The Nikon Monarch HG 8x30 binoculars are your new compact bird watching and stargazing companion

Binoculars that do it all in a compact package? These are a spot on for any type of spotter

Nikon Monarch HG 8x30
(Image credit: Nikon)

Lens specialist Nikon was always going to be a great choice for binoculars but in the case of the Monarch HG 8x30 binoculars, the company has gone above and beyond expectations. 

These binoculars are compact for travel yet offer such super optics that you don't need to compromise on quality. As such you should be able to spot superb detail at distance be it for bird watching, star gazing or anything else you need a detailed long-distance view of. Are these worthy of consideration amongst today's best birdwatching binoculars?

Nikon Monarch HG 8x30

(Image credit: Nikon)

The Nikon Monarch HG 8x30 binoculars pack a lot of smarts into that waterproof 450g magnesium alloy body. For a start, the Field Flatter Lens System offers a super wide 60.3 degree field of view that stays sharp right from edge to edge. This works to compensate the curvature of field so your view is far clearer, meaning you can easily spot birds, scan coastlines or analyse buildings.

The lenses also offer extra low dispersion glass which works to give you the highest resolution image combined with the most punchy contrast. This works by correcting the chromatic aberration that would otherwise cause colour fringing. 

Those lenses are coated in a dielectric, high-reflective, multi-layer prism. Sounds good, right? It is, as this is what gives maximum brightness so the view is easy to pick out details no matter what the lighting is at the time of day you're using these binoculars. 

The fog proofing works to make sure that the clarity the lenses offer is never lost due to steam moisture. 

Nikon Monarch HG 8x30

(Image credit: Nikon)

The Nikon Monarch HG 8x30 binoculars are filled with nitrogen meaning they're able to resist pressure of five metres for up to 10 minutes. This also means they're good for low-pressure environments making them ideal for mountain climbers since they're good for up to 5,000 metres. 

Should you be adventuring with these you won't need to worry about looking after them too much as the lenses and eyepieces are coated with a scratch resistant layer for protection. 

Nikon Monarch HG 8x30

(Image credit: Nikon)

As compact binoculars go this set is one of the best out there right now. That does mean you'll need to dig deep in your pockets to cover the £899 price. But you definitely get what you pay for here. So if perfect quality in a travel-friendly form is what you're after – the Nikon Monarch HG 8x30 binoculars are the ones for you.

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Luke Edwards

Luke is a former freelance writer for T3 with over two decades of experience covering tech, science and health. Among many others Luke wrote about health tech, software and apps, VPNs, TV, audio, smart home, antivirus, broadband, smartphones, cars and plenty more. In his free time, Luke used to climb mountains, swim outside and contort his body into silly positions while breathing as calmly as possible.