Nikon 7430 Monarch 8 X 42mm All Terrain Binoculars

After reading numerous reviews on Amazon and checking Consumer Reports reviews(they had rated these tops for the price range)I decided to take a chance on these. I can say that these are without a doubt the absolute best I have ever seen in this price range. I have purchased many many other sets over the years, including one very expensive pair by a famous German company (Starts with a S and ends with an R):)
These blow them all away !!! Even the set that was 3 times the cost.
The clarity and ease of use is amazing.
Don't let the eyepiece comments on other reviews stop you from getting your hands on the last pair of binoculars you will probably ever buy.
A simple "soak and mold" in hot water will shape the covers to a perfect snug fit over the eyepiece.
Buy a set ASAP and see what you have been missing, and your wallet will still have enough in it to get the other goodies on your X-Mas list.
Absolutely blown away by these ! You will be too !

A month into use and I can say that these are great binoculars for the price point. Brightness, clarity, and colors are noticeably good and provides for a satifying birding experience. I can see why the product has received so many positive reviews.

I am a wildlife biologist (mostly birds) who uses binocs for work all the time. I ordered the Nikon monarch 8x42s after losing my previous pair (same model) in the field. They are the best binoculars for the money in my opinion, plus they are lightweight and pretty rugged as binocs go. They have changed the design since my first pair, now instead of having guaranteed-to-lose cheap covers for the lenses, the have attached the lenscaps to the binocs with a little plastic strap (not in the photo on amazon). At first I was happy with this improvement, unfortunately after 1 month one lenscap has broken off and the other strap is tearing and will probably go soon. Why they don't give you decent lenscaps is beyond me. If you use these a lot you will probably lose the caps, be warned. Still a great product for the money though, my favorite field work binoculars. Get a lenspen or some wipes to keep them clean since they don't have caps!

I recently purchased these binoculars and am very happy. The image quality is excellant and they are very light. Also, the price was very reasonable. I am very happy using Amazon.com and they will be the first place I look.

I purchased the Monarch's to replace an aging pair (30 years old). The first thing that came to mind when I first used them was...WOW! The clarity is outstanding...especially for the price.

Many prior reviewers complained about the lens caps. I personally find them very functional and not at all what was portrayed. Perhaps I have an upgraded model, but the objective lens caps are attached to the barrel and one needs to simply unsnap the covers and twist them towards the middle of the binoculars where they sit nicely until you wish to put the covers back on. The the one-piece eyepiece cover (that everyone seems to complain about) has a serpentine plastic piece between each lens cover that applies a small amount of pressure to keep the lens covered when the binoculars are at rest on your chest and easily removes for viewing. If the user wishes, he can unhook the right-hand side of the cover and let the piece hang on the left-hand strap (otherwise it will be hanging in front of your nose!).

As other reviewers have noted, I now see things that I would have missed before. These binoculars are fantastic. Jupiter has been visible all summer (the brightest "star" in the night sky excepting the Moon) and I can actually see a few of Jupiter's moons. I needed to steady the binoculars on a door frame, but what a sight!

For birding and other casual use the 8x42 are perfect. I personally don't think I would have been happy with the 10x42's as they would have produced a little too much jitter while viewing (I'm not as steady as I used to be).

And for those of you who criticize that the glasses are made in China, just peel the label off. There, now they're made in Japan.

I highly recommend these binoculars. I am EXTREMELY pleased with these Nikon's. If you have the chance to purchase these, DO IT -- You won't be sorry.