Bushnell Legend or Nikon ATB Monarch

[sour01]

Which roof prism 10X42 model do you think is best? I'm thinking of buying one or the other and wondered if anyone had any thoughts on either of these binoculars.

[PABowhntr]

I have actually owned both but not both in the 10x42 configuration. I have owned the 10x42 and 8x42 Monarch as well as the 8x32 Legend. Tough call as both have their own strong points. For starters, each has a specific color bias in my opinion. The Monarchs have a slightly warm bias which does seem to make the image appear more realistic....especially deer. The Legends have a green-blue bias in my opinion which tends to make the image look crisper but not as realistic in terms of color. These biases I refer to are only under certain conditions and may not be noticeable unless you have both binoculars side by side at the time. Other points to consider...again in my opinon....

- The Monarchs are significantly lighter...approximately 8 or 9 ounces if memory serves me. This can be beneficial in terms of arm fatigue for extended viewing and yet the extra weight of the Legends lends itself to a steadier hold initially.

- The Legends are a bit longer but not by much. Most folks tend not to comment on this issue though it does seem to be crucial for compactness from my perspective.

- The focus and central hinge are a bit stiffer on the Legends which can be a bonus in that you don't have to readjust the binocular every time you pick it up to view something though the slightly smoother focus of the Monarchs allows them to be focused much easier and quicker.

- Warranty- Nikon has a no-fault warranty on their binoculars. They will repair or replace, at their discretion, the binocular with no questions asked for a period of 25 years. I am unsure of the Bushnell warranty but I believe it is somewhat similar.

- Price- Locally the Legends are priced about $30 more expensive than the Nikons though I am sure that varies from area to area and region to region.

Lastly, and just as a general suggestion for binocular buying, if you can actually try these binoculars out somewhere before ordering then definitely walk out of the store with the actual unit you decide upon instead of another that is still in the box. I have found that quality control at this price point tends to be very iffy. I cannot tell you how many binoculars I returned before learning this lesson.

Good luck and let us know what you decide on.

[Gundigest]

I have owned the 8x40 Monarchs for a number of years now, they are awsome, they let in so much light that I can be sitting in the woods with 2" of snow on the ground and a full moon and I can tell you if there is a buck or a doe standing 75 yards away. I have not had any problems with these binoculars and I would recomend them to a friend.

The only reason I would consider the Legend over the monarch is the fact that Bushnell is puting the Rain Guard coating on the Legend binoculars, I have this coating on my 1.5-6x36 Elite 4200 and my 3-9x40 Elite 3200. You can breath right on the lenses and fog them up and still see through them to shoot.

My Monarchs came with 4 individual caps that were not conected to the binocular which was very irritating so I went to Jays and found a Butler Creek flip open scope cap objective end that would fit the 40mm lens and that worked out very well. Now I can just flip open my two objective caps.

Good luck