Eagle Optics Ranger SRT 8×42 binoculars

Bird Watching Binoculars Review-The Three Models You Need To Check Out

Jan 282010

The most important piece of equipment for bird watching is a good pair of binoculars. In general, bird watchers look for binoculars that are lightweight, have a comfortable eye relief, have a close focus capability, will deliver bright images and will feel good in their hands. Let’s examine and compare three quality and yet affordable ($200-$500) 8×42 binoculars that any bird watcher would love to take birding. The three binoculars are the Leupold Pinnacles 54504 8×42, the Nikon 7430 Monarch 8×42 All-Terrain and the Eagle Optics Ranger SRT 8×42.



	Leupold Pinnacles 8X42 mm Binoculars 54504	Nikon 7430 Monarch 8x42mm All-Terrain Binoculars	Eagle Optics Ranger SRT 8x42 Binoculars
Magnification	8X	8X	8X
Objective Aperture	42 mm	42 mm	42 mm
Prism	Roof	Roof	Roof
Lineal Field Of View	341 ft/1000yds	330ft/1000yds	341 ft/1000yds
	(114/1000m)	(110/1000m)	(114/1000m)
Angular Field Of View (degrees)	6.5	6.3	6.5
Eye Relief	17.8 mm	19.6 mm	19.5 mm
Exit Pupil	5.25 mm	5.25 mm	5.25mm
Close Focus Distance	6.6 ft	8.2 ft	5.2 ft
	(2.0 m)	(2.5 m)	(1.6 m)
Central Focus Wheel	Yes	Yes	Yes
Relative Brightness	28.1	28.1	28.1
Fully multi-coated lens	Yes	Yes	Yes
Phase Correction	Yes	Yes	Yes
Eyecups	Vented, retractable contoured eyecups, or twist up eyecups	Multi-setting click stop eyecups	Multi-position eyecups-Twist up or down
Weight	23.0 oz	21.5 oz	21.8 oz
	(652 g)	(610 g)	(618 g)
Length	5.5 x 4.75 in	5.7 x 5.0 in	5.8 x 5.1 in
(L x W)	(140 x 121 mm)	(146 x 129 mm)	(147 x 130 mm)
Waterproof	Yes	Yes	Yes
(O-ring sealed)
Fog Proof	Yes	Yes	Yes
Warranty	Leupold Green Ring non-electronic products are warranted for as long as the original owner owns them. We warrant them to be free of defects in materials and workmanship, and to function satisfactorily under normal use conditions. If at any time a Leupold Green Ring non-electronic product is found to have a defect in materials or workmanship, Leupold will, at our discretion, repair or replace it free of charge, when requested by the original owner. Warranty is void if damage results from unauthorized repair, alteration, or misuse. Warranty is given solely to the original owner and is not transferable.	Nikon is dedicated to quality, performance and total customer satisfaction. If your Nikon Binocular, Spotting Scope or Fieldscope requires service or repair not covered by our 25-Year Limited Warranty, Nikon will repair or replace it (even if it was your fault) for just $10, plus return shipping and handling.	The Platinum Protection warranty offers unlimited, unconditional, transferable protection of your Eagle Optics Ranger SRT binoculars at no charge. Our Eagle Optics technicians will determine whether your binocular or scope should be repaired or replaced with a product of similar value and/ or specifications.

Check my post Easy Steps to Choosing the Right Bird Watching Binoculars for helpful ideas on selecting binoculars.

In the next post I’ll explain why I recommend the Nikon 7430 Monarch 8×42 All-Terrain binoculars for bird watching.

Bird Watching Binoculars Review-Nikon 7430 Monarch 8×42 mm All-Terrain Binoculars

Bird Watching Binoculars 2 Responses »

Jan 262010

Nikon 7430 Monarch 8x42mm All-Terrain Binoculars

In my last post I reviewed three quality and yet affordable ($200-$500) 8x42mm binoculars. I reviewed the Leupold Pinnacles 54504 8×42 binoculars, the Nikon 7430 Monarch 8×42 All-Terrain binoculars and the Eagle Optics Ranger SRT 8×42 binoculars. This post will explain why I recommended the Nikon 7430 Monarch 8×42 All-Terrain binoculars.

After comparing the three binoculars I found that the Nikon 7430 Monarch 8×42 All-Terrains are lightweight and I can easily carry them all day while bird watching on the trails. My hands comfortably wrapped around the body of the binoculars and they felt very good in my hands.

Even though the center focus wheel on the three binoculars is similar I give a slight edge to the Nikon 7430 Monarch 8×42 All-Terrains. I feel that it is quicker and easier to fine tune the image with the Nikon binoculars.

The precision-aligned optics of the Nikon 7430 Monarch 8×42 All-Terrain binoculars is evident in the clarity of the image. You can clearly see the feather details and markings of the birds which makes identification easy.

The Nikon 7430 Monarch 8 x 42 mm All-terrain binoculars and Eagle Optics Ranger SRT 8 x 42 mm binoculars have warranties that cover damage to the binoculars (even if it’s your fault). Let’s face it, when we are out in the elements anything can happen. The warranty on the Leupold Pinnacles 8 x 42 mm binoculars 54504 covers defects in materials and workmanship under normal use. It does not cover damage from misuse.

All three had a nice eye relief but the Nikon 7430 Monarch 8 x 42 mm All-terrain binoculars had a slight advantage over the other binoculars. I highly recommend the Nikons for eyeglass wearers.

The chief complaint of the original Nikon 7430 Monarch 8 x 42 mm All-terrain binoculars was that the lens caps were not attached (easy to lose) and cheaply made. That problem has been addressed and is no longer an issue.

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology did a review of many different binoculars. There were 27 in the mid price range ($200-500) and they said that the Nikon 7430 Monarch 8 x 42 mm All-terrain binoculars were “clearly the top-rated of any mid-priced, full-power birding binoculars. These lightweight, waterproof, and very comfortable binoculars focus down to 6 feet and offer an image and feel that surpasses many models costing two or three times more. Only in a direct comparison with the top-priced binoculars could our reviewers discern the narrower, slightly duller image, which was not quite sharp at the edges. But with a street price well under $300, the Monarchs are a steal.”

Pete Dunne wrote a review in Birder’s World in which he recommends the Nikon Monarch: “There are others in this price range that are comparable, but for some reason, after an hour of testing and comparing, this is the glass buyers walk up to the counter with.”

I recommend the Nikon 7430 Monarch 8 x 42 mm All-terrain binoculars for their overall quality and affordability. This binocular can easily compete with higher priced ones.

The NIKON 7294 Monarch III 8×42 mm Binoculars are now available. Click to read my review of the Nikon 7294 Monarch III (now Nikon Monarch 5) 8×42 Binoculars.

NIKON 7294 Monarch III 8×42 Binoculars

For more information about the Nikon 7430 Monarch 8 x 42 mm All-terrain binoculars click the link below:

http://www.yourbirdfeeder.com/RecommendsAmazonNikonMonarch

Check my post Easy Steps to Choosing the Right Bird Watching Binoculars for helpful ideas on selecting binoculars.