Nikon Monarch M5 8x42
by Nikon
8x42 roof-prism binocular with ED glass and long 19.5mm eye relief.
Where to buy
- AmazonCheck price at Amazon
This page may contain affiliate links. If you purchase through one, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Learn more.
Specifications
- Angle Of View Degrees
- 6.4
- Close Focus Ft
- 8.2
- Exit Pupil Mm
- 5.3
- Eye Relief Mm
- 19.5
- Field Of View
- 335 ft @ 1000 yds
- Fogproof
- true
- Interpupillary Distance Mm
- 56-72
- Magnification
- 8x
- Objective Lens Mm
- 42
- Waterproof
- true
- Weight Oz
- 22.2
Source: Nikon official product lineup page — Last verified: September 7, 2026
Pros
- 19.5mm eye relief is genuinely long — a real advantage for glasses wearers over the Diamondback HD's 17mm
- ED glass at this price point is a real spec advantage, not just marketing language
Cons
- 335 ft field of view at 1000 yds is narrower than the Diamondback HD's 393 ft — you'll pan more to track a moving bird
- 8.2-foot close focus is noticeably farther than the Diamondback HD's 5 feet, a real drawback for close backyard feeder watching
Who it’s for
Birders who wear glasses and have found narrower-eye-relief binoculars uncomfortable or vignetted — 19.5mm is enough room to keep glasses on without losing the edges of the field of view. Also a reasonable pick for anyone who specifically wants ED glass at this price tier.
Who should avoid it
Backyard birders who watch feeders at close range should notice the 8.2-foot close focus versus the Diamondback HD's 5 feet — that's a meaningfully different practical experience, not a marginal spec difference. Anyone prioritizing the widest possible field of view for tracking fast-moving birds should also look elsewhere.
Our verdict
The Monarch M5 8x42 trades field of view and close focus for eye relief and ED glass relative to the Diamondback HD — neither is a strictly better binocular, they're built around different priorities. As with the Diamondback HD page, this verdict is built from Nikon's own published specifications, not hands-on field testing; see our how-we-test page for what that means for how much weight to put on this page.
Based on specifications, published information, and our evaluation framework — see how we test.
Related
This page may contain affiliate links. If you purchase through one, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Learn more.