Nikon Monarch 5 10×42 Review

Nikon Monarch ATB ( All Terrain Binoculars) has introduced the Monarch 5 series.  These binoculars are great for birding, amateur bird watching, safaris, star gazing, and viewing wildlife at lake home at longer distances across open water

In this nikon monarch 5 10×42 review we will compare it with other binoculars in its range and give a brief overview of why this binoculars is a good buy.

Features of Nikon Monarch 5 10×42

Extra-Low Dispersion Glass Elements

Usually, light passing through optical glass does not converge at one point. This can cause optical color defects and chromatic aberrations. The extra-low dispersion glass helps correct these.

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Lead- and Arsenic-Free Eco-Glass

The glass is eco-glass which is environment friendly, and free of lead and arsenic.

Phase-Corrected Dielectric-Coated Prisms

Nikon 5 10×42 has “phase correcting” coating. This is present only in roof prisms to correct the effect of light being split into two separate beams by the roof prisms.

Fully Multi-Coated Optics

The coating of glass surfaces if done properly will result in better light transmission. As a result the images will be sharp, clear, bright and have good contrast.

Nitrogen Filled, Water and Fogproof

Since the binocular is filled with nitrogen gas instead of air, water will not condense inside. This makes it waterproof and fog proof.

 It is found that since nitrogen has been filled this makes it water-resistant and fog-resistant.

 Usually, water or dampness causes moss to thrive which corrodes the lens and makes it useless.

Closed-Bridge Configuration

The bridge of binoculars is usually large and bulky making it difficult to be carried. In these binoculars it is compact.

Reinforced ATB Polycarbonate Chassis

The body is made from polycarbonate and its reinforced with fiberglass.

The chassis has been reinforced and the rubberized finish makes it easy to hold on to if hands or gloves are cold and damp.

Large Center Focusing Knob

Focuser moves easily allowing to change focus from distant to close birds without much effort.

The focus dial has the right amount of tension to allow accurate focusing and locking on the subject making it very easy to use.

Tripod Mountable with Optional Adapter

This has an option to mount on a tripod which can come in very handy outdoors.

Twist-Up Click-Stop Eyecups

Eyecups which pop easily up and down are better than the fold and drop eye cups which are very difficult to fold and can also crack easily.

Especially if you need to frequently change it from and up to down position.

Nikon has turn and lock cups that not only stay in position but they can be adjusted . These are a blessing for eyeglass wearers and provide great eye relief.

Brand & Model	Nikon Monarch 5 10×42	ZEISS 10×42 Conquest HD	Nikon 10×42 Monarch 7	Vortex 10×42 Viper HD
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Prism Type	Roof	Schmidt-Pechan	Roof	Roof
Angle of View	5.5° (Actual)	6.6° (Actual)	6.7° (Actual)	6.5° (Actual)
Field of View	288′ @ 1000 yd / 95.6 m @ 1000 m	345′ @ 1000 yd / 114.54 m @ 1000 m	351′ @ 1000 yd / 116.5 m @ 1000 m	341′ @ 1000 yd / 113.2 m @ 1000 m
Minimum Focus Distance	8.2′ / 2.5 m	6.5′ / 2 m	8.2′ / 2.5 m	6.5′ / 2 m
Eye Relief	18.4 mm	17 mm	16.5 mm	17 mm
Diopter Adjustment	Yes	-4 to +4	Yes	Yes
Fog Proof	Yes, Nitrogen Filled	Yes, Nitrogen Filled	Yes, Nitrogen Filled	Yes, Argon Filled
Water Resistance	Waterproof	Waterproof	Waterproof	Waterproof
GeneralDimensions	5.7 x 5.1 x 2.1″ / 14.5 x 13 x 5.3 cm	6.5 x 4.7″ / 16.5 x 11.9 cm	5.6 x 5.1″ / 14.2 x 13 cm	5.6 x 4.9″ / 142.2 x 124.5 mm
Weight	21.2 oz / 601 g	28 oz / 794 g	23.3 oz / 660 g	24.9 oz / 705.9 g
Magnification	10x	10x	10x	10x
Objective Lens Diameter	42 mm	42 mm	42 mm	42mm
Exit Pupil Diameter	4.2 mm	4.2 mm	4.2 mm	4.2 mm

How to find the perfect Binoculars

Magnification

This binoculars has a 10×42 where 10 = Power or magnification.

This is an indicator that this particular Binocular has the ability to show something which is 10 times greater than your eyes can see.

 Typically the greater that number the narrower would be the field of view.

 And generally for a Binocular with a power of 10 the field of view would be around 330 feet.

If you are looking for binoculars for a Safari then you need one which is 10x

Remember higher the number you can get a close up view of objects which are far away.

The downside is that you’ll have a narrow field of view. There will be some shaking as well, that might be difficult to keep the image still

Exit Pupil Number

 The exit pupil number is the number associated with the lens farther away from the eye and closer to the object you are viewing.

Exit Pupil number is the objective divided by power which is equal to 42 by 10 which is 4.2 millimetres.

This is the band of light which reaches your eye. Typically the larger the exit pupil number the more light is entering into the eye.

 So why can’t we buy something or why isn’t something produced with a very high exit pupil number? This is because the human eye cannot see fast 6 mm when fully dilated.

Hence 4.2 mm is a good number for a binoculars.

Eye Cap Covers

Having eye cap covers can be very handy. These protect the lens. These particular binoculars have eye cap covers that have strands. Hence the caps remain in place with fewer chances of them being misplaced.

If you wear glasses then use the cups in a down position this will, in turn, increase your field of view

Lens

 If the lens has a thicker glass then it will let in lesser light which means you will get a darker image.

A thicker lens tends to make the Binoculars heavier

Another thing to consider is the width of the objective lens. If the objective lens is wider than it will let in more light.

This means that you can get a clearer image in dim light.

 Typically when the objective lens is wider it the Binocular gets a bit heavier

 Porro prism vs Roof prism

Porro-prism binoculars are easy to distinguish because their ocular (eyepiece) lenses are much closer together than their objective (front) lenses.

Porro prism lens have greater depth perception. In this the objective lens is offset from the eyepiece.

These lenses offer a wider field of view and images show much better contrast.

They are usually heavier, bulkier making them difficult to carry around the neck. They are less resistant to water.

In the Roof prism lenses, the prism overlaps closely allowing objective lens to lineup directly with the eyepiece.

 These are more compact but the technology to create such prism lenses is quite expensive and hence they tend to be a bit more on the pricier side.

 Coatings

 Binocular lens coated with magnesium fluoride lets in more light. The  higher the quality of coatings you have more light is let into the binoculars.

 This means you get a brighter cleaner image.

Also if all the lenses inside the binoculars are coated then the Binoculars will allow a higher percentage of light  to go from the beginning of the Binocular all the way to the eyes.

 This results in a better image.

 Fog proof and Waterproof

Most people use the binoculars outside, whether it is in their yeard or in the forest.

An all terrain binoculars such as the nikon is a good choice as it is fog proof and water proof.

 Attachable lens caps

The most common problem is losing lens caps. Having attachable lens caps means that they are always in place and will not get lost.

Replacing a lens cap can be quite a hastle.

 Eye relief

 This is the distance between the eyes and the eye lens. The Nikon 5 10×42 is great for people wearing glasses and many love this feature.

Also the diopter ring on the right lens makes it easy if you have different power in both eyes.

 clean your binocular

 put lens cap on when not using

 clean with right fluid and a right cloth 

 chassis materials

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How to get the right Binoculars for you

The right binoculars for you depends on what you want to use the binoculars for.

Also your budget plays an important role in your purchase.

Generally beginnerrs have the notion that they can purchase a cheaper binoculars when they are staring out.

This should not be the approach while considering whether you should purchase a binoculars.

Having a decent good quality a little high end binocualrs will help you learn faster and make greater progress in spotting birds and will help you become better.

Also if you do want to cut down on the cost, purchase used binoculars instead of a cheaper version.

Pros and Cons of Nikon 5 10×42 Binoculars Final Review

• Exceptional clarity
•  Pleasure to view wildlife
•  There are various adjustments available. If you can’t view  you can adjust accordingly
•  Is lighter as compared to the 8×42 version 
• Waterproof does not fog
•  It comes with a case and a neck strap additional you can buy a shoulder harness
• The shoulder harness is easy to use and it makes it almost weightless
• Eye lenses are bigger which makes it easier to use with glasses 
•  Light-weight
•  Durable
• Very easy to use and focus
• You can get quality images
•  Higher magnification  and it might require a steady hand
•  Allows us to see things that are  far away with great clarity
• Images viewed are sharp and crisp
• Comes with plastic covers for both ends
• Very bright
•  10x magnification
• Non-slip exterior
• Nice to handle
• It has a tripod Mount facility
• Sleek modern design
• High degree of depth of field
• Good quality construction
• Good closer view
•  Great eye relief
• Comfortable to wear around neck for extended time
• Lens cover easily and quickly released when spotting
• Works well in rain, fog heat and low light
• Reflective prism coating
• ED glass which enhancing color
• Contrast resolution of details
• The brightness of the viewed image
• Watertight, used in thunderstorms, won’t get wet inside.
• Water cannot get inside because air replaced with nitrogen molecules
• As compared to BUSHNELL LEGEND ULTRA HDS, has crisper field of view
• Close focus is good – Works well with glasses
• High fidelity view
• No blue fringing
• Cushioned neck strap
• Less colour aberration

Can each eye be independently adjusted?

Yes, diopter adjustment is present in right eyepiece which makes it possible to adjust.

Does it come with lens caps?

It comes with Molded double cap for front lens, one at front and one at back.

Is it good for a Safari?

If you want for safari, you need minimum power of 10×42

What can I use the Nikon Binoculars for?

You can use it for birding, rural home security, keeping track of livestock, hunting. It is also good for birdwatching and star gazing.

Cons

• The field of vision might be a bit narrower as compared to monarch 7
• Zeiss Conquest HD has a better image and better housing
• As compared to monarch 7 some people say that the image is fuzzier at the edges
• As compared to vortex viper the focus knob is difficult to turn
• Some say that Rainguard is flimsy – this is what protects and keeps the ocular glass clean
• Some say that the Diopter ring is difficult to operate while others say it is very good
• Eyecup covers loosely fitted, don’t stay on – It seems when the strap is assembled through the eyepiece cover as instructed, the assembly works
• Not as compact as ZEISS binoculars
• Need a stabiliser for the image to be stable
• Need a tripod to keep it steady

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Why you should purchase Nikon 5 10×42

The nikon 5 10×42 can find small birds in brush easily. No brands in this price range can beat these binoculars. It has Edge to edge clarity, works extremely well in low light and has clarity at extreme distances.

As compared to ATEX, the added power helps identify those extra far away birds. People use these for hunting, stargazing hiking, birdwatching, and sailing.

This is an all around, versatile binocular, compact, Light weight, Water and fog proof.

Magnification and light gathering capacity is stable, clear, steady, works well even in early evening and dawn light

You can use it in cloudy low light conditions – has excellent visibility at a distance of even 100 yards. This can adjust to fit a small face hence can be used by all members in a family comfortably.

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