Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Nikon Monarch ATB Chitt the bed

Had 'em about five years. Used about 10 - 12 days in that time frame.

The right side is fogged internally. I'm gonna send 'em in and hope they get fixed without a warranty(and for free since I'm not sticking any cash into them). I didn't send in the warranty, because if I thought that they would tank in five years I wouldn't have bought them in the first place.

Maybe I should have spent some cash to begin with, but I'm not droppin' $1300.00 for binos that sometimes get used one week a year.

Opinions wanted how I can get top end glass with minimal investment (ain't much to ask!). What about something like used Swaro or Zeiss?Should I contact someone like the CameraLand guy?

If Nikon fixes them free, I'll always be apprehensive. I feel like I'm $300.00 behind and I should have bought something really good to start with. Now what?...................

"I feel like I'm $300.00 behind and I should have bought something really good to start with."

I think you answered your own question. There ain't no freebies, so you either bite the bullet, or get used to mediocre glass. Simple as that.......

Try the Pentax Sp's, more than $300, but less than the Zeiss/leica/Swaro. Very good vaue for the money, much better than Monarch ATB's.

It would be my pleasure to assist you. Please give me a call when you get a chance.
If you would like I can also see what I can do with those Nikons for you.

Thanks Doug.

I will be calling you this weekend.

I once had a Leupold Vari x III 3.5-10 that blew out its horizontal adjustment after years of heavy recoiling rifles. They fixed it of course. Does this mean I should never use Leupolds again?

I have a set of 10X Monarch binos that have lasted 8 or 9 years of abuse in rain, dust, and generally tough hunting conditions. Regardless of what you buy, you can have issues. If my current ones bite the dust for some reason, I'll buy another pair if I can't afford a high end set. And how is that for service from Doug? I bought a Leica rangefinder from him about a month ago and he is a first class guy to deal with. I hope you get a pair of binos that works for you.

I would like to thank Doug at Cameraland for all his information, and time spend answering my ignorant questions.

I'm really looking foward to the arrival of the Zeiss binos.

Thanks again Doug.

Whatchya get?......

I had those same bino's and feel I totally wasted my 299.99 on them. With some things you just gotta bite the bullet and quit all the cost justifications. The Monarch ATB's sucked many into buying them thinking they were getting a premium glass at a discount price. They werent. I wish i had of save up another 500.00 bones to get a worthwhile set. My pentax bino's i bought at a toy store are better than those ATB's. In fact after i ran over the ATB's with my truck (as I like to do with things that don't work) I went back to the little pentax toy goggles. Now I have my eye on a Swarovski 8x42 for about $800.00 bones, yet i'm $300.00 short

!0x40 Victory.Lifetime warranty.

Yeah....I knew the Nikons were a decent mid-range bino, and the price and the light weight seemed perfect for the one-week-a -year-trip. Unfortunatley I had to find out the hard way(read this as a hunting trip half way across the U.S. and I am sporting useless glass). I know it can happen with any product, but I'm not second chancing $300 more and having another tank again.

Kinda like buyin' 2 Ford Escorts when you should have gotten the Lexus to begin with. Both go from point A to B, But one will be more reliable and ultimatley last longer. Not into name dropping, but there's a reason the top stuff is spendy.Everyone says don't skimp on binos, scopes, or rainwear. Makes sense to me.

Kinda like buyin' 2 Ford Escorts when you should have gotten the Lexus to begin with. Both go from point A to B, But one will be more reliable and ultimatley last longer. Not into name dropping, but there's a reason the top stuff is spendy.Everyone says don't skimp on binos, scopes, or rainwear. Makes sense to me.

I don't know about that, a buddy at work has 230,000 miles on his Escort , and he's never had any major/big problems with it.

I personally can't see paying too much for scopes and binos, but I'm cheap. That said, Now that the Leupold Cascades are Phase corrected, they might be something to look at. The earlier Cascades I've got proved to be very comparable to Swarovski ELs, though it wasn't a scientific type comparison, they were right there with 'em. And the ELs cost how much? Now some crotchface(you know who you are, Mr. Tappen) is going to come and post I'm crazy for saying that, but though my eyes aren't perfect, I can tell the difference between not being able to read a roadsign/billboard at 600yds away and being able to. Hey, they've got a Lifetime warranty. J

Save your money, then "Buy the best you can afford....and you'll only have to buy it ONCE."

After spending good money on bad products over and over, I finally saw the wisdon of that statement.

GB

I don't think $1000 binocs are for everyone. Like was originally posted, if you are only using them a couple times a year, then it is a waste of money. I am sure Nikon will fix them.

I owned a pair of Pentax DCF WP's, and they were great. I had one eyecup go wierd, but it was replaced for free. Other than that, I think they were up there with the high end glass.

I agree.

Once you get in the $300 price range expectations go up.

GB

New release, in the $300.00 price range to compete with the Nikon ATB is the Minox BD 8x42 & 10x42 BL series. I checked them here in the city (OK, so not the greatest environment to check them out completely <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />) but they appear to be a bit brighter & same sharpness and in the same $$$ class.

Hey Doug...

I got the Zeiss today. INCREDIBLE. I'm going to be spoiled now.

Thanks for your great service. I look forward to doing business again. Time to go play with my new binos now.

THANKX

The Monarch ATB binos do not do justice to the Monarch name. The Monarch scopes are great, the binos are marginal at best. If I were wanting binos today on a limited budget I'd jump all over the special Doug has on the Minox. They are super binos......for less than $200? Unbelievable.