing rectilinear distortion-free military binoculars in the mid-20c. At the time, users complained of "rolling ball" effects which are visible when panning distortion-free glasses. So, to counter this impression, Zeiss began adding some pincushion distortion and this has been broadly adopted by all manufacturers since, although the amount used varies by manufacturer and model. Everyone's sensitivity to this effect varies, and this makes binocular preference a very personal matter. You must try them, ideally outdoors in real usage, to know how they will work for you. When using Zeiss 7x42 FL binoculars, which certainly do have pincushion distortion, I felt the vertigo that you described in testing the Monarch 7. I have found that interpupilary separation is critical. It is not enough to simply adjust to fuse the images. You have to separate the eyepieces enough so that your eyes are both independently centered. By doing so, the feeling of vertigo is dramatically reduced. I hope that this note is useful to anyone considering wide-field binoculars or has already purchased them and is trying to get the best performance.
Very simple and effective test. After viewing I used the same visual aid to test my own binoculars. Mine are Bauch & Lomb and Pentax. Between these two the Pentax won. Yours are some of the most informative videos I watch. Thank you for posting.
I love Nikon I have had a pair for over 16 years and they are still as good as new. I also bought some Canon imaged stabilized and they are the best I have ever bought. Especially at long ranges the image stabilization it amazing.
Thank you for an excellent review. The comparisons that you made helped me understand the peripheral problems with a wider field of view. I, too, become dizzy if the periphery is blurry. The price for the Monarch 5 on Amazon has dropped to about US$247 today, so it's a good time to buy.
Awesome review. I was about to order Monarch 7, I’m going to get the 5’s. Makes sense after you explained the edge to edge sharpness and field of view.
Thanks!! This was a great review.. The idea you had for using a Calendar was brilliant. I'm going to look at this same set up using my binoculars. I have Nikon 7s Prostaff.. Thanks again!
I have a pair of 10+ year old Nikon Travelite V's (9 x 25, 5.6 degree). Love them for their light weight, convenient center focus and acceptable optics. They are light and small enough to throw into a stuff sack for a day pack or into a pant cargo pocket for trail use w/o a second thought. Those Monarchs with the ED glass are in an entirely different (and optically superior) class -- very nice acquisition! Would resting the binoculars on your truck's window edge or a monopod help with the vertigo?
Hi Wako: Have you ever had a chance to try out the Vortex brand of optics in Japan? The Monarch 5 are great and probably the best binoculars you can get for the price. They are only $250 right now in the US and on Amazon. I almost bought these but ended up with the Vortex Talon HD 8x42 but they were double in price. Im kinda thinking I should have just saved the money and bought the Nikons. The Vortex Talon HD and Viper HD are a little more bright than the monarch. The Vortex Talons have a much greater field of view than both but don't blur out very bad at the edges..this is why I bought them.
I have to agree with the previous post by Don Alfano who summed it up better than I could...your videos are great! On a side note, I have the Monarch X in 8.5 x 45 6.3* and I love their low light capability. I'll be giving the X to my son so I will have to look into the 5s. Thank you for the excellent research.
I was able to but didn't because the EDG is far too expensive for me. It costs 2.000 dollars here. Anyway Nikon explains it is expensive because it allows us clear viewing to the edge of the field. If it is real, it won't make us dizzy. Thanks.
Hey, Sir. I'm buying these binoculars hopefully next week from a Japanese retailer off ebay. It's stated in his description that the binoculars are infact brandnew, and the 8x42 versions...And I was wondering if I should be spending USD 390.00 dollars for these? Because that is the said price... Or should I negotiate it? And to what price could I get it to be considered as a great deal? Thanks in advance sir! PS. Absolutely loved the video. kept on re-watching it for more than 10 times for the last 2 days (seriously hahaha) because there is no other video as in depth as yours when it comes to these bins...I liked and subbed..:)
I think ED lenses reduce Chromatic abberation and focus all wavelengths of light on to one plane.............. excellent lenses, the same as on the more expensive Nikon camera lenses
Innitially thinking about this bino, but then i understood, that Vortex Dimondback is much better. I guess that if u prefer the best as BRKT, you should choose Vortex))
+virtuovice Do you have any stores that carry brands like Vortex, Zen-Ray, Eagle Optics..etc? I looked through the Kowa SV 10x50 the other day and they seemed pretty good for the price, but for a little more money you can get a 10x50 with ED glass and dielectric coated prisms for superior light transmission, like your Monarch 5's are. Actually Kowa makes some outstanding glass with ED lenses but cost quite a bit more than the SV line. Kowa is a good manufacturer as is Nikon. Nikon has come out with some 56mm objective lenses for the Monarch 5. Id love to try out the 8x56 monarch 5 for night use. 7mm exit pupil must be nice. I think Kowa also has a 8x56 and maybe even a 10 or 12x56
+THE Power Of MIND Yes. Their front lenses are the same 42mm. So the resolution is insufficient for 10×. So I have Kowa SV10×50 whose front lenses are large enough to give high resolution to 10×. Thanks.
+THE Power Of MIND I definitely prefer Monarch 5 because it doesn't have visual distortion while Monarch 7 has it. The distortion in the boundary visual field makes me dizziness when I move the binoculars. Thanks.
I dont think the the wide field of view is making you dizzy, I think your binoculars are (verticle) uncollimated, if they are making you dizzy when moving. Send to repair at Nikon. That means one of your eyes is looking up , while the other eye is looking down causing headaches. WIde angular field of view if anything reduces eye strain and headaches.
John RossStar he compared to an even smaller degree view 7% (whatever small bino he used, Kowa?)versus the sicker 8% view of the monarch 7. But go ahead and buy bigger
I am always amazed at the incredible depth of knowledge that is apparent in all of your reviews. From knife steels to optics and everywhere in between, you demonstrate a keen sense of awareness and scientific observation. Even the methods you employ to prove your observations are educational for me. And above all of that, your English vocabulary, with words chosen very carefully and slowly, accurately describe what you want to say. Your delivery is extremely absorbing and enjoyable to listen to. I look forward to all of your vids and thank you for them.
I agree.. but then again Waku ,could be as full of crap as the next guy. After all, it's just his opinion and even HE admits that..
Which is why i like him.
I have the Monarch 8x42 and have to say, I'm blown away by the performance!, I've around 50 binoculars, The Nikon is my fave of all of them!! :)
Why do you have 50 binoculars?
This is a great review, thank you.
I have found that even the most expensive binoculars have some rectilinear pincushion distortion. It is intentional and necessary to cancel the natural rectilinear barrel distortion of your eyes. Under ordinary circumstances, you don't notice this natural distortion, but with high magnification, the distortion becomes apparent. Evidently, Zeiss discovered this when they first began manufacturing rectilinear distortion-free military binoculars in the mid-20c. At the time, users complained of "rolling ball" effects which are visible when panning distortion-free glasses. So, to counter this impression, Zeiss began adding some pincushion distortion and this has been broadly adopted by all manufacturers since, although the amount used varies by manufacturer and model. Everyone's sensitivity to this effect varies, and this makes binocular preference a very personal matter. You must try them, ideally outdoors in real usage, to know how they will work for you.
When using Zeiss 7x42 FL binoculars, which certainly do have pincushion distortion, I felt the vertigo that you described in testing the Monarch 7. I have found that interpupilary separation is critical. It is not enough to simply adjust to fuse the images. You have to separate the eyepieces enough so that your eyes are both independently centered. By doing so, the feeling of vertigo is dramatically reduced.
I hope that this note is useful to anyone considering wide-field binoculars or has already purchased them and is trying to get the best performance.
Very simple and effective test. After viewing I used the same visual aid to test my own binoculars. Mine are Bauch & Lomb and Pentax. Between these two the Pentax won.
Yours are some of the most informative videos I watch. Thank you for posting.
I bought these binoculars a year ago for bird watching. Am really pleased with them.
I love Nikon I have had a pair for over 16 years and they are still as good as new. I also bought some Canon imaged stabilized and they are the best I have ever bought. Especially at long ranges the image stabilization it amazing.
I just bought a new pair of Bushnell Elite binoculars made in Japan that are of very high quality. Thank you video.
I was hoping you would say "Hello Binocular People!" :)
Wonderful review. I will be purchasing these for bird watching based on your video. Thank you.
Thank you for an excellent review. The comparisons that you made helped me understand the peripheral problems with a wider field of view. I, too, become dizzy if the periphery is blurry. The price for the Monarch 5 on Amazon has dropped to about US$247 today, so it's a good time to buy.
Very interesting review. Ive never gave that much thought to binoculars. I have a pair of monarch 8x42 wp that kve had since the mid 90s.
Awesome review. I was about to order Monarch 7, I’m going to get the 5’s. Makes sense after you explained the edge to edge sharpness and field of view.
Thanks!! This was a great review.. The idea you had for using a Calendar was brilliant. I'm going to look at this same set up using my binoculars. I have Nikon 7s Prostaff.. Thanks again!
I have a pair of 10+ year old Nikon Travelite V's (9 x 25, 5.6 degree). Love them for their light weight, convenient center focus and acceptable optics. They are light and small enough to throw into a stuff sack for a day pack or into a pant cargo pocket for trail use w/o a second thought.
Those Monarchs with the ED glass are in an entirely different (and optically superior) class -- very nice acquisition! Would resting the binoculars on your truck's window edge or a monopod help with the vertigo?
Hi Wako: Have you ever had a chance to try out the Vortex brand of optics in Japan? The Monarch 5 are great and probably the best binoculars you can get for the price. They are only $250 right now in the US and on Amazon. I almost bought these but ended up with the Vortex Talon HD 8x42 but they were double in price. Im kinda thinking I should have just saved the money and bought the Nikons. The Vortex Talon HD and Viper HD are a little more bright than the monarch. The Vortex Talons have a much greater field of view than both but don't blur out very bad at the edges..this is why I bought them.
I have to agree with the previous post by Don Alfano who summed it up better than I could...your videos are great! On a side note, I have the Monarch X in 8.5 x 45 6.3* and I love their low light capability. I'll be giving the X to my son so I will have to look into the 5s. Thank you for the excellent research.
Do you also have a preference for smaller, compact binoculars?
Hi VV, did you have any chance to look for fun at new Nikon HG series ?
you know your equipment in and out. it keeps impressing me.
nice review! thanks
Enjoy ur review I do, understand it plenty I do, distortion makes me sick 😷
Informative video. Have you compared Nikon binos with any other company like Zeiss or Swarovski?
No. They are extremely expensive and rare in Japan. We cannot hold one in our hands except in Tokyo I think. Thanks.
This video was incredibly informative - thank you for sharing your discoveries.
(I love all your videos!)
Now i need binoculars..
Excellent guide ありがとうございます.
Were you able to compare the Monarch model against the EDG models? If so, how did they compare?
I was able to but didn't because the EDG is far too expensive for me. It costs 2.000 dollars here. Anyway Nikon explains it is expensive because it allows us clear viewing to the edge of the field. If it is real, it won't make us dizzy. Thanks.
Is your opinion still valid? Do you have a new favorite pair of binoculars?
In an affordable range the Monarch 5 8×42 is still the best one in my opinion. Thanks.
Hey, Sir. I'm buying these binoculars hopefully next week from a Japanese retailer off ebay. It's stated in his description that the binoculars are infact brandnew, and the 8x42 versions...And I was wondering if I should be spending USD 390.00 dollars for these? Because that is the said price... Or should I negotiate it? And to what price could I get it to be considered as a great deal? Thanks in advance sir!
PS. Absolutely loved the video. kept on re-watching it for more than 10 times for the last 2 days (seriously hahaha) because there is no other video as in depth as yours when it comes to these bins...I liked and subbed..:)
www.yodobashi.com/ニコン-Nikon-MONARCH-モナーク-5-8x42-双眼鏡-8倍-42mm-防水-ブラック/pd/100000001001739133/
This is where I purchased my one.
I think ED lenses reduce Chromatic abberation and focus all wavelengths of light on to one plane.............. excellent lenses, the same as on the more expensive Nikon camera lenses
Innitially thinking about this bino, but then i understood, that Vortex Dimondback is much better. I guess that if u prefer the best as BRKT, you should choose Vortex))
Very interesting. Thanks for the heads up. Domo arigato.
Excellent review! Monarch 5 is best! :)
Would these be good for general stargazing as well?
Yes. But I prefer Kowa SV10×50 for stargazing. This binocular is bright enough for the magnification and light enough in weight to hold by hand.
virtuovice Thanks bud
+virtuovice Do you have any stores that carry brands like Vortex, Zen-Ray, Eagle Optics..etc? I looked through the Kowa SV 10x50 the other day and they seemed pretty good for the price, but for a little more money you can get a 10x50 with ED glass and dielectric coated prisms for superior light transmission, like your Monarch 5's are.
Actually Kowa makes some outstanding glass with ED lenses but cost quite a bit more than the SV line. Kowa is a good manufacturer as is Nikon. Nikon has come out with some 56mm objective lenses for the Monarch 5.
Id love to try out the 8x56 monarch 5 for night use. 7mm exit pupil must be nice. I think Kowa also has a 8x56 and maybe even a 10 or 12x56
Very good review 👍 thanks
Great Video. Thanks My friend.
How do Nikon monarch hold up
Better ergonomics it has, cheers Yoda.
Hi
is it power good enough to watch stars?
tom wolf It is okay but not enough. Kowa SV50-10 is better handheld binoculars for star watching in Japanese market in the same price range.
Thanks buddy
Good review.
Monarch 5 and 7s are made in china or japan ?
both China.
Quite helpful, thank you.
By rainbow does anyone know if he meant color fringing?
Yes ! He means color fringing
would you recommend 8x42 over the 10x42
+THE Power Of MIND Yes. Their front lenses are the same 42mm. So the resolution is insufficient for 10×. So I have Kowa SV10×50 whose front lenses are large enough to give high resolution to 10×. Thanks.
great review nice job
so you also would choose monarch 5 over monarch 7 if so why ?
+THE Power Of MIND I definitely prefer Monarch 5 because it doesn't have visual distortion while Monarch 7 has it. The distortion in the boundary visual field makes me dizziness when I move the binoculars. Thanks.
I dont think the the wide field of view is making you dizzy, I think your binoculars are (verticle) uncollimated, if they are making you dizzy when moving. Send to repair at Nikon.
That means one of your eyes is looking up , while the other eye is looking down causing headaches.
WIde angular field of view if anything reduces eye strain and headaches.
A cheap riflescope which has peripheral distortion makes me dizzy too. I am old enough to get dizzy easily.
John RossStar he compared to an even smaller degree view 7% (whatever small bino he used, Kowa?)versus the sicker 8% view of the monarch 7. But go ahead and buy bigger
Bro please use it out doors
Next time try Japanese.
Y? But I like it too