Nikon Monarch 5 10×42 binoculars Reviews 2023

Nikon is a brand that has built a name for itself over the years and has become a brand very well recognized and respected in optical technology creation. The Nikon Monarch 5 10×42 binocular is often said to be the best 10×42 binoculars money can buy, it is one of a kind and one surely to be reckoned with, it happens to be one of the best binoculars for bird watching and animal viewing from a far range.

We also call it Nikon 7577 Monarch 5 binocular 10×42 because the model of this Nikon binoculars is 7577. If you’re wondering, then yes, this Nikon binoculars is waterproof.

Main specification and features Nikon 7577 Monarch 5 10×42

• Magnification- 10x
• Eye relief- 18.4mm
• Field of view- 288ft
• Close focus- 7.8ft
• Lenses- Dielectric multicoated roof prism
• Weight- 21.7oz
• Dimension- 5.7 x 5.1

Standout features

Good clarity

When a lens hasn’t been completely multicoated this means the lens is coated to protect them from various phenomena such as rays, scratches & reflections. This lens type produces a straight up clear and very definitive image, they are unadulterated and pure.

Brightness

Its brightness is of the peak whether you are using it in a foggy area or area with very less visibility, its brightness remains very sharp. Its resolution and brightness compare well to even the Zeiss Victory HT 10×42 which cost way more than the monarch. This makes it more to reckon with since the price is very affordable.

Portability

The monarch 5 ways very less at 21.7oz, it is handy and easy to carry around for long so even when you are traveling a long distance and you have to carry it, the weight wouldn’t be felt as it weighs so less. The knobs for the magnification are easily adjustable and by reeling it sideways.

Environmentally friendly

The Monarch 5 has some features and it makes it very environmentally friendly and it’s a recommended choice for those who might need to use in diverse environments. These are:

• 100% waterproof and thus means can be very adaptive and useful in the water region or while swimming (this is majorly recommended for swamp region animal observation)
• Fog proof means it’s still very useful in places with low visibility or early morning when dew is around
• Shockproof rugged rubber armored coating built to withstand all the bumps and bruises of riding around in your vehicle making it possible to carry it around in diverse terrains.

WEAKNESS of Monarch 5

Field of view

The field is narrower than many 10x42s, but a good thing about it is that it appears quite flat. The last 10% left doesn’t curve off and you’d been unable to identify say, a bird flying at the field stop like would be possible with the likes of Swarovski Els and Zeiss SF, they both also happen to be 10x42s just like the Monarch 5.

Close focus range

Its close focus range is about 7.8feet and isn’t really the best type of binoculars when comparing to the vortex viper HD that has a close focus range of 6.5 feet. The close focus range allows proper viewing of objects very close, hence the larger the range the lesser the ability to view close range objects.

Body design

Some other shortcoming of the Monarch 5 is the fallback in body design, the rubber cover for the binocular eye always keeps falling off and this becomes annoying since it always have to be fit back on to prevent dust. Another major disadvantage is that it can’t be placed on a tripod stand.

The Nikon Monarch 5 10×42 vs other competitors binoculars

There are other 10×42 brands that stand tall in features and similarities when compared with the Monarch, such as Swarovski EL 10×42, Vortex Viper HD 10×42 and Zeiss Victory HT 10×42.

Swarovski EL 10×42

• The camera shot inclusive this is not inclusive in Monarch 5
• It weighs about 27.0oz as against that Monarch 5 weighs
• Higher field of view than Monarch 5
• Relatively more expensive

Vortex Viper HD 10×42

• It weighs more than the Monarch 5 counterpart, weighs about 24.6oz
• It’s field of view is lower than the Monarch 5, it’s FOV is 319 feet
• It uses HD (high density) glass feature, they exhibit less chromatic aberration it makes it really great for bird watching and stadium sports. Monarch 5 uses a ED (Extra-low dispersion) glass which is for darkness and great contrast.

Zeiss Victory HT 10×42

• It weighs 29.5oz which is far heavier than the Monarch 5
• The HT has a 95% light transmission, this is one of a kind and isn’t easily rivaled anywhere
• It has a FOV of 330 feet this is equal with the Monarch 5
• The price is really exuberant and unaffordable, it goes for over 2k dollars the Monarch 5 is below 300$ and is very pocket-friendly and affordable

Nikon Monarch 3 vs Monarch 5 vs Monarch 7

Since we want to make this a 3-fighter match, we will compare them simultaneously rather one by one like above. Now, on to the first part:

Technical comparison:

 

Specification	Nikon Monarch 3 10×42	Nikon Monarch 5 10×42	Nikon Monarch 7 10×42 7549
Weight	24.7 oz	21.6 oz	23.3 oz
Size (LxW)	6 x 5.1 (inch)	5.7 x 5.1 (inch)	5.6 x 5.1 (inch)
Eye relief	17.4 (mm)	18.4 (mm)	16.5 (mm)
Field of view	299 (ft)	288 (ft)	383 (ft)
Close focus distance	9.8 (ft)	7.8 (ft)	8.2 (ft)

Using experience comparison:

We would go quickly into what is needed to notice about these Nikon Monarch.

• Field of view: Nikon Monarch 7 > Nikon Monarch 3 > Nikon Monarch 5. They all have large field of view
• Close focus distance: Monarch 5 is the best in viewing objectives in a near distance. Nikon Monarch 3 binoculars gives the lowest performance.
• Construction: Nikon Monarch 5 10×42 is the lightest Nikon Monarch. However, the Monarch 7 is smallest in terms of physical size. The Nikon Monarch 3 binoculars is the first of the family, maybe that’s why it is not mostly constructionally optimized. They are all waterproof.
• Optics: The Monarch 3 uses fully multilayer coated lenses, no wonder it transfers the lightest image. As for Monarch 5 vs 7, the brightness of Monarch 7 is a bit slightly brighter. 

About contrast requirement, the Monarch 5 has ED glass, which is more specialized in contrast, would take the lead. For the other 2, we don’t see much difference. However, we recognized that the resolution details of Nikon Monarch 7 to be the best of all, after that is Monarch 5 10×42, which is slightly better than Nikon Monarch 3 binoculars.

One more thing we need to put in consideration is the low light performance. The Nikon Monarch 7 performs the best. Nikon Monarch 5 and 3 shows nearly the same brightness, but Nikon Monarch 5 is slightly better at clarifying the details.

Last but not least is the color tone. They all show very natural color. Nevertheless, the color experience of Nikon Monarch 3 binoculars seems to be warmer, but they don’t affect much to the viewing pleasure.

Uses of the Nikon Monarch 5 10×42

• Bird watching: 4/5

The Monarch 5 10×42 would mostly please the requirement of bird watching. Compared with the money, it is totally giving out expected results.

• Hunting: 4.5/5

We think the ED glass is the contributor to a wonderful experience you would get when hunting. It provides the Monarch 5 10×42 a rich contrast. In hunting, contrast is very important for focusing on the objective in nature.

• Nature observation: 3.5/5

Actually, this Nikon binoculars Monarch performs quite really well in nature sightseeing. What makes us reconsider is the close focus distance. It may not be the best option for watching insects, ground observing.

• Astronomy & marine use: 2/5

Verdict and final recommendation

The Nikon Monarch 5 10×42 is the best binoculars for the money, it is just so perfect for how much it goes by, its price is usually around approximately $279 (on Amazon). It especially is very good for those into birding and wildlife, who are just starting and perhaps need a binocular to go with their job then this beauty can be well recommended for them. Since it’s inexpensive and one of the best in the market. But professionals who have more cash to spare and perhaps want to see something sharper might have to go for a higher binocular type.

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