Nikon 16003 PROSTAFF 7S 10x42 Inches All-Terrain Binocular (Black)

So here is my chronology of how I selected the Prostaff 7S 10x30 binocular.I live in the San Francisco Bay Area and we have a locally legendary science museum called the Exploratorium. I am in my fifties now and I have taken multiple field trips to this wonderful location beginning in elementary school.They have recently moved to a new location near the famous Pier 39. At this location, they have an observation deck that is equipped with a Nikon Trailblazer 10x25 binocular. My daughter and I could not believe the clarity and ease of focus from these tiny binoculars. We were astonished on how well they performed. I could see, clearly, the clock tower located on the University of Berkeley campus, which is located a few miles inland from across the entire bay!I have not used binoculars in years and these little guys literally blew my mind, so I decided right then to quickly purchase these particular binoculars. I compared the Trailblazer between more expensive Bushnell, Leupold and Vortex binoculars at various sporting good stores in my area and I could not believe how these Nikons outperformed the competition. The only comparable glasses in size, but a bit more expensive, that outperformed the Trailblazers were the Nikon Prostaff 7S 10x30.I was astonished that the brightness was so much more noticeable than the Trailblazers. The clarity was also better but not as noticeable as the brightness. The deciding factor that swayed me to buy the 7S was the size. These binoculars are essentially, at most, a ½ inch longer than the Trailblazers! They are thicker, thus heavier, but feel understandably more durable.I work in a profession where cargo pants are routinely utilized and these binoculars are compact enough to fit nicely into my cargo pockets. To have these binoculars always with me and the ability to utilize them at a moments notice is incredible. Their size is also compact enough for my wife to use these same binoculars at the symphony!There is another area upon which my infatuation with the Nikons' had grown. I have always been fascinated with astronomy and I have usually owned an inexpensive telescope so I can peer into the cosmos on occasion. I was flabbergasted when I gazed upon the night sky with these binoculars! I understand they are only 10x30's, but even in the light polluted metropolitan area upon which I live, I was able to see the subtle ring shape of Saturn, the Andromeda Galaxy and the Messier 13 Globular Cluster, all on the first night I purchased these gems. Seeing the stars shimmer and twinkle with astounding colors and clarity was just an unbelievable and unexpected delight. Observing the night sky with both eyes, rather than with just one with a telescope, makes for an incredible and extremely pleasurable experience. Just the 10 fold increase in the amount of stars that I could see with the binoculars, with the sky itself appearing darker interestingly enough, gave me the impression I was in a rural area. The easy to use binoculars and the unexpected revelation of the night sky was purely a beautiful bonus!For never really being interested in, “Binoculars” since childhood, due to the cool magnification but crappy clarity, the Exploratorium and Nikon have now introduced to me the fascinating world of, “Sport Optics.” Until you experience what binoculars where supposed to always have been, you are missing a fascinating aspect of technology that makes me now wonder how I ever lived without these things.

By no means would I consider these to be the be-all-end-all type of binocular. However, I was able to get these while they were on sale, and for the price I paid for them, I would say that yes, they are hard to beat. Being familiar with Nikon optics and owning many, many Nikon camera lenses, I can say the optics on these are very good. During bright daylight, there is some fringing that occurs, but the multicoated lenses help with that I suppose. You could spend more money if you require the best optics, and there is easily room for improvement, but for the price point I was able to purchase these at, they are hard to beat. I will say that under "ideal" conditions, they work wonderfully providing a crystal clear, sharp, enhanced image. I would recommend them. They do get heavy however, if glassing for extended periods of time. Keep this in mind also.

Nice quality. I'm a fussy binocular person, I want bright, sharp/clear and close focus. It's nice if they're light weight too. Any bins will work at noon, it's whether they work at dusk and dawn, in a forest on a cloudy day that is important. These bins work fine and are small enough to fit in a jacket pocket. As I enjoy looking at poison dart frogs, and other small critters when traveling, these Nikons are also close focus to assist seeing things that are difficult to approach. Glad bought them.

As many people have noted, there are two issues to acknowledge with this product package: the binoculars and the caps designed to (supposedly) protect them.First, the unit itself. The build quality is excellent and the adjustments are good, tight and firm. The image quality is excellent for binoculars in this price point. With good maintenance and an eye to cleanliness, these binoculars will last a long time. The small size is great and they are relatively lightweight.The neck strap is ok, but if you're patient and wait for a price drop, the Matin Neoprene Comfort Strap with Quick Release is a much more comfortable strap to use for lengthy trekking.As for the one piece eyecap and the objective lens covers, well, they are indeed cheap. But you're not buying top end binoculars. As one reviewer noted, the caps are designed primarily to protect the glass from dirt. And if installed properly on the neckstrap, they can be quite convenient to place back on the openings. The 3 pieces to have slits in their attachment lugs to facilitate easy removal if not needed. Frankly, I would be there are some out there who have figured out alternative solutions - lets hear about them !