My apologies for not getting back to you sooner. I just don't seem to have as much time as I once did to hit the forums. I wish I did.

I will be entirely honest with you. I am not really fond of binoculars with magnifications of more than 10x. The reason is fairly simple. It has been relatively well documented that a person has a difficult time using anything above 10x handheld to extract extra detail from any given object. The key word in there is "handheld". If you can rest them on a ledge or use them in conjunction with a tripod then you could possibly benefit from the extra magnification.

If size and weight are not issues as you stated then you might want to consider a compact spotting scope as opposed to a high magnification pair of binoculars. Some of the 10-30x50 or 65mm spotting scopes are almost as lightweight as a decent pair of binoculars and they allow for much more detailed viewing because of the higher mags/larger objectives and your ability to hold them steadier via a tripod or gunstock type arrangement.

If you are deadset on the two binoculars you mentioned though I would think that the centerfield resolution (ability to count fine details like points on a rack at a great distance) would probably be a bit better on the Action EXs. The porro prism design allows for greater light transmission and clarity because light is reflected two less times within the prism. Roof prisms begin to match and somewhat exceed this level at the high end of the price range but the mid to low cost models have not.

The flip side in this comparison is in reference to overall image quality. Though the centerfield resolution of the porro in this price range tends to be better the overall image produced by the Monarch would probably be more pleasing to the user. The sweet spot (area in focus) of the image will be wider on the Monarchs despite their narrower overall field of view. This tends to produce a more relaxed and pleasing view.

Hope this was somewhat helpful.