Nikon  Monarch M5 8 x 42 Binoculars

I read the comments on here for all the 8x42 and 10x42 binoculars as I was looking to upgrade from a 20-year old pair of Swifts. All the best professional birders are using Zeiss, but let's be honest, this is a hobby for me and I don't need to spend that kind of money. So the reviews for this pair were the best for the price and I decided to stay with 8x42. This is a huge upgrade for me and they are far superior to what I had. I tested them for a week to dial them in and then did my local Christmas Bird Count on December 17th. I'm so pleased, it couldn't have been a better online purchase.

These are nice binoculars for beginners. I picked them based on online reviews, and they make birding and other wildlife watching much better. They're not very heavy, but be warned that if you are outside wearing them around your neck for an hour, or holding them up to your eyes, they will feel very heavy. I wear glasses, and the binoculars work very well for me with the eyecups not extended. The tethered lens caps are a nice feature and fit very securely. I have relatively small hands, and holding them and adjusting the focus is comfortable for me.

I can't speak too much on the quality of the lenses. FOV is a bit narrow, clarity and light are good. Adjustment is easy and intuitive, binoculars are easy to hold. Problem: If your eyes are narrowly spaced, the eyecups will likely impact your nose like they did to me. Because the eyecups are big and made of a hard plastic, and because I needed to run them close together, they were uncomfortable past 30 seconds of viewing. I returned these binoculars after one short outing due to pain.

I've only had these for several months, but they're a quality pair binoculars. Image is really clear and beautiful, and the magnification is easy to handle (doesn't feel unstable). The lens caps, eye caps, neck strap, and soft case all protect the binoculars well, so I don't worry about them getting damaged when they're in the top of a backpack (I wouldn't pack them underneath anything though). The width of the eye pieces adjusts smoothly and holds its place; fits eyes that are wide-set or close-set easily. I've come across binoculars that don't adjust small enough for my face but have no issue with these ones, and they also fit faces much larger than mine. The focus knob is easy to turn while looking through the binoculars. Everything moves smoothly and quietly. Primarily using them to identify birds, but have also used them to look up at the leaves in tall trees.

I purchased the Nikon M5 8 x 42 binoculars prior to a trip to Alaska and was not disappointed by the performance while on several hiking trips. I was looking for a pair of binoculars which would accommodate me wearing glasses. The ability to adjust the eyepieces so I could share with others who don't wear glasses, was a real plus. Overall I am satisfied with the ability to hold the view steady and to focus on wildlife, especially in low light situations.

The image pops. The color is great. I would highly recommend.

I like these binocs because the eye pieces come together close enough to give a single image for the size of my face. The image is sharp and clear. The binocs are also a good weight and feel comfortable in my hands. I like that the lens caps are attached to the body of the binocs which makes it less likely to use them.

I have an old set of Nikon binoculars that I think are 10x25. They are hard to use when watching the birds in my back yard. I read a number of reviews for bird-watching binoculars, and the Nikon Monarch M5 8x42 were at or near the top on all of the reviews. I bought a pair of these binoculars after doing a side-by-side test of these vs my old pair, and WOW! Money well spent. Highly recommend.

I bought these Nikon Monarch M5 8x42 binoculars at the same time that I bought a Nikon Monarch M7 8x42, surprised at the comparable optical and mechanical quality between the M5 and higher priced M7. They are an extremely good value, and a pleasure to use in the field. This may sound petty, but I rated this M5 4 stars instead of 5 only because the eyecups fit so loosely that they do not stay on. I called Nikon USA to complain about this and see if I had possibly received the wrong eyecups from REI, but Nikon basically stated that they use the same eyecups for both the M5 and M7 series despite there being a slight difference in size between the 2 series. I wound up using a rubber band to get a better fit. Incidentally, after a few months of use I wound up exchanging the M5 for a Nikon Monarch M7 10x42 because there isn't much of a reason for me and my wife to carry 2 8x42's in the field. Nonetheless I would still recommend this M5 as an excellent value, although I personally prefer the M7.

We use these Monarch M5 8x40 binoculars for bird watching and we are impressed by the clarity of images. Way better than our old binoculars and we’ll probably go back and get a pair of 10x40 M5’s very soon.