I bought the 8x42 in Dec.2020 . The first six months of use had me a bit on the fence , wasn't sure if they were a good fit for me , I still had the E2's haunting me after selling them . Fast forward to the present and I can confidently say that the love affair with my MHG's should continue for many more years .
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Nikon HG 8x30 dissection (2 Viewers)
- Thread starter dorubird
- Start date
Yes I know all about Msvens. I stopped in Lander this summer where they have every optic they make on display. Was impressed with all that I tried. Also believe they are a bargain because they sell direct to the consumer. I think the B series would all cost more with other companies. I’ve owned the B1.2 in 10x42 and would have kept them if the eyecups had been longer. Compared them directly to my HG 10x42s and they were right there with them. Build quality was again better than the HG. I’ve owned over fourty different glasses over the past five years. When I buy a pair I compare them side by side with my current pair. Yes we all have different eyes and opinions of them. I’ll stand by mine of the M7 8x30. When I bought them I was convinced they were defective because they were so horrible with glare. I sent them back for another pair. Same thing. I’ve owned the Vipers and they were mediocre. When they came out with the new version I compared two of them in a store. One had a focus wheel so tight I could barely turn it. The others wheel was decent but the hinge on it was very loose. Tight on the other. Very poor QC. That’s why I have such strong opinions on them and the M7s.
I respect your opinion though. We all see things differently. No argument
PS I’ve owned the M7 in 10x42 and it was much better than the 8x30s. Markedly better with glare but still was a weak point in my opinion. Glare is one of my pet peeves in a glass.
Paultricounty
Well-known member
I hear you on the glare thing. I notice that some people are more sensitive to glare than just about any other characteristic, (or possible design shortfall), even more so than CA. I didn’t notice much glare in the MHG 30’s , my issue was more the eye box comfort. I’m lucky I’m not overly sensitive to glare, a funny thing is I have no real glare issues with some binos, 8x30 Habicht’s, some of the EL and NL’s that many have complained about. I actually see more veiling glare in Ultravids than the aforementioned examples. That being said my favorite small 30/32 is the Ultravid, followed by the EL.
I like the MHG’s more in the 42 , I actually like most binoculars in 42 more than 30/32. I just think the 42 does it all, and in many models the 42’s are more accommodating in most areas. That being said I feel the 30/32’s do everything the same as the 42’s , just 10%+/- less of the time.
Well if you read my whole post it clearly said the B1.2s and HGs were very comparable and the reason I didn’t keep the 1.2s were the eyecups were too short. I don’t like having to fiddle with a binos placement to avoid blackouts. I love my HGs so there’s NO issue nor did I imply there was.
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dries1
Member
I do not take this forum seriously, so there is that, and yes I can f.....n read.
I meant to say I was on the fence over the quality of glass , differences between MHG's and E2's . For twice the price of a new E2 was the MHG worth it? I wasn't sure , I am now . I will admit that right from the beginning I did like the way the MHG felt in my hands .
Nothing wrong with a good "fun read" .
So I take it it’s the comprehension part that’s challenging😱🤣 Just f…ing kidding! I’m as guilty as anybody of posting things I later regret. Apologies. Good reminder I need to lighten up.
Ironic how we can feel so differently about a particular line. Originally I had little regard for anything from Vortex until I tried their Viper and UHD lineup. I've got both the Viper 10x42 HD and 12x50 HD and have only become a supporter of Vortex through their Viper series.
Now they fill a couple of nice places in my selection, right next to the Ultravids.
The HGs are a fine glass. I would happily pay an extra $200 for a smoother focus wheel, removable eyecups and more metal and less plastic. I can understand why brands whose sub-alphas in this price category wouldn’t do this. So not to compete with their alpha offerings. However since this is Nikons top bino they really should. If Maven can have a nice alloy focus wheel and removable eyecups in a $500 glass then Nikon surely can add them to the HGs without raising the price much.
dorubird
The unskilled mechanic blames his tools!
I have a very smooth experience with the focus wheel of my Nikon Monarch HG 8x30, and many others have the same experience! And about that rubberized focus wheel, I consider it an advantage over a metal wheel one. Most alpha binoculars, if not all, have a rubberized focus wheel that is pleasant to the touch.
Everyone has their expectations and claims, but I am completely satisfied with Monarch HG 8x30 construction. I really like its classic look, but also the optics and mechanics! I even think that, with this superb Monarch HG, Nikon occupies a unique place in the binoculars market, shared only with Leica binoculars. Instead of looking like many other binoculars, it has a luxurious finish and we can feel this in our hands. From my point of view, the concept of this binocular is welcome in the world of common binoculars with boring utilitarian design. This Monarch HG, it's like a classic Porsche. Monarch HG is a very successful design object besides the fact that it is also a good optical instrument!
The monarch:
Everyone has their expectations and claims, but I am completely satisfied with Monarch HG 8x30 construction. I really like its classic look, but also the optics and mechanics! I even think that, with this superb Monarch HG, Nikon occupies a unique place in the binoculars market, shared only with Leica binoculars. Instead of looking like many other binoculars, it has a luxurious finish and we can feel this in our hands. From my point of view, the concept of this binocular is welcome in the world of common binoculars with boring utilitarian design. This Monarch HG, it's like a classic Porsche. Monarch HG is a very successful design object besides the fact that it is also a good optical instrument!
The monarch:
Paultricounty
Well-known member
Oh the bokeh 🙂
Paultricounty
Well-known member
I’ve used about ten HG’s and can say eight of them were excellent , about as smooth, even and light as some of the best. And I have no issues with slippery focus knob in wet weather. As far as I’m concerned subpar focusers are the exception to the rule. I’ve seen a few bad focusers on just about every binocular on the market, that includes SFL’s, NL’s and on two Ultravids to name a few. A subpar focuser in a Nikon HG is not inherent in the line. Wait until more of these $1000 bins start coming out of China.
