Nikon Monarch HG 8x30
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When it comes to the optics you deal here with objective lenses that contain ED low dispersion glass. Dielectric high-reflective multilayer prism coating and phase correction coating are applied to the Schmidt-Pechan prisms; the construction of the eyepiece is such that it is able to flatten the field of view (Field Flattener Lens System) and removes all optical aberrations. All air-to-glass surfaces feature multilayer antireflection coatings so the maximum transmission is supposed to reach 92%.
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Buyers get a rainguard, rubber rings, objective caps integrated with these rings, a wide neoprene strap and a hard case in the box. The product comes with 10-year warranty period.
| Magnification | Lens diameter | Angular field of view | Prisms | Eye relief | Weight | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | 30 | 145/1000(8.3o) | BaK-4/roof | 16.2 mm | 450 g | 3899 PLN |
| Real front lens diameter |
Left: 30+/-
0.05 mm Right: 30+/- 0.05 mm |
8 / 8.0 pkt | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Real magnification | 7.95+/- 0.05x | 3/3.0 | ||||
| Transmission | 90.1+/- 1% | 18/25.0 | ||||
| Chromatic aberration | Slight in the centre, medium on the edge. | 6.8/10.0 | ||||
| Astigmatism | Slight. | 7.5/10.0 | ||||
| Distortion | Distance of the first curved line from the field centre compared to the field of view radius: 50% ± 2% | 5/10.0 | ||||
| Coma | Starts near 70% of the field of view radius and is between medium and high on the very edge. | 6.2/10.0 | ||||
| Blurring at the edge of the FOV | Blur occurs in a distance of 74% ± 4% from the field of view centre. | 4/10.0 | ||||
| Darkening at the edge the FOV | Noticeable. | 3.3/5.0 | ||||
| Whiteness of the image | Very delicate, almost imperceptible green colouring. | 4.3/5.0 | ||||
| Collimation | Perfect. | 5/5.0 | ||||
| Internal reflections |
|
2.6/5.0 | ||||
| Housing | Very nice and stylish – one of the prettiest binoculars launched recently. Shapely and handy, comfortable to hold and to look through. The casing is covered by matt, rough rubber of good quality which sticks to your hands very well. Everything done as it should. Rubberized eyecups with 4 detention stops. The binoculars are produced in Japan. The fastening of objective lens covers should be praised here – you can remove them with the ring that is wrapped tightly around the tube and put on tube covers dedicated for that model. It's a simple and comfortable solution both for those who like carrying objective caps around and those who don't use them at all. | 8/8.0 | ||||
| Focusing | Big, comfortable and ribbed central wheel, covered by rubber armour. It moves smoothly with some slight resistance and without any squelching. The full turn amounts to 390 degrees. Individual focusing done through a rubberized, ribbed and movable ring on the right eyepiece. It moves the outer element. | 4.5/5.0 | ||||
| Tripod | Comfortable tripod access. In the 8x32 test all binoculars were given an average value of 1.5 points in this category as a tripod exit is rarely used in this class of equipment. | 1.5/3.0 | ||||
| Interpupilary distance | from 55.3 to 74.9mm | 5/6.0 | ||||
| Closest focusing distance | 1.45 meter. | 2/2.0 | ||||
| Eyepieces FOV | Apparent field of view of 65.3 deg (according to simple formula) and 59.4 deg (accordig to tangent formula). | 14/20.0 | ||||
| Field of view | Measured by us amounted to 8.21 +/- 0.03 degrees and was slightly narrower than the field stated in official specifications. A very large field for this class of equipment. | 7/8.0 | ||||
| Quality of the interior of the barrels | Black tubes, quite matt and strongly baffled. Black, matt bottom but we noticed a small prism setting ring which is made of gray, slightly shiny metal, not covered by anything. It is not a feature you expect from a brand name pair of binoculars. Very clean inside. | 3.9/5.0 | ||||
| Vignetting |
|
7/8.0 | ||||
| Prisms quality | High quality BaK-4. | 8/8.0 | ||||
| Antireflection coatings | Green-purple on objectives, green-blue-purple on prisms, green-purple-pink on eyepieces. Low intensity. | 5/5.0 | ||||
| Warranty [years] | 10 | 4.5/6.0 | ||||
| Final result | 75.8% | 144.1 / 190 pkt | ||||
| Econo result | 0pkt. |
Summary
Pros:
- small, shapely, stylish but also very solid, waterproof casing,
- significantly wide field of view,
- good transmission,
- very good colour rendering,
- slight astigmatism,
- sensible correction of chromatic aberration,
- good quality prisms made of BaK-4 glass,
- efficient antireflection coatings,
- sharp images already from 1.45 metres.
Cons:
- too big decrease of sharpness on the edge of the field of view,
- blackening inside the tubes could have been better,
- exorbitant price, especially compared to the performance.
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Time for the reality check – let's start with the transmission graph.
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Unfortunately the FIELD FLATTENER inscription on the casing of the binoculars seems to be just a joke of the producer. On the edge of the field there is a really huge blurry area, practically as big as the one you see on the edge of the Monarch 7 8x30, a device three times cheaper, without any field flattener. It is an obvious slip-up.
 Swarovski CL Companion 8x30 i Nikon Monarch HG 8x30. |
In our test we got too few excellent or outstanding results for the 1000 Euro price point instrument. Such aberrations as coma, astigmatism, distortion, brightness loss on the edge of the field or chromatic aberration are corrected well, a bit above average, but never very well or outstandingly well.
Don't get me wrong – I wouldn't like to end my summary in a pejorative way. The Nikon Monarch HG 8x30 remains a very good pair of binoculars which will be undoubtedly a joy to use in most of situations. Still my job means I expected the best, basing my expectations on the excellent performance of the Monarch HG 10x42, a higher price of the smaller models, and unfulfilled declarations of the producer concerning flat image.
The final result is such that the Monarch HG got merely 4 points more than the Monarch 7 8x30. Does it mean both pairs of binoculars are the same? Of course not. You have to remember each time we test and assess a completely new device. The Monarch HG has a lot of chances to serve you longer in a good shape because its superior build quality and better materials. I mean here especially the quality of the outer rubber armour which, in the case of the Monarch 7, is definitely a drawback – prone to stretching, making the whole device look not especially nifty after a while. Still the fact remains that for the price of one Monarch HG you can buy and virtually overdrive, three Monarchs 7... The conclusions are yours to drawn.
