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.
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Leupold Pinnacles 8X42 mm Binoculars 54504 | Nikon 7430 Monarch 8x42mm All-Terrain Binoculars | Eagle Optics Ranger SRT 8 X 42 |
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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.