The Monarch ATB 42mm with Dielectric High-Reflective Multilayer Prism Coating binocular features brighter, sharper colors, crisp and drastically improved low-light performance. A new body style provides unparalleled strength and ruggedness in a package that is comfortable to carry all day. With rugged rubber armor for added durability and a firm grip even in the worst conditions, Nikon guarantees every ATB to be 100% waterproof and fogproof, each is backed by Nikon's 25 Year Limited Warranty and No-Fault Repair/Replacement Policy. The new Monarch ATB 42mm with Dielectric High-Reflective Multilayer Prism Coating binocular is available in 8x42, 10x42 and 12x42. It is also available in Team REALTREE models with the REALTREE APG HD camouflage pattern.
Nikon is dedicated to quality, performance and total customer satisfaction. If your Nikon binocular, Spotting Scope or Fieldscope requires service or repair not covered by our 25 Year Limited Warranty, Nikon will repair or replace it (even it was your fault) for just $10, plus return shipping and handling. Excludes – StabilEyes, Laser Rangefinders and Spotting Scope/Fieldscope eyepieces.
FAQ's
Real field of view Real field of view is the angle of the visible field, seen without moving the binoculars, measured from the central point of the objective lens. The larger the value is, the wider the viewfield available. For example, binoculars with a wider field of view are advantageous for locating fast-moving wild birds within the viewfield. This also applies for finding small nebulas or a cluster of stars in astronomical observations.
Apparent field of view Apparent field of view is the angle of the magnified field when you look through binoculars. The larger the apparent field of view is, the wider the field of view you can see even at high magnifications.
With the conventional method used previously, the apparent field of view was calculated by multiplying the real field of view by the binocular magnification. (With this formula, apparent field of view wider than 65˚ is called wide field of view.)
After revision, Nikon's figures are now based on the ISO 14132-1:2002 standard, and obtained by the following formula:
tan ω' = τ x tan ω Apparent field of view: 2ω' Real field of view: 2ω Magnification: τ (With this formula, apparent field of view wider than 60° is called wide field of view.)
For example, the apparent field of view of 8x binoculars with an 7.0°real field of view is as follows: 2ω' = 2 x tan-1 (r x tan ω)
= 2 x tan-1 (8 x tan 3.5) = 52.1° Relative Brightness Relative brightness value is obtained by squaring the diameter of the exit pupil. The greater the relative brightness is, the brighter the image will be. With 8x42 binoculars, the brightness is (42÷8)2= 28.1. This means that if the magnification is the same, the larger the effective diameter of the objective lens, the brighter the image will be.
Do binoculars with the same exit pupil offer the same brightness?
No. Brightness may vary even if the exit pupil is the same. This is because the amount of light reaching the viewer's eyes varies according to the number of lens elements and quality of lens/prism coatings. Superior optical design and highquality coating greatly contribute to the brightness of binoculars. Brightness values specified in product brochures, etc. are theoretical ones calculated in the design process. Please note these factors when comparing actual brightness values.
Prism Coatings Multilayer coating is also applied to prisms to raise transmittance. A roof prism system has one surface that does not feature total internal reflection, so vapor deposition with metals, etc. must be used to raise the reflectivity of this surface. Also, phase-correction coating on roof surface ensures high-contrast images. *Binoculars' brightness and contrast are affected by not only prism coatings, but also the number of objective lens and eyepiece lens, and types of coatings.
Metal-vaporized, high-reflectivity prism coating Using vacuum-vaporization technology, metallic material such as aluminum or silver is applied to the reverse side of a prism surface that is not totally reflective. This raises the reflectivity of the prism mirror surface.
Dielectric high-reflective multilayer prism coating This coating features reflectance that exceeds 99%. By utilizing light interference, this coating assures high reflectivity across the full visible range, and ensures high color reproducibility.
Reflectance characteristics of prism coatings on mirror surface The horizontal axis indicates the wavelength of light. The vertical axis indicates the reflectance of light. Binoculars' brightness is determined not only by the reflective mirror, but also by the total optical system such as the number of lenses and quality of coatings.
Phase-correction coating A roof (Dach) surface can cause phase shift of light that affects image resolution. This phenomenon is caused by phase differences arising from total light reflection on a roof (Dach) surface and it can occur with even a perfectly processed prism. Phase-correction coating is applied to the surface to minimize loss of resolution, ensuring high-contrast images.
Twilight Factor The factor that has the greatest impact on resolution or image detail, will be dependent upon the amount of light available during the time of observation. During daylight hours, when your eye pupil size will be only about 2 to 3mm, magnification will be the principal factor in image resolution. At night, with the eye pupil dilated to 6 to 8mm, aperture size is the controlling factor. In twilight conditions both of these factors control resolution effectiveness and the twilight factor is the term that compares binocular performance under these conditions.
The twilight factor is calculated by taking the square root of the product of the magnification and the aperture. The higher the twilight factor, the better the resolution of the binocular when observing under dim light conditions. For example, a 10 X 40 (twilight factor 20) would effectively resolve better under these conditions than a 7 X 35 (twilight factor 15.4) even though the 10 X 40 has a smaller exit pupil. Remember, however, that the twilight factor does not take into account the transmittance or quality of the optical system.
Owner Reviews, Ratings, Comments and Criticism I've written a review about the last iteration of these binoculars and I won't repeat it here. Briefly, these are the best binoculars you can get without spending big bucks, and I think they are the cheapest binoculars you should even consider buying (while there might be an exception to this, cheaper binoculars are bad enough to be worthless and a complete waste of money). These binoculars are three times as good as what you can get for $100 and 90% as good as what you can get for $2,000. They are better than most similarly priced binoculars, and better than many much more expensive binoculars.
Since this is one of the most common binoculars bought by beginners (for good reason), I thought it would be helpful to have a breakdown of the uses of the different magnifications as many buyers have probably not used binoculars extensively. I am mostly into birding and wildlife watching, so beware of that bias if your needs are different.
Don't know what size binoculars to get? Probably just get the biggest ones you can afford, I mean, more magnification is better because you see more, right? Not really. There are a number of trade-offs associated with high magnification. This will help you decide what size is best for you (hint, if you are reading this, 8x42 is almost certainly the best choice for you).
Binoculars have two numbers such as 8x42 or 10x50. The first number refers to magnification, typically 8 or 10, but others also exist (6, 7, 12...). The second number refers to the size of the objective lens (that is the big piece of glass farther from your eye) which in turn determines light gathering potential. These nikon monarchs are offered in 8x42, 10x42, and 12x42 sizes. I don't know that I've ever seen 12x binoculars, but 8x and 10x binoculars with the same objective lens (42mm in this case) will be nearly identical in size (and, counterintuitively, the 10x will often be very slightly smaller). The higher the magnification, the more light you need, so a 10x binocular will need a larger objective lens than an 8x binocular to have similar brightness.
First major consideration: trade-off of magnification vs. brightness. Higher magnification means things appear closer, but higher magnification also means less brightness. Brightness is very important to see markings and to have a pleasant image to look at (try watching a movie with the monitor brightness turned way down, not as much fun, is it?) Obviously you can counter this trade-off with larger objective lenses, but that gets expensive and heavy.
Second major consideration is shake. 10x binoculars are hard to hold steady (and I am young and not particularly shaky). If you are leaning against a tree with a low heart rate, no problem, if you just ran up a hill to see something, much harder. As you up the magnification you also increase the problem of shakiness. If you can't hold the binoculars steady, your eyes can't focus on what is in them. This one is really, really, really important. If you haven't used binoculars much before, you probably don't realize how much of a problem hand shake can be. 8x is pretty easy to hold steady. 10x isn't so bad. 12x is more or less out of the question without a very steady support.
Third major consideration: Field of view/ease of finding things in your binoculars. Try this: take your digital camera, put it to full zoom and try to aim at a distant object that takes up much of the screen. Kind of hard, isn't it? Now zoom out all the way and try to find that same object. Much easier. Binoculars are very similar, the larger the magnification, the more zoom you are working with, the the more difficulty you will have getting an object in sight. This is particularly true with moving objects. Lower magnifications make it easier to scan because the give you more peripheral vision.
Fourth (somewhat less major) consideration: depth of field. This is the range of distance from you that is in focus without moving the focus wheel. Larger depths of field are better. Smaller magnifications tend to have wider depth of field. Wider depth of field is more pleasant to look at and makes finding things easier. Mostly a wide depth of field just looks a lot nicer.
So, what size to get? Of the available sizes: 8x42, 10x42, and 12x42. 8x42 is definitely the most versatile. 8x magnification is quite a lot, but shake isn't too bad, depth of field is pretty good, field of view ("peripheral vision") is pretty good. These are ideal for watching moving birds as they are easy to track with. I prefer 8x binoculars and most of what it comes down to for me is that the image that comes through them is much more pleasant to look at: brighter, crisper, more depth of field. Learning to aim your binoculars at something takes practice, and 8x will definitely be easier to learn with. 8x really shines in lower light conditions, in tracking fast moving birds, and whenever your hands might be shaking a bit (which is pretty much always). While 8x is definitely the choice for a beginner, it does not mean that it is only for beginners and many, probably most experienced birders use 8x as their primary binocular.
10x can definitely help show some markings on birds. For still and slow birds in good light, or when it is easy to track birds (think hawks) 10x can be an excellent choice. They are a little bit less versatile, they are a little bit harder to use, require a bit more technique and steadiness. Still a really good choice for birding. 10x make IDing birds a bit easier (in good light and with good technique) but the overall image is a bit less pleasant to look at, and that is really important to me, less so to other people. 10x is a very popular choice among birders (probably slightly less popular than 8x, but not by much). If you are interested in watching how birds behave, get 8x, if you really want to see those faint markings to make a positive ID, 10x may work better for you.
12x is not for birding. I've heard of some birders using them in some situations, but I have yet to actually meet one. 12x is better suited for astronomy or looking at targets or any time you know you can be sitting still and resting your binoculars on a large static object. 12x is a very specialized tool, it should not be the only pair of binoculars you own.
I hope this helps.
Nikon 7295 Monarch ATB 10x42 Binocular
Available from Amazon
Updated on 11-22-2011.
