Monarch or what?

Frontier · Apr 9, 2008

Looked through new binoc's today. Burris, Minox, Bushnell, Swaros, Pentax, Nikon, and Leica in the 10X42 size. Can't afford the Swaros or Leica, but my opinion they were barely better in low light and clarity than the Pentax DCF and the Nikon Monarch. Monarch look like a great deal, but have heard some bad on construction of the housing. Any experience or thoughts?

DIYHunt · Apr 10, 2008

Nikon Monarch ATB 10X42's were the first decent pair of binoulars I owned. In my opinion they are the most inexpensive binoculars you can get where you are not throwing your money away. The only complaint I had with them is that I had to send them back for repair as I had scratched one of the lenses (my bad). when I got them back they had fixed the lens okay but didn't go over the binouclars and "spruce them up". what I got back is a binocular with a fixed lens but no other tender loving care was given to them. They just did the bare minimum.

I now use Swarovski optics. i realize there is a huge price difference. I had to send my bino's back to them for an alignment problem, when I got them back they looked like they were brand new. unbelievable service. maybe it's not fair to compare the two because of the significant price difference. But their is a significant glass difference as well. On the Nikon's I still think that when you are paying more than $300.00
for a piece of equipment and they charge you either $10.00 or $25.00 for a repair (I can't remember which it was), that they should come back looking as good as possible.

FamilyMan · Apr 10, 2008

You will be very happy with the Nikon Monarch ATB in the $300 price range.

Mark

ForkWest · Apr 11, 2008

I've got the the 10x42 monarchs, what you get for the price, they are great! Then I bought my dad the Vortex diamond backs, I dare say they're right there if not a little better than my monarchs, oh and they only cost $170! Really, for the price range, what you get, warratny and all, I don't think Vortex can be beat.

Spencer · Apr 11, 2008

I may sound like a broken record but I agree with you ForkWest!! I absolutely love my Vortex 10x42 Diamondbacks and I am very glad that I saved $100 by not buying the Nikon Monarch. A lifetime warranty with no paperwork is unreal as well!

Scott

woodruffhunter · Jul 17, 2008

I really like my Nikon Monarchs. I would love to look through the vortex binos and comapre the 2.

whtelk · Jul 17, 2008

I also own the 10x42 Vortex Diamondbacks. You can't beat the quality at this price. The warranty is awesome! VERY CLEAR!! and at 9:30 pm I can still see any thing that the next higher $$ binos can. I guess it is cool to be in camp and show off a pair of $1,000 bino's though.

bryan21 · Jul 25, 2008

I bought the Diamondbacks for my dad and he loves them I like them more then i like my leupold binoculars

TheGreatWhiteHunter · Jul 25, 2008

I have owned 2 pairs of the Nikon Monarch ATB's 2001 I got a pair and in 2006 I got a another pair I have since sold them off. And decided to go with the 10x 42 EL's.

I still think the Monarch ATB's are a good binoucular for the money but honestly the Vortex line is impressive for the price.

I have tested the Vipers and the Razors and both are good glass and will not break the bank.

I ended up getting the Razors for a second pair of Binos.

THE LORD IS MY ROCK
COLORADO,USA
NRA LIFE MEMBER
HUNTING PASS IT ON

BigMass · Jul 29, 2008

I have a pair of the 12 power Monarchs I have used for the last two seasons and I love them. I haven't had any problems with them and I am very hard on equipment. 12 power is as high as I would go without a tri pod and the extra power really helps judging pronghorn.

Timberbuck · Jul 29, 2008

LAST EDITED ON Jul-30-08 AT 01:51AM (MST)[p]Go with a Vortex Razor,or Viper.

If you can find a Pentax DCF SP thats another option.(discontinued, now with ED glass and $1000 as the DCF ED).

Another great bino you may find a deal on as a demo or possibly one someone is selling used is a Bushnell Elite.(check ebay)

These binos are generally $400 or more but quite frankly literally smoke the Monarch in the optical department.

My best advice is to save a little longer and gain a step up in optical quality by going to the $500-1000 price range. You will be glad you did.

ELKOHUNTER · Jul 30, 2008

my Leupold Wind River Olympic 10x50 are better then the Monarchs. I was backpacking with a friend and he had some of the Monarchs I looked a round with them and gave them back! you can get them cheaper then cabelas here.
http://www.just-binoculars.com/merc...OD&Product_Code=LP54205&Category_Code=OLYMPIC

tufcntry · Jul 30, 2008

hey the monarchs to me are great for the price but buy them at cabelas right now they are 250$ pplus a 50$ mail in rebate plus you get a free RANGE FINDER. i took my old 8x42s in to the customer serice desk and they told me to go get what i want. they gave me the price of what i played a year and half ago and then the 10xs were cheaper. so i came out with brand new higher powered binos plus 100$ to cabelas plau a range finder for my old ones. so go to cabelas and take them the 10xs to the customer service and make the scan it beause when i went they had no idea that deal was going on.

Frontier · Aug 29, 2008

Thanks for everyones opinion. After several trips to Sportman Warehouse and another dealer I decided upon a pair of binoculars. I did look throgh a few pairs of Vortex, but the dealer didn't seem to interested in helping me and could not really determine how good they were and Sportman had no Vortex's to obtain an honest to goodness comparison. In my opinion in the $300 price range the Monarch's cannot be beat, they seem to match most glass in the 700 to 800 dollar price range. I really liked the Pentax DCF ED, but didn't want to spend $1100, then I found a new pair for $700, a deal I couldn't pass up so I got the, "or what", on my post? The Pentax's are extremely bright in low light their clarity is excellent, better than the Monarch's, but not as good as the Swaro EL's. Everyone wants to compare cheaper binoculars to one of the big three, but to get that kind of clarity it looks like to me you have to pay for it. Maybe one of these days, but right now the 10 X 43 DCF ED's I got, are pretty darn close.

3point · Aug 30, 2008

I've really been impressed with my Pentax 8x42 DCF WP's. I thiink you'll be happy.

Frontier · Oct 1, 2008

Just wanted to update those interested on the Pentax 10X43 DCF ED binoculars I got and used under hunting conditions. They are amazing with the ED glass. I've been able to compare with some older Pentax DCF's, and a 12X42 Monarchs, they did not have ED glass. During ample light conditons the DCF ED's were still a little brighter and the clarity still better. Under lower light is where the ED glass really shined. It was like the animals glowed, expecially the elk, and antelope. With the other binoc's it would of been easy to miss the animals, but with the ED glass they became obivious.
After having ED glass, I've decided it's the only way to go.