Nikon Prostaff P3 8x42 vs Celestron Nature DX 10x42
Quick take: The Celestron Nature DX 10x42 costs $3 less; the Celestron Nature DX 10x42 reaches farther (10x vs 8x); the Nikon Prostaff P3 8x42 has a wider field of view (377 vs 304 ft @ 1000 yds).
Field of view, to scale
Top-down view · drawn to true scale — no exaggeration
Which one to buy
Glasses decide this pair before anything else does. The Prostaff P3 8x42 has 20.2mm of eye relief, and owners rank it among the most eyeglass-friendly budget binoculars around; the Celestron Nature DX 10x42 has 14mm, and its owners say glasses wearers routinely lose the outer field even with the eyecups fully down. If you wear glasses, the choice ends there.
Without glasses, it is a $3 difference between an 8x and a 10x, and the 8x still suits most people better. The P3 shows 377 ft against 304 ft and has a 5.25mm exit pupil against 4.2mm, so it finds birds faster and stays brighter later into dusk. Owners praise its center sharpness and light 20.3 oz body, and their complaints are the usual budget ones: fringing on backlit birds, soft edges, and a flimsy strap and lens caps.
The Nature DX has two things the Nikon lacks. Its close focus is 6.5 ft against 9.8 ft, which owners say works for casual butterfly and feeder viewing, and it has phase-corrected prisms. Owners describe natural color with little fringing in daylight and a build that feels more expensive than it is. They also mention a slow, low-geared focus wheel, no diopter lock and a thin strap.
The Nature DX's case is reach and close focus for someone who doesn't wear glasses, and it gives up field width, dusk brightness and eye comfort to get them.
Nikon Prostaff P3 8x42
For eyeglass wearers, woodland birders and anyone out at dawn or dusk, the wider, brighter 8x view is worth the extra $3.
Celestron Nature DX 10x42
Worth it if you don't wear glasses, want 10x for open country or travel, and like a 6.5 ft close focus for butterflies and feeders.
| Spec | Nikon Prostaff P3 8x42 | Celestron Nature DX 10x42 |
|---|---|---|
| Approx. price | ~$160 | ~$157 |
| Use case | General Purpose | General Purpose |
| Magnification | 8x | 10x |
| Objective | 42mm | 42mm |
| Exit pupil | 5.25mm | 4.2mm |
| Field of view | 377 ft @ 1000 yds | 304 ft @ 1000 yds |
| Eye relief | 20.2mm | 14mm |
| Close focus | 9.8 ft | 6.5 ft |
| Prism | Roof | Roof |
| Glass | Standard | Standard |
| Coating | Fully Multi-Coated | Fully Multi-Coated |
| Weight | 20.3 oz | 22.2 oz |
| Dimensions | 5.7 x 5.1 in | 5.5 x 5.0 in |
| Warranty | Limited Lifetime | Limited Lifetime |
Feature comparison
Nikon Prostaff P3 8x42
- ✗ED Glass
- ✗Phase-Corrected
- ✗Dielectric Coating
- ✓Waterproof
- ✓Fogproof
- ✗Image Stabilized
- ✓Tripod Adaptable
- ✗Magnesium Body
- ✗Locking Diopter
Celestron Nature DX 10x42
- ✗ED Glass
- ✓Phase-Corrected
- ✗Dielectric Coating
- ✓Waterproof
- ✓Fogproof
- ✗Image Stabilized
- ✓Tripod Adaptable
- ✗Magnesium Body
- ✗Locking Diopter
What birders say
Nikon Prostaff P3 8x42
- ✓Class-leading on-axis sharpness - forum reviewers call it probably the sharpest roof prism you can buy near $100
- ✓Remarkably lightweight for a full-size 42mm roof - one of the lightest phase-coated 8x42s made, great for all-day carry
- ✓Generous 20mm+ eye relief with click-stop eyecups makes it one of the most eyeglass-friendly budget binoculars available
- ✓Fully waterproof and nitrogen-purged fogproof - a huge step over porro-prism rivals like the Aculon A211 at similar money
- ✓Wide 7.2-degree field of view, unusually generous for a budget roof and a clear upgrade over the old Prostaff 3s
- ✓Phase-corrected prisms at a price point where many competitors skip them - contrast and resolution punch above the price
- ✓Comfortable, grippy rubber armor and a simple, snag-free body that owners describe as 'disappearing in the hand'
- ✓Widely regarded on forums as a significant optical improvement over its Prostaff 3s predecessor for barely more money
- ✗Silver-coated (not dielectric) prisms mean the image is a touch dimmer than the Prostaff P7 or Monarch M5 - noticeable at dusk
- ✗No ED glass, so chromatic aberration shows as color fringing on backlit birds and high-contrast edges
- ✗Accessories are bare-bones: unpadded webbing strap, a foam pouch, and lens covers that don't attach and famously get lost
- ✗Edge sharpness falls off in the outer portion of the field - fine for spotting, less fine for panning landscapes
- ✗Some eyeglass wearers report slight vignetting at certain eyecup positions - worth testing before the return window closes
- ✗Focus wheel is functional but not luxurious; a few owners describe slight stiffness in cold weather
- ✗Close focus is unremarkable, so butterfly and dragonfly watchers often look elsewhere
- ✗Plastic-heavy chassis keeps weight down but doesn't feel as substantial as the Monarch M5's build
Celestron Nature DX 10x42
- ✓The default 'best cheap binocular' answer on birding forums — the Nature DX line is probably the most-recommended sub-$150 full-size binocular anywhere
- ✓Expert reviewers rate the line as one of the best values in its class, with build quality that 'looks and feels far more expensive than it actually is'
- ✓Colors render natural without artificial tints, and fringing is minimal unless you deliberately hunt for it at high-contrast edges
- ✓Phase-corrected BaK-4 prisms and fully multi-coated optics — features that were $300-binocular territory not long ago
- ✓Compact for a full-size 42mm at about 25 ounces, with finger indents and textured thumb areas that reviewers praise
- ✓Soft twist-up eyecups with an intermediate stop work smoothly, and the low-geared focus wheel allows precise fine-tuning even in gloves
- ✓Fully waterproof and nitrogen purged at a price where those features often get faked
- ✓6.5-foot close focus is genuinely good for casual butterfly and feeder viewing
- ✗Just 14mm of eye relief on the 10x42 — eyeglass wearers widely report vignetting and lost field, and it's the single biggest reason forum users steer glasses wearers to the 8x42 instead
- ✗304-foot field of view is narrow, making birds in flight and small fast passerines harder to find and track at 10x
- ✗Standard (non-ED) glass shows its limits in dim light — detail fades at dawn and dusk faster than the ED version or pricier rivals
- ✗4.2mm exit pupil dims the image earlier in the evening than the 8x42's
- ✗Polycarbonate chassis and no diopter lock — the diopter can drift, and scale markings are minimal
- ✗Included neck strap is thin and unpadded, and the soft case is lightly padded at best
- ✗Shallow objective lens recession offers less protection from rain and stray light than deeper-set designs
- ✗The 720-degree low-geared focus takes a lot of turning to run from close focus to infinity — precise, but slow when a bird pops up at a different distance
Nikon Prostaff P3 8x42 vs Celestron Nature DX 10x42: common questions
Can you use the Celestron Nature DX 10x42 with glasses?▾
Not comfortably, according to owners. Its 14mm of eye relief is the model's weakest spec, and glasses wearers commonly report losing the outer field even with the eyecups fully down. The Prostaff P3 8x42's 20.2mm is far more forgiving.
Is the Nature DX 10x42 or the Prostaff P3 8x42 better for butterflies?▾
The Nature DX 10x42. Its 6.5 ft close focus is well short of the P3's 9.8 ft, and owners say it handles casual butterfly and feeder viewing. P3 owners call its close focus unremarkable and say butterfly watchers often look elsewhere.
Which is brighter at dusk, the Prostaff P3 8x42 or the Nature DX 10x42?▾
The Prostaff P3 8x42. Its 5.25mm exit pupil beats the Nature DX's 4.2mm, and Nature DX owners say detail fades at dawn and dusk sooner than they'd like. P3 owners note its prisms cost a little light too, but the larger exit pupil keeps it ahead.