Nikon Prostaff 3S 10X42 Binoculars

Product Information

I'm also interested in the Prostaff 7 10x42 as I see it has better coatings and is slightly cheaper, but the 10x50 would better used for astrnomy. The ED II 10x42's FOV (104m) is actually wider than the Zeiss Victory HT (110m), Swarovski EL SV(112m) and the Leica Ultravid(112m) 10x42s! (the "alpha" bins should be sharper at the edges though). Nikon as a corporation is headquartered in Japan. Some of Nikon products are made in Japan. A lot of their optics are actually made in China and this include the Nikon Prostaff binoculars. The Prostaff 7s is a very capable binocular at that price, with a wider view and better colour and contrast.

The Nikon Prostaff P3 binoculars are entry-level and we were really impressed when reviewing them. Nikon has saved on manufacturing costs where it counts, mainly in the accessories that these binoculars ship with, but has retained the high-quality optics that I expect to see in a Nikon product. As for the eye relief, the Prostaff 3s 8×42 really shines offering 20.2 mm eye relief. This way, you’ll be able to view a full image even if you’re wearing glasses. The 8×42 model of 7s doesn’t fall too far behind as it has an eye relief of 19.5mm. The exit pupil size is large enough to help you see clearly in low-light conditions. But as mentioned earlier, Prostaff 7s has a better performance in such conditions. Features Whilst this difference in transmittance between equal quality 10x42 vs 8x42 binoculars is minimal it only really becomes a factor under more extreme low light situations. While build quality is impressive, with plenty of depth of field provided and images sharp and clear in the main, we did notice a slight drop off in sharpness towards the edges. Despite the extra heft we also feel upgrading to a 12x magnification from a 10x magnification is worth it if long(er) distance observation is desirable.

Sometimes you might not get the best view while looking through the Prostaff 7s binoculars as compared to 3s binoculars when you are using your glasses due to shorter eye relief. Prism Type Despite these similarities, these binoculars differ in weight. To illustrate this concept, we’ll compare two of their products: the 8×42 and 10×42. Nikon has been around since 1917. It was founded after the merger of three optical manufacturers, aiming to create a fully integrated optical company. As they say, the rest is history.

It achieves this via Nikon’s Field Flattener Lens System, which in tandem with the Monarch HG’s 30mm wide field of view helps maintain sharpness right to the lens’ periphery. Also impressing is its water and fog-proofed build, while focusing is achieved via a large centrally located wheel, which makes operation unbelievably smooth, particularly when panning with subjects. This Nikon’s sharpness can be fine tuned for spectacle wearers too, via a dioptric adjustment ring on the right eyepiece. This general-purpose pair of daylight binoculars is both well-constructed and affordable. Feeling well balanced when gripped, the Nikon Prostaff 3S 10x42 is eminently suitable for outdoor use by virtue of it providing O-ring sealing to prevent any ingress of water plus a nitrogen-purged construction to prevent fogging. The Prostaff 3s and 7s look fairly similar when it comes to their build. With both binoculars, their chassis are constructed from polycarbonate resin, which is both lightweight and resistant to corrosion. Internal reflection is more prominent in the 3s’s series binoculars which has a noticeable hazying affect on the image quality presented to the eyes. Edge sharpness is respectable, with a little bit of dimness and distortion near the edges. Because of the wide FOV, you can hardly see the edges anyway.These binoculars are very versatile and can handle a wide range of lighting conditions, so they’re perfect for birding at dusk and dawn. However, they’re only covered by a two-year product warranty, while this pair is covered by a limited lifetime warranty. In terms of quality, both offer a comparable performance, but the Nikon binoculars feature a more durable chassis design and a better ergonomic design that makes the binoculars easier to grip and hold for a longer period of time. Conclusion and Rating

The lens and prism coatings of the Prostaff 7s series is of a higher grade than the Prostaff 3s models, which means better light transmission with the 7s models giving clearly brighter images. The internal reflections of the Nikon Prostaff 7s binoculars are better controlled than the internal reflections of the Nikon Prostaff 3s binoculars. In good to average light conditions, most people’s pupils will constrict to a size smaller or at least equal to 4mm and thus both an 8x42 and a 10x42 binocular will be supplying your eyes with more than enough light for you to work with and thus perceive a bright image.

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This is the compact 10x30 iteration, with a 10x magnification married to a 30mm objective lens size. There’s also a slightly higher priced 10x42 alternative available too and likewise covered here. The suggestion is that the 10x30 matches the 10x42’s performance – and in a more compact form. Compared to the fully multicoated optics on prostaff 7s, the 3s series comes with single-layer coating. Price Almost two yes later in 2016, Nikon Vision Co. Ltd, introduced another new series again into the market, called the Nikon Prostaff 3s binoculars. The models released were the 8×42 and 10×42 models and they became the latest addition to the Prostaff series. Maybe I guess is because of the much popularity the previous series had gained. Once again, construction of this Nikon binocular includes a central folding mechanism that allows us to adjust the set up to comfortably match the distance between our own eyes. While, for us, performance isn’t quite up there with Nikon’s own premium Monarch HG alternatives in terms of clarity and sharpness, and we did notice the odd instance of purple fringing in contrast-y situations, if we’re looking for a good quality, general purpose pair then results are more than good enough. In summary, what we’re getting here is a very good performance at a very fair asking price.