Nikon Monarch HG 10x42 Review, By Matt Cashell

[sneek-ee]

Matt,

If you had to choose these or the SLC when you left for a hunt, which would you grab and why?

 

[Matt Cashell]

Matt,

If you had to choose these or the SLC when you left for a hunt, which would you grab and why?

Generally I would probably the Monarch HG for the FOV, weight, and ease of tripod adapting.

The SLC’s better CA control could be helpful if I was going to be solely hunting snowy burns though. I could see grabbing the SLC for those hunts.

 

[EagleEye]

Great review! Been considering the Maven b2’s but these HG’s might be moving to the top of the list.


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[slowelk]

I just purchased these through Camera Land/Doug after being set on the Maven B2. Weight savings, FOV, $$$ savings over the Maven is what sold me.

 

[slowelk]

Several days birding with Monarch HG 8X42 - BirdForum

Some additional good info here. Birders are thorough.

 

[zfountaine55]

Matt, great review as always! Thanks for putting in the time and writing up the way you do to help the rest of us be able to make far more informed decisions. I am very interested in a pair of the HGs, I was wondering if you have ever had the opportunity to look through some Leica Trinovid HD’s and how they might directly compare to the Monarch HG. Thanks again for your time!

 

[OG DramaLlama]

If you decide you want to give a little mini review before the season is over, I think we'd all be okay with that too! Haha

Haha....Just got them in the mail and I will oblige on some first impressions.

First thing first, weight, they are very svelte.

Ergonomics and build suit me. Very similar size to the low end Bushnells Legends that I have run for the last 5 years. Easily fits into my current bino harness, FHF

Focus/Diopter adjustments very smooth. Easy to lock onto a target.

Dialed in the diopter and headed to the park to glass up the biggest game in my neighborhood. Squirrels and birds. Very impressed. Resolution/sharpness and clarity are outstanding. Color transmission neutral (My previous experience with a demo at Cabelas had a yellowish tint. No sign of that today.). Had a faint blue ring appear on the very edge when I changed position and glassed into the sun.

One thought on the “Field Flattener”. They did not hold the same sharpness on the very fringes of the edge as it does on the center. Night and day better than my Bushnells.

Simple and quick setup to my KDC tripod. Balanced very well.

The biggest improvement for me will be FOV alongside resolution/sharpness, and clarity of objects in the back ground. I was able to focus in on large objects 50-100yards away and still have a good image of larger objects in the background. This is something that will be extremely useful when I am using glass to still hunt.

Stayed up past sunset and the light transmission was excellent, but with all the light pollution in the city it was not all that informative to what I should expect in the field.

My daughter enjoyed....

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[jbentham84]

Just announced the 30mm models are coming this month which is pretty awesome!

Nikon Announces New Monarch HG 10x30 Binoculars - The Blog of the 1800Gear Store

 

[OG DramaLlama]

Finally got out and use these for their primary purpose...Find Elk.

Mixed in some heat with a waxing gibbous the critters were difficult to find, stretching the usable light around sunrise/sunset was important.....Here are some data points and commentary.

First Evening

• Sunset was at 9:19pm
• The long-ish distance glassing, over 1 mi, was difficult past 9:40
• Had good visibility on the nearby hillsides, under 500 yards, up to 9:52pm...No critters spotted

First Morning

• Sunrise at 6:22am
• Started to glass at 5:50...Again only nearby hillsides really conducive to spot critters
• Was glassing the over 1mi at 6:05 am
• Only spotted one cow... @ 1 mi on a north facing hillside moving through timer. Around 7:30am

Second Evening

• Sunset at 9:18pm
• Spotted several elk right at 9:18 @1.25 mi. Kept scanning the entire area and coming back at regular intervals. 9:46 was when I couldn't easily spot an animal. Tough to determine if I would have been able to "find" them at that time. See below pic.
• Spotted deer on same hillside, but almost to top of peak at 9:25 @ 1.1mi...He was within view until 9:36, as he moved into a drainage. The area was visible until 9:55. I credit the location on the top of the mountain for more usable light than what I had with the elk.

Pictures taken with my iPhone 8...No image enhancements/filters. Took top pic when I spotted the elk and the bottom pick at 9:46.


Second Morning

• Sunrise at 6:23am
• I woke up late and didn't start glassing until 6:05. Spotted several elk @1.8 mi on the further hillside (See above pic) immediatly.

Conclusions

• Excellent binos...THANKS Matt for pointing me in this direction.
• Only thing I can gripe about is the eye cups...My bino harness (FHF) is a little tight and when I secure the top cover it pushes them down. So I have to readjust my eye-cups anytime I completely close the harness. Going to play around with the harness latch cord to fix this, but do wish the eye cups had more tension to the adjustment.
• On the flip side I love the integrated cups on the end of each barrel.
• Lots of hours on the glass this trip. Was trying to do 3-4 hours each morning/evening with intermittent times while hiking...Zero eye strain.
• The contrast/clarity on this glass is excellent...The bright summer coats of the elk/deer really "popped" out against the bright green backgrounds. Below is a shot of an elk that I took with my iPhone through the right barrel, freehand.

 

[timberbuck]

Matt, have you reviewed and compared side by side the Leica Trinovid HD, Zeiss Conquest HD, and GPO Passion HD to the Nikon HG and Meopta HD? These are all about the same price and all in the running for best $1000 42mm binoculars.

Thanks

 

[Ryan Avery]

Matt, have you reviewed and compared side by side the Leica Trinovid HD, Zeiss Conquest HD, and GPO Passion HD to the Nikon HG and Meopta HD? These are all about the same price and all in the running for best $1000 42mm binoculars.

Thanks

It’s so hard to say what is ‘best’. I’ve used all but the Trinovid and think the conquest’s suck, but other say they love them. The problem is, we all bring our own lenses to the party.


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[gr8fuldoug]

Since this review posted we have sold more Nikon binoculars than we have in about a year and everyone who has gotten the HG's has been very happy with the purchase.
If we can assist you with one it would be our pleasure

 

[Columbus Bowhunter]

Thanks for the review Matt. Can you explain the components/setup of your bino harness and pistol system in your title photo please? What are the pros and cons based on your experience? I have searched far and wide and haven't seen a system that appears as well thought out as yours with attachments and straps etc. Copying is the highest form of flattery I suppose. Appreciate your help.

View attachment 77259

 

[Huntin_GI]

Awesome review Matt. Its nice to see some objective reviews that have some substance when comparing items.

 

[bowhunter]

Thanks for your review on the hg’s. Quick question about your review pair. Did the diopter adjustment on your pair actually click into the lock position or just slide up and down easily and keep from turning in the locked position.

I picked up a pair new and the diopter has no actual click into the locked position, it won’t turn when down but it pulls up easily when grabbing them out of the harness.


Thanks for your help!


Dan

 

[Matt Cashell]

Thanks for your review on the hg’s. Quick question about your review pair. Did the diopter adjustment on your pair actually click into the lock position or just slide up and down easily and keep from turning in the locked position.

I picked up a pair new and the diopter has no actual click into the locked position, it won’t turn when down but it pulls up easily when grabbing them out of the harness.


Thanks for your help!


Dan

Dan,

There is no audible click, and the diopter does come unlocked with little effort. I haven’t had any issues with it unlocking when taking it out of the harness, but I can see how that could happen. I think a wrap of electrical tape would solve the issue completely, if it continues to happen for you.

 

[bowhunter]

Dan,

There is no audible click, and the diopter does come unlocked with little effort. I haven’t had any issues with it unlocking when taking it out of the harness, but I can see how that could happen. I think a warp of electrical tape would solve the issue completely, if it continues to happen for you.

Thanks Matt.


Electrical tape is exactly what I used and it worked great! Just wanted to make sure that’s how it was supposed to be.

Thanks for your response and the review. I really like these !

Dan


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[Xlr8n]

Thanks for the review Matt! Long-time lurker here.
I just picked up an HG in 8x42 largely based on your review along with many other positive reviews on this new offering since they came out 2 years ago.
I took them out for a trial run on an afternoon treestand bow hunt yesterday, and in that solo outing I can say I was very impressed with the glass from full sun to last light at ranges out to 500 yards that I was hunting/glassing in. Super clarity, very crisp from edge to edge with not alot of focusing needed within the field of view. Very nicely made in a sleek and sturdy assembly.

Before deciding on these I made comparisons between these, Razors, MeoStars, and Conquests. The optical glass of these four is very close from a quality aspect with each having very slight differences which are largely personal in opinion and choice, but the Meostars, Conquests, and Monarch HG's stood out to me. After many sessions of viewing, the size, slim shape, and weight won out and made the HG's a slam dunk for someone who carries a full load of stand, pack, and bow on long hikes into my hunting spots.

I've usually used full-size glass for scouting only and most recently used a 6x32 Vortex Viper for actual bowhunting, but these HG's are not much bigger or heavier than those medium sized Vipers, but are obviously a large step ahead from an optical standpoint. Not bashing the Vipers, which are a nice choice in an entry level price-point, but the HG's are much closer to Alpha class glass than most all other glass in the sub $1000 price point aside from the other three I mentioned. For my needs the HG's were a perfect mix of size, power, and upper level optical performance.

Thanks again for the thorough run down.

 

[AkMtnRunner]

Has anyone compared these to the Monarch 7's? I've been very impressed with my 7's in 8x42 but I am looking for better glass in a 10x42. I've read it's a Japan vs China manufacturing and materials difference but I can't find any direct functional comparison.

 

[AkMtnRunner]

Has anyone compared these to the Monarch 7's? I've been very impressed with my 7's in 8x42 but I am looking for better glass in a 10x42. I've read it's a Japan vs China manufacturing and materials difference but I can't find any direct functional comparison.

Well, I can answer my own question as curiosity got the best of me and that LL Bean sale was too tempting. The HG 10x42's just arrived and I compared them at dusk with my Monarch 7 8x42. The 10x HG's have what appears to be the same amount of light getting through as the 8x Monarchs, which is impressive. It took a few minutes but I can also notice better resolution as I was trying to read license plates with poor light and that was being held single-handed. I am sure I'll be very happy with them on a tripod. Money well spent and I am still very impressed with the Monarch 7's that were less than $400.