I've had Nikon Monarch 8x42s for over a year, and I'm happy with them. I'd
prefer a wider field of view like my old Bushnell Legend porros, but their
field of view is fairly standard and I'm used to it now.
I thought it would be good to have tethered objective covers, but they
eventually started falling off all the time, like everyone else's, so I've
removed them to avoid losing them. I wear glasses, so the eyecups are always
down, but I'm heard complaints, possibly from owners of previous models, of
eyecups eventually coming off if they're raised and lowered a lot.
There have been several Monarch series, mine are sometimes called the Monarch
III, and I assume that's what you'd be getting.
I think I paid about $330 from B&H in the USA, including shipping, and I don't
recall anything about extended warranties. I have a vague memory of confirming
that the warranty would be valid here, but I'm not sure. At that price,
providing they arrive in working order, it's not that big a risk. I think at
the time I would have had to pay at least $500-$600 to buy them in a shop here,
so with the savings I could just buy another pair if something happened.
Would an extended warranty bought from a dodgy dealer be worth the expense?
Peter Shute
> -----Original Message-----
> From:
> On Behalf Of Bob Lake
> Sent: Thursday, 26 May 2011 3:14 PM
> To: birding-aus
> Subject: [Birding-Aus] Nikon binocular prices
>
>
> We have been considering the purchase of new mid-range
> binoculars and, after reading much promotional blurb and user
> reviews, decided on the Nikon Monarch 8x42 with 8x32 as second choice.
>
> Could anyone with experience of these please give us their
> opinion. As a caution to others attempting binocular
> selection, I append the following:
>
> In Australia, prices vary enormously between stores by as
> much as 100%. We could buy from the US, where prices are
> about half the lowest Australian price on offer and this
> option is currently helped by our strong dollar. Cost of
> postage/shipping and insurance is little, compared with the
> price saving, and no customs duty or GST apply under $1000.
> There is, however, further confusion over the Nikon warranty.
> Companies offering to sell and ship well-priced binoculars
> then ask for extended warranty payments, suggesting two or
> three years. Next I found an Australian company offering
> these binoculars at a price little more than US prices; again
> with extended warranty information. So I contacted Nikon
> about their manufacturer's international warranty and asked
> why I should need to take out a retailers' extended warranty.
>
> Nikon informed me that their warranty only applies to
> approved importers, where transport, storage and marketing
> are controlled. There are illegal importers, they said, often
> operated via crime syndicates in Hong Kong and these offer
> binoculars at much cheaper prices. If you buy from 'grey'
> retailers who have obtained binoculars through these
> channels, then the Nikon warranty is voided. Grey retailers
> offer extended warranties to replace the voided Nikon
> warranty and the offset the low cost at which they sell.
>
> So, we are back to looking at reputable Australian retailers
> who publicise the fact that they are not 'grey' importers.
> We'll pay more but can rely on our product and its warranty.
>
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