Prostaff P7 or Monarch M5 - is the upgrade worth it?

Side-by-side testers on birding forums gave the M5 the edge: better edge-to-edge sharpness from its ED glass, less color fringing, and noticeably nicer eyepiece build (one tester called the P7's eyecups 'cheap and rattly' by comparison). The P7 counters with a wider field of view and a lower price. If the roughly $70-90 difference doesn't hurt, most forum voices say take the M5.

How does it compare to the Vortex Diamondback HD 10x42?

Direct comparisons found essentially no difference in sharpness. The Nikon is about an ounce lighter with a more manageable hinge, while the Vortex offers the famous no-questions-asked VIP warranty. It genuinely comes down to feel and warranty preference - neither is the wrong answer at this price.

Is the Prostaff P7 10x42 good for astronomy?

Better than its price suggests. An astronomy-focused review found it very sharp with no false-color halos on the Moon, Jupiter, or bright stars, crediting the phase-corrected, dielectric-coated prisms. The 4.2mm exit pupil isn't ideal for dark-sky work, but as a dual-use hunting/stargazing glass under $200 it earned real praise.

Should I get the 8x42 or 10x42 P7?

The 8x42 is the more forgiving instrument - a huge 383 ft field of view, a 5.25mm exit pupil for low light, and a standout 19.5mm of eye relief. The 10x42 makes sense for open-country hunting and long-distance identification where reach beats window size. Glasses wearers especially should lean 8x42, since the 10x42 drops to 16.2mm of eye relief.

Does the lack of ED glass actually matter?

In daytime, sometimes - you can see some color fringing on bright, high-contrast edges like branches against sky or reflections off water. At night and in normal field use, testers found it well controlled. If fringing bothers you or you do a lot of against-the-sky birding, that's the specific reason to spend up to the Monarch M5.

Is it fully weatherproof?

Yes - waterproof, nitrogen-purged, and fogproof, with a rugged rubber-armored body that hunting reviewers rate as ready for hard field use. It also carries Nikon's limited lifetime warranty on the optics. This isn't a fair-weather binocular.

Full-Size

~$180

Nikon

Nikon Prostaff P7 10x42

Name: Nikon Prostaff P7 10x42
Brand: Nikon
Price: 180 USD
Availability: InStock

The Nikon Prostaff P7 10x42 is a mid-range 10x42 full-size binocular designed for hunting and outdoor sports. It features quality optics with multi-coated lenses with fully multi-coated surfaces and a 305 ft @ 1000 yds field of view. Backed by Nikon's Limited Lifetime warranty.

Approx. price

$180

Optic

10x×42

FOV @ 1000 yds

305 ft

Use Case

Hunting

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Specifications

What do these mean? →

10x

42mm

4.2mm

305 ft @ 1000 yds

16.2mm

6.5 ft

Roof

Standard

Fully Multi-Coated

5.7 x 5.1 in

20.8 oz

Limited Lifetime

Field of view, to scale

Why FOV matters →

you2505007501000 yds

Distance200 yds

Nikon Prostaff P7 10x425.8°

61 ft wide at 200 yds ≈ 1.5 school buses

typical 8×42 — 79 ft at 200 yds

Top-down view · drawn to true scale — no exaggeration

Wondering about the format itself? 8x42 vs 10x42 · 10x42 vs 10x50

Key Features

ED Glass

Phase-Corrected

Dielectric Coating

Fully Multi-Coated

Waterproof

Fogproof

Locking Diopter

Image Stabilized

Tripod Adaptable

Magnesium Body

Owner Insights(40 discussions)

The Prostaff P7 10x42 is Nikon quietly moving upmarket features downmarket: phase-corrected, dielectric-coated prisms - the stuff that separates real optics from budget glass - at a street price under $200. The vibe among owners and reviewers is that this is the new floor for a 'serious' binocular; hunting publications named it an editor's choice under $200, and even astronomy testers came away impressed, which almost never happens to a hunting-priced roof prism. It's the binocular people recommend when someone's budget can stretch past the P3 but not to a Monarch.

In hand it's light, slim, and comfortable, with a smooth-enough focus, a locking diopter, and a hinge that side-by-side testers preferred to the stiffer Vortex Diamondback HD. The center of the image is legitimately sharp, and at night the view is clean - no false-color halos on the Moon or bright stars. The compromises show in daylight details: without ED glass, bright high-contrast edges pick up some fringing, edge sharpness trails the Monarch M5, and the eyecups feel cheap and rattly next to step-up models. The 10x42 configuration specifically trades away the 8x42's standout 19.5mm eye relief and big exit pupil, so it's less forgiving for glasses wearers and dimmer in the last light.

It's best for hunters and wildlife watchers who want real reach and real prism quality on a sub-$200 budget, and it doubles as a shockingly decent casual astronomy glass. Against the Vortex Diamondback HD 10x42 it's a coin flip on optics with Nikon winning on weight and handling and Vortex winning on warranty. The honest forum consensus: if you can find another $70-90, the Monarch M5 10x42's ED glass and nicer build are worth it - but if $180 is the number, the P7 is arguably the most binocular you can buy for it.

Pros

+Punches above its price on prism quality - phase-corrected, dielectric-coated prisms are features that used to require Monarch money, and reviewers say they eliminate the dull, low-contrast look of cheap roof prisms
+Genuinely sharp center image - an astronomy-focused review called it 'very sharp' and noted it holds its own against classic porro-prism binoculars on the night sky
+Surprisingly capable for stargazing - testers found no false-color halos around the Moon, Jupiter, or bright stars, with subtle star colors rendering well despite the lack of ED glass
+Light and compact for a full-size 10x42 at about 20.8 ounces, with a slim bridge and manageable hinge that side-by-side testers preferred to the stiffer Vortex Diamondback HD
+Excellent close focus of 6.5 feet - nearly half the distance of the Prostaff P3, opening up butterflies and feeder birds
+Locking diopter at a sub-$200 price, a feature usually reserved for more expensive glass
+Named an editor's choice for best hunting binocular under $200, with reviewers praising the rugged, nitrogen-sealed, waterproof build
+In three-way forum comparisons against the Vortex Diamondback HD, testers found sharpness essentially equal with the Nikon lighter and easier to handle

Cons

−No ED glass - some false color shows up in daytime viewing on bright, high-contrast edges and specular reflections, which is exactly where the Monarch M5's ED elements pull ahead
−Eyepiece build feels cheap - a side-by-side forum tester described the P7's eyecups as 'cheap and rattly' compared to the Monarch M5's
−Edge-to-edge sharpness trails the Monarch M5 in direct comparisons - the ED-glass Monarch holds detail further into the field
−Eye relief drops from a generous 19.5mm on the 8x42 to 16.2mm on this 10x42 - still workable for glasses but noticeably less forgiving
−The 4.2mm exit pupil gives up meaningful low-light performance versus the 8x42, a real cost for a binocular marketed at hunters who glass at dawn and dusk
−Glare handling is imperfect - reviewers of the Prostaff line have noted sun spots and flare artifacts when viewing toward direct sunlight
−The 305 ft field of view, while fine for 10x, loses the expansive feel that makes the 8x42 P7 such an easy recommendation
−Sits in an awkward spot for upgraders - forum threads repeatedly conclude that another $70-90 gets you the Monarch M5's ED glass, leaving the P7 as the 'almost' choice