Nikon Action 7x50 EX Extreme ATB Binocular

We already had the Nikon Action 8x40 which I think was reasonable quality for $60, but I was disappointed by the Action Extreme 12x50 I bought when I wanted something waterproof and with more reach. Both the Action and Action Extreme have a lot of internal reflection that causes glare around the edges during daytime viewing and from bright objects at night like the moon. The clarity also suffers more than I expected from about half way out from the center to the edges. These are very noticeable and I don't know why more reviewers fail to mention this. At least the 12x50 AE don't exhibit the pincushioning that the 8x40 Action do when I pan the horizon with them!

I use these mostly for bird watching, and they are decent but nothing special. The extra 90 dollars you pay to go from the Action to the Action Extreme line must all be for the waterproofing, as my admittedly casual observation is that the optics quality is very similar to the Action series. Maybe optics that Nikon have made in China don't have the quality of products they make in Japan?

Brightness was sufficient, as these are not fully multi-coated so I didn't expect them to be tremendously bright, especially at 12x, but they are satisfactory in that regard. It's the internal glare and lack of clarity on the outer thirds that bothers me. The adjustable eye cups work beautifully for a glasses wearer like me and the build feels very solid, but the adjuster knob on my pair does not move as smoothly as I would like.

The Nikon brand reputation was the deciding factor for me, but if you have an opportunity to get another decent waterproof set for less, I suggest comparing them if you can. I wish that I had. If you can afford it, the Nikon Monarch series promises to be substantially better than these. These were on par with cheaper Celestrons I had used, and you might do well to compare them to Bushnell and other recent Chinese imports as well. Overall, I was just a little let down on the image quality from these as the reviews on Amazon were mostly glowing. Many people may be comparing them to their experiences with BAK 7 prisms or other low quality binoculars, in which case these are vastly superior. I have a pair with the BAK 7 prisms and the Nikons are much, much better than those.

I would still recommend them to friends but I would definitely shop around for comparable quality for less money. I suspect some of the waterproof Bushnells I've seen priced significantly less aren't much different. Of course, the way everything is sealed in plastic these days the opportunity to compare is severely limited unless you have a friendly camera shop nearby, or maybe a birding group whose members can let you see through their equipment.

Since it looks like Amazon is consolidating several of the Nikon Binocular reviews into one, this review is for the Nikon Action Extreme (#7245) 10x50 Binoculars. I wish Amazon didn't do this since the specs are much different between the "Action" and "Action Extreme" models. ...Anyway, the Action Extremes are very good binoculars. They are not the best you can buy, but you can buy much worse. Actually, there is only one thing that keeps me from giving the 7245's a 5 Star Rating. The optical coatings could be better. The binoculars suffer from some internal reflections when used under difficult lighting situations, such as viewing a bright object like a full moon. The optical coatings are better than your average binoculars, but not as good as some other models. Most of the better ones will cost much more though. During normal circumstances though, the 7245's shine. They have excellent edge to edge sharpness and clarity. I have no problem seeing very fine detail at far distances. All in all, I give them 4.5 stars.

Pros:
Moderately priced.
Waterproof and fogproof.
Rugged construction.
Excellent performance under most conditions.
Long eye relief (17.2mm).
Good accessories.
25 year limited no fault warranty.

Cons:
Optical coatings could be better.
Slightly heavy.

NIKON 16X50 EX ATB WATERPROOF IS WORTH EVERY PENNY.THE CLEARITY IS AWSOME AND NOT TO MENTION,FOR A 16X LENS,IT IS VERY STEADY.I GOT MY KIT THROUGH AMAZON AT $180.OO ON SALE,IT CAME WITH A GOOD QUALITY BAG,STRAP AND A ADAPTER FOR A TRIPOD.FOR THOSE WHO GAVE BAD RESPONSE ON THIS ITEM IS WRONG AND JUST PLAIN TO MUCH.NIKON REALY DOES MAKES QUALITY LENS...THANK FOR READING

I have a fair amount of experience with good optics as an avid amateur astronomer. I have a Meade 10" SCT GPS telescope that is used on a regular basis, as well as an 8" reflector scope and really appreciate quality optics. I needed a pair of relatively decent binoculars to use around the rural property I live on.

After extensive research and shopping, I settled on the NIKON Action Extreme 10 x 50. The waterproofing was a nice, and important bonus. However, the real pay off is in the bright, pure image that these glasses deliver. Very little edge distortion, practically no corona, excellent color transmission, and very easy to hold. Focus is smooth and sure. The diopter adjustment actually works (as opposed to not working at all on lesser glasses), and again the images are crisp and rival much more expensive binos. Great field of view and good eye relief round out the long list of attributes for these binoculars.

One very minor complaint concerns the objective lens covers. You'll have to modify them somewhat to make a strap system to permanently attach them to the bino strap. Nikon includes some slots on the covers to temporarily attach the to the strap, but it's not a permanent solution.

All in all, you really should buy these. Stay away from anything less.

A quantum leap up from even name brand binoculars from the big box stores. This is a great deal.

I knew I wanted big binoculars to add to the two (I thought) adequate, smaller binoculars I'd used for outdoors. I knew I'd use them everyday from the house to watch wildlife, and only infrequently use them on the trail. Once I'd looked through the Nikons, though, I haven't picked up the others and know that I'll wear myself out carrying these around rather than sacrifice clarity and brightness by using smaller binoculars.

Remember that the closest focus on these 10 x 50s is about 17 feet. I stand back from the window to watch birds and squirrels close to the house. A squirrel 20 feet away pretty well fills the field of vision.

At this price, buy them. You might want a harness to steady them and spread the weight around if you'll be carrying them a lot, such as when hiking, or looking through them for a long stretch. They are heavier than smaller binoculars, as you might expect, but that's the trade off to consider when buying binoculars--magnifying power, brightness and clarity of vision versus weight and bulk.

Also, if you're a neophyte to binoculars (or, like me, already know how to do everything and thus tend to ignore the directions or anything you can't figure out on your own), read the directions and use the diopter. Embarassingly, I only just started using it when I got these. Maybe I never would have noticed the difference on the binocs I've had in the past, but I certainly notice it in these excellent units.