You can feel the quality in the stylish design of the MONARCH HG. Not only does it look good but it’s compact and lightweight too, making it easy to carry wherever you travel. The magnesium alloy body is tough, lightweight and durable, while the scratch-resistant lens coating helps to give your binoculars a long life of clear viewing and worry-free use. So what has this all got to do with Nikon and birding I hear you ask? Well my point is that choice is generally good, but sometimes it can make it somewhat difficult, even overwhelming (and time consuming) to make the right selection one is right for you and what you need.

In just about every way, the Monarch HG is the same as the EDG (especially the most important areas), but yet it costs less than half the price and this is why I have no hesitation in suggestion that for my money, this is the best Nikon birding binocular overall: Objective lens caps are integrated to prevent loss. Interchangeable objective rubber rings without caps are included and can be switched according to applications. Superior waterproof/fogproof performance with a nitrogen-filled body that resists water pressure to a depth of up to 5m/16.4 ft. for 10 minutes and prevents fogging inside the optical system even in low-pressure environments up to altitudes of 5,000m/16,404 ft. equivalentBecause the smaller objective lenses capture less light, if you want a quality image and one that can show of birds in all their splendor, then it is important that the optics on your mid sized instrument is of a high standard and so optimally use what light they have. The Monarch HG focus knob is also smooth and light, not that dissimilar from the Conquest HD in feel, but it's better damped and the ratio is slower so it's easier to dial in the focus and not overshoot. or if you look at it the other way around, for the same price, you usually get a better image than a roof prism binocular at the same price. Comparison binoculars, significant technical data (according to manufacturer) of Nikon Monarch HG 8x42: In my extreme conditions compared to birdwatchers, the large circular arcs from the street light suggest they are reflections from the insides of the round tubes.

Extra-low dispersion (ED) glass corrects chromatic aberration that causes colour fringing and realises a contrast-rich and high-resolution image As far as I know since the introduction of Phase Coatings on Roof Prism binoculars Nikon never made a 32mm Roof Prism binocular that was not in their "Top of the Line." In other words an "Alpha." Their Monarch line of binoculars had 36mm offerings that sold well and most recently Nikon offered Monarch 30mm binoculars but Nikon has never offered 32mm roof prisms in these lower price ranges. Their first Roof Prism 32mm Alphas were in the HG (for High Grade) series and they were followed by the EDG series. Observers without eyeglasses with deep set eyes might notice problems (shadows, kidney beans) due to the rather large eyecups of the Hawke APO. What is not so great on these is the short amount of eye-relief, which means if you wear glasses, I would probably look at another option. Also the close focus distance is not that near, so if you often view insects or even birds form very close range, the Nikon Aculon 7x35 binocular will not be the ideal choice. High-quality multilayer coating is applied to all lenses and prisms while dielectric high-reflective multilayer coating is applied to the roof prisms, achieving up to 92% or higher light transmittance, which enables a bright view and natural colour fidelityEarly this morning in dull conditions the 8x42 HG was a bit brighter than the 8x32 Conquest HD. My eyes probably >4.2mm. There is no doubting the quality of the optical components and coatings used on the Nikon EDG binoculars. The optics are fully Multicoated, the lenses have ED (Extra-low Dispersion)

If I'd been impressed with the HG so far then I was even more satisfied with the image it delivers. Aside from the pin-sharpness, the colours were natural and vivid and the contrast excellent. These features combined to beautifully produce wonderful and memorable views of Waxwings during the winter invasion. The minimum 92 per cent light transmission is commendable and ensures a pleasingly bright image – even in low light conditions. When birding in woodland and scrub, to my eyes, a '3D' effect becomes evident and is testament to the model's high resolution. Many of these cheap instruments are fine for the occasional user, but for the BEST compact Nikon bird watching binocular I have opted for a higher end instrument as I feel it is more important than ever to have quality optics to make be best use of the limited amount of light that a compact can collect and use.Superior waterproof/fog-proof performance with a nitrogen-filled body that resists water pressure to a depth of up to 5m/16.4 ft. for 10 minutes and prevents fogging inside the optical system even in low-pressure environments up to altitudes of 5,000m/16,404 ft. equivalent But the ergonomic advantages of the Monarch HG (light weight, smooth focus, etc) really add up vs the Conquest HD, and combined with the super wide FOV and long eye relief they are just very EASY binoculars to use, as you have found.