markjenna

Hey guys I am looking for a new pair of binoculars. I know you get what you pay for but, I am looking into something around $300 or so. I have read about the Nikon Monarch ATB and Bushnell Legend Ultra HD. What do you guys think, I can't look through these crap binoculars anymore. Let me know what you think or what you guys are using in that range. Thanks Mark

Rob/PA Bowyer

Mark, you'll probably get an overwhelming vote for the Nikon Monarchs.

I heeded that advice myself prior to last year and I am so happy I did. I have the Monarch 8 x 42's and that's exactly what I'd recommend. I went with the 8X's not only to stay legal in all sanctioned shoots but (and forgive me) a member here posted a very in-depth study on why to choose 8X over 10X's and it made perfect sense to me. Again, forgive me if I cannot repost what he said.

Good luck.

fingerz42

I, too, was in need of some binoculars so I did as everyone else stated. I looked at the monarchs, the trailblazers, and the dinaci or something from Leuphold. After I checked all three it was clear that the monarchs were the clearest, but the price was too much for me. The clerk told me to have a look at the Leuphold Yosemites, and I was really suprised at the clarity and depth of field. To me, they were as clear as the monarchs. I came back a few weeks later and bought the Yosemites for $99. Theyre extremely clear, work well in low light conditions, and the price was great for what I got.

The pair I bought was 8x30's BUT the field of view is comparable to the bigger roof prism binoculars like the monarchs. (the monarchs are 8x42) I think the Monarch field of view at 1000 yards is something like 420 feet, and my Yosemites are 380-390 @1000yds. So you dont seem to lose much. The only thing I would say is that the monarchs will most likely be a bit better in low light conditions, but I was very impressed with how well the yosemites worked in low light anyways.

Another plus to me was that the yosemites are fairly compact, whereas the monarchs were a bit big for my liking.

Not taking anything away from the other binoculars, but I felt like I got a steal with the yosemites. Check them out when you check out the monarchs and stuff and see what you think.

fingerz42

To add to Rob's post, I have heard that when looking at binoculars you want to have the objective lense to be 4-5 times the magnification. So like 8x32 or 8x40 is best.(or 10x40, 10x50) I had a real old pair that was 12x25 and it was like trying to find a needle in a haystack in the woods. Keep that in mind when buying as well.