Considering Nikon Monarch Fieldscope or Leupold Mk 4 - any input?

[Baron23]

Yeah, I know, I know...another X vs Y post.....but please bear with me and I'll try to keep it short.

I'm looking at purchasing either the Nikon Monarch Fieldscope 82ED-A/MEP-30 FS-MRAD or the Leupold Mark 4 12-40x60mm with TMR reticle.

I do not do ELR (yet...and at 68 y.o. maybe never) and this will be mostly used just for spotting at the range and maybe some hunting. Ranges I have access to max out at 300 at one and 500 at the other.

I am considering the Nikon due to Frank's (@lowlight ) very complimentary vid review, big objective should provide good exit pupil BUT Nikon's site seems to say its 4.1mm @ 20x which is less than .2" and eye relief of 16 mm which is .6" Can this possibly be accurate with that big objective???

I am considering the Leupold for variable power and FFP TMR reticle (vice fixed magnification on Nikon) and its smaller size and lower weight.

Anybody have a view of these two spotting scopes that they are willing to offer up?

Thanks

 

[Baron23]

Well, guess not.

 

[ken226]

Very few, if any here use it, so responses will likely be scarce.

I've never used it either. The reviews ive seen were mostly on birdwatching forums, and were very positive.

If you buy it, by all means post some comparisons with other scopes and post your opinion here, for others who may have the same questions in the future. Im curious as well.

 

[Baron23]

Very few, if any here use it, so responses will likely be scarce.

I've never used it either. The reviews ive seen were mostly on birdwatching forums, and were very positive.

If you buy it, by all means post some comparisons with other scopes and post your opinion here, for others who may have the same questions in the future. Im curious as well.

Thanks!
Yeah, I knew I was taking a bit of a flyer on it with this question but thought to give it a try.

I’m pretty sure I’m going to get the Leupold

cheers

 

[ken226]

Thanks!
Yeah, I knew I was taking a bit of a flyer on it with this question but thought to give it a try.

I’m pretty sure I’m going to get the Leupold

cheers

The Athlon Chronus Tactical has some good reviews here. Its worth a look.

 

[supercorndogs]

You might consider some 16-20x binoculars.

 

[Wyzrd]

I’m really surprised that the Nikon Monarch Fieldscope ED spotter isn’t as popular as some others. I’ve always liked Nikons ED glass, and their warranty/customer service is really good too. They do get a lot of love in the hunting, birding, and photography communities, but if I was in need of a spotter with a reticle, the Nikon offering would definitely be one I’d try out.

 

[supercorndogs]

I agree about the Nikon Glass. I have a pair of 16x56 Monarch 5s i like a lot.

 

[Baron23]

My only hesitancy about the Nikon is it’s size and weight.

well, that and I think I favor the FFP OF the Leupold as that gives me variable magnification With a proportional reticle.

Am I over emphasizing these factors?

 

[supercorndogs]

Not if they are the ones important to you. I would want the reticle in the FFP also.

 

[biggmac1]

I too am looking for a spotting scope with a reticle/grid. Other than Leupold Mk4 and Bushnell, are there any others?

 

[Screehopper]

I too am looking for a spotting scope with a reticle/grid. Other than Leupold Mk4 and Bushnell, are there any others?

Athlon Cronus Tactical 7-42x60 Spotting Scope has a reticle.

Cronus Tactical Spotting Scopes From Athlon Optics

Whether you are a long range shooter, hunter or part of a sniper team, the Cronus Tactical 7-42×60 Spotting Scopes will make your job a breeze.

athlonoptics.com

Vortex Viper Fixed 33.5x reticle eyepiece available only for the 85mm model

Vortex Razor HD Fixed 22x reticle Eyepiece available only for the 85mm model

Nikon Fieldscope Fixed reticle eyepiece is 24x on 65mm body and 30x on 82mm body.

 

[Screehopper]

I’m really surprised that the Nikon Monarch Fieldscope ED spotter isn’t as popular as some others. I’ve always liked Nikons ED glass, and their warranty/customer service is really good too. They do get a lot of love in the hunting, birding, and photography communities, but if I was in need of a spotter with a reticle, the Nikon offering would definitely be one I’d try out.

I have the Nikon Monarch Fieldscope ED 16-48x60 now. I like it. I had the previous Nikon Fieldscope III. I wanted good quality without the high premium prices. Sometimes I wish I had a reticle. I've gotten by without ever having a reticle in the spotter so that's just how I run.

The fixed reticle eyepiece was not an option when I got the Monarch Fieldscope. I think the fixed reticles are a bit limiting because I often like to start off zoomed out to get my bearings before zooming in. With fixed eyepiece, you may find yourself lost trying to find the target with the tunnel vision look.

 

[Baron23]

I've decided to go with the Leupold Mk 4. I too find variable mag and FFP to be desirable.

 

[Baron23]

As I mentioned in the post right above, I have decided to go with the Leupold Mark 4, 12-40 x 60 FFP Mil reticle spotting scope.

To this end, I found that Leupold offers active mil, retired mil, LEO, and just plain veteran discount program.

So, I submitted my DD214 and in a day or so I was approved.

Now, we are not to talk about the discount amount and I will absolutely respect Leupold's requirement for this program. I can say, however, that it is an excellent discount and took a LOT of sting out of buying one.

So, in a week when my new Amex bill cycle starts (LOL), I will order one.

Cheers and thanks to all for their input.

 

[LAW-DOG]

For shooting at the range the 82mm Nikon ED is awesome. To me these 2 spotters are very different. The mk4 was made to be tough, light, & compact for military use. The Nikon ED spotter was designed to provide very good optical quality without being crazy expensive. The 82mm objective has better resolution, brightness, & detail vs than the smaller mk4. The optical quality of the Nikon is close to the alphas like swaro & kowa without the alpha price. After some really good reviews on birdforum & frank here I picked up one with a 20-60x & 30x mrad. It’s definitely a step above the mk4 spotter in optical quality being that it uses nikons top ed glass. The barrel focus is also better than the mk4 making it easier to focus. Hard to find any CA with the Nikon. It is heavy so if that’s a concern then the mk4 will be better. The mk4 is tough, light, & compact so if you are carrying it & hunting then the mk4 will be the better choice. The Nikon also has a field flatner that gets rid of outer edge distortion & ca. I would rank the Nikon better than the razor & not as good as the kowa but surprisingly closer than expected. If just shooting at the range I like the Nikon 82mm ED better. For hunting & range then probably mk4 but also consider the golden ring hd because it is better optically. Both optics are very good & each has it’s pros & cons that will help determine the choice. For the OP the mk4 will be a good fit

 

[gr8fuldoug]

If you're looking for a deal on a spotter, did you see this post?

 

[Baron23]

For shooting at the range the 82mm Nikon ED is awesome. To me these 2 spotters are very different. The mk4 was made to be tough, light, & compact for military use. The Nikon ED spotter was designed to provide very good optical quality without being crazy expensive. The 82mm objective has better resolution, brightness, & detail vs than the smaller mk4. The optical quality of the Nikon is close to the alphas like swaro & kowa without the alpha price. After some really good reviews on birdforum & frank here I picked up one with a 20-60x & 30x mrad. It’s definitely a step above the mk4 spotter in optical quality being that it uses nikons top ed glass. The barrel focus is also better than the mk4 making it easier to focus. Hard to find any CA with the Nikon. It is heavy so if that’s a concern then the mk4 will be better. The mk4 is tough, light, & compact so if you are carrying it & hunting then the mk4 will be the better choice. The Nikon also has a field flatner that gets rid of outer edge distortion & ca. I would rank the Nikon better than the razor & not as good as the kowa but surprisingly closer than expected. If just shooting at the range I like the Nikon 82mm ED better. For hunting & range then probably mk4 but also consider the golden ring hd because it is better optically. Both optics are very good & each has it’s pros & cons that will help determine the choice. For the OP the mk4 will be a good fit

Thank you for the great reply. I did buy the Mk 4 for just the reasons you mentioned....size and portability. Plus the Leupold veteran discount. I'm happy with my purchase decision and if I get the chance to do more long range shooting at a range, perhaps a Nikon or Kowa is in the future. But right now, I am very satisfied with my Mk 4.

Thanks again for your time to write up this very informative reply

If you're looking for a deal on a spotter, did you see this post?

Sadly I had already bought the Mk 4 and was in the penalty box (don't ask...haha) when you posted your flyer. Those are some OUTSTANDING prices on the Nikon.

I hope to find a need and buy something from Camera Land in the future as I have seen the outstanding support you give the community here.

 

[carbonbased]

@LAW-DOG can you compare the Vortex 27-60x85mm spotter to the Nikon?

 

[LAW-DOG]

@LAW-DOG can you compare the Vortex 27-60x85mm spotter to the Nikon?

These are 2 some the best performers for the $$ when trying to get alpha quality for less. One thing the Nikon has that the razor doesn’t is a field flattener that makes the entire fov look great all the way to the edge. A flat field isn’t a big deal but I prefer flat field optics like my swaro 10x50 binos & when moving back & forth from my Zeiss hd 8x32 the outer distortion becomes more apparent. The overall optical quality is better in the Nikon & it controls ca better too. Both have good eyepiece options. One thing I like better about the razor eyepieces is the long eye relief 22x for people who use glasses. I have the 30-60 wide fov, 20-60x, & the 30x mil eyepiece. I like the 30-60x much better than the 20-60x but I got the 20-60x for when mirage is bad. Optically with the 30-60x I would say the Nikon in the center field is as good as the Kowa or swaro like some of the other bird forum reviewers who know optics better than I do. I don’t think either is bad choice & if you had them side by side the Nikon is only a little bit better. Both have no fault lifetime warranties with vortex having better customer service. No bad choices with these 2