Telescope Reviews: Nikon Monarch 10x42

Hi:

Looking for some thoughts and comments. A while back I bought a used pair of Nikon Monarch 10x42's on Astromart. The price was quite good, in fact, that is probably why I bought them.

Looking at them side by side with my Eagle Optics Ranger Platinum 10x42's, they look like they were made at the same factory. However looking through them, well, they did not seem as sharp or something, they just did not provide the sort of nice view that the EORP's provide. I figured I needed to adjust them and things would improve.

Today, I gave them a careful look and noticed three things that concerned me... First, after comparison and adjustment to the Nikons, the EORPs seem provide noticeably better views. Second, no where on the Nikon binoculars does it say "Phase Coasted" and third, as you probably already have guessed, they were made in China. The focus wheel says "Nikon Vision, Japan" but the little sticker on the underside says "Made in China."

So, what is going on here, I thought that at one time, Monarch's were pretty good binos, in some birding magazine I think I saw they were rated above the EORPs. It certainly doesn't seem like it to me. Were the old Monarch's made in Japan and phase coated, anybody know the story?

My interest here is curiousity, clarifying the story in my mind. Thanks for any help here...

Jon

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