Nikon Monarch HG 8×42

Specifications:

Objective diameter: 42 mm
Magnification: 8 x
Exit pupil: 5.25 mm
Eye relief (acc. to spec): 18 mm
Usable eye relief (measured from rim of eyecup): 15 mm
IPD: 56 – 74 mm
RFOV: 8.3 degrees = 145 m
AFOV (according to spec): 60.3 degrees
AFOV (measured, rounded): 63 degrees
Minimum focus distance (measured): 1.8 m
Focus type: CF (direction of rotation from close to infinity: > clockwise)
Degrees of rotation of focus wheel from 3m to infinity (measured): 290 degrees
Range of diopter adjustment (estimate): +/- 4 dpt*
Excess travel of focus wheel beyond infinity position (estimate): 5 dpt*
Prism system: Schmidt-Pechan
Waterproof: yes
Weight (measured, with eyepiece cover and strap): 715 g
Made in: Japan
*range of diopter adjustment not affected by position of focus wheel

Remarks:

When Nikon launched the Monarch HG 8×42 and 10×42 in 2016, they were welcomed as the successor to the same size Nikon HG-L series (see separate posts about “Nikon HG-L” 10×42, 8×42 and 8×32) which had been on the market for a while and got a bit dated. In the meantime, there is more and more a feeling in the binocular community that the Monarch HG may also be supposed to replace Nikon’s top line, the EDG, since the latter has not been updated for quite some time and seems not available any more in many markets. The Monarch HG does not fully match the EDG’s superb optics, esp. with regard to off-axis sharpness and stray-light suppression, but offers a larger (and quite flat) field of view, excellent central sharpness, good edge sharpness and CA correction, and great handling and ergonomics. The 8×42 and 10×42 models may currently belong to the best upper middle class binoculars in their size.

see separate posts
“Nikon Monarch HG 10×42”, https://binocular.ch/nikon-monarch-hg-10×42/
“Nikon Monarch HG 8×30”, https://binocular.ch/nikon-monarch-hg-8×30/