Nikon Prostaff 7s 10X42 Binoculars Review

Nikon is a famous brand, and their produced cameras are well known among optics users. However, their binoculars are not very famous: but they are built to satisfy the needs of customers. Recently, I bought Nikon Prostaff 7S 10×42 binoculars and their performance was quite impressive so I decided to write about my experience with these binoculars.

What did I find in these Prostaff 7s binoculars? They are budget products and offer decent visual quality, but you should not expect it to beat the vortex diamondback or even Nikon Monarch series binoculars. Available in 100-dollar brackets, they are strong and lightweight, and the coating present on the lens helps them give you good visual quality. 

I can’t reveal everything in the introduction. But don’t worry, nothing will be missed in this guide as I have written everything (that I experienced) on a notepad and aim to give you complete ins and outs. So, stay connected till the end.

Understanding the Magnification and Objective Lens Size of Prostaff 7s 10X42 binoculars

Before I take you to the details, it is very important for you to understand the specification of these binoculars. In case you’re an experienced outdoor enthusiast who already has knowledge of their specification you can skill. This part is very important for newbies who are just getting started.

These Nikon Prostaff 7s binoculars have a magnification power of 10x. It means that with these binoculars, you will be able to see ten times bigger visuals of the targeted object than a normal person without binoculars can see.

For example, If an object is 1000 yards away from you, and you use these binoculars for that object, then you’ll be able to see the visuals if the object is just 100 yards away from you. 10x magnification is considered ideal for many outdoor activities like bird watching, and hunting.

The second number written in the specification is 42 which represents that these binoculars have an objective lens size of 42mm. This aperture size is very important as it captures light from the surroundings and plays a key role in giving you brighter visuals in low-light conditions.

Is 42 mm objective lens size good? Yes, it is considered optimal as it captures decent light and gives you enough brightness in the visuals. Keep in mind when you choose a bigger lens size like 50 mm, then your lowlight usability gets better, but the binoculars’ weight increases which is not a good thing.

Comprehensive Review of Nikon Prostaff 7s 10X42 Binoculars

I believe that buyers have more options nowadays. Many brands are producing binoculars that are both cheaper and offer decent performance. So, it gets tougher for the buyers which one they should actually choose for their adventure. I already have a vortex diamondback and I am pretty much satisfied.

But recently, I had some extra funds, so I decided to buy new binoculars that try something new. In fact, I was more excited because I wanted to share my experience with you guys (Readers). So, sit tight, have a cup of tea in hand, and read this interesting guide and know my findings about these Nikon Prostaff 7s binoculars.

1- Optical Performance

I would be honest. These binoculars don’t have ED glass which I am a big fan of. Initially, when I opened the box, and read the specification, I got disappointed and believed that their optical performance would be compromised.

But I was totally wrong, these binoculars still offer better visual performance despite the bitter fact that they don’t have ED glass material in their lenses. The coating present on the lenses minimizes the reflection of light – so the users get perfectly brighter and sharper visuals.

But you should not expect too much. Many people compare these binoculars with Nikon’s famous Monarch M5 binoculars. You should not take them as a competitor to Monarch as their visual quality is just decent – but Monarch M5 offers perfect visuals that give you a pleasing viewing experience. 

Due to the better prism type, and the coating present on the lenses, these Nikon Prostaff 7s binoculars give good clarity in the visuals. I loved the color contrast because they give visuals with the perfect balance of color. No very sharper visuals – not too dim.

2- Durability

Yes, I am impressed by their durability. Mostly the cheaper binoculars don’t give you a very strong body. But things are quite different in these Nikon binoculars. Although they are made with rubber armor material, you won’t get the feeling that you’re having cheaper binos in your hand.

I don’t know if it’s about the manufacturing skill or their attention to body strength, but they have made these binoculars very robust. During checking, they fell off my hands, but they did not get affected. In terms of built quality, I give them maximum numbers for sure.

3- Protection Against Moisture

Their protection against moisture and fog is not extraordinary. But you’ll get general nitrogen gas purging and o-ring sealing which is common in almost all midrange to high-end binoculars. But I was expecting argon gas purging as it offers better protection against moisture.

But as these binoculars are available in the budget category, I won’t demand too much. Nitrogen gas purging for a budget product is also fine. You will get decent protection against moisture, fog, and other outdoor contaminants like dust, and debris.

Can you use them in the rain? This is a million-dollar question. Yes, you can use them in the rain, however, you should make sure that when you use them in the rain then after usage, clean them properly with a dry cleaning cloth to avoid any complications. 

If you keep wet binoculars in a carry case and don’t check them again for days, chances are high that moisture will go inside and fog up the lenses. This precaution is common for all the binoculars you have.

4- Ease of Usability

There are a few things that I count on when I see binoculars from the perspective of usability and comfort. Weight, size, gripping, and body shape, all these factors are very important that have an impact on the ease of usability of binoculars.

In the case of Nikon Prostaff 7s binoculars, they are lightweight, which is the first and the most important thing that I always consider when checking, reviewing, or buying binoculars. They are compact in size which ensures that while using you will be very comfortable.

But if you are considering using binoculars in rainy weather, then the handling and gripping matter a lot. During rain, your hands get wet, so if the binoculars don’t have a textured surface then the gripping becomes difficult and as a result, they slip off your hands.

But you don’t need to worry as these binoculars offer decent gripping. Although there is a very small texture present on the body, the shape of these binoculars is so simple that you feel very comfortable holding them in your hands. They will fit your hands perfectly.

5- Exit Pupil / Lowlight Usability

If you are considering binoculars to use in low light conditions, then you should consider the exit pupil as it gives you an estimate of how good binoculars will be in less lighting conditions. 

Don’t you know what exit pupil is?  It is actually the diameter of the beam of light that exits the eyepiece of the binoculars. It is calculated by dividing the diameter of the objective lens by the magnification power. 

I have already explained exit pupil in detail in my previous article which was based on the number of binoculars. You should read that too if the term ‘‘exit pupil is confusing you’

The Nikon Prostaff 7s binoculars that I am reviewing have a 4.2 mm exit pupil, which is calculated by dividing the 42 mm objective lens by the 10x magnification.

Keep in mind that a larger exit pupil allows more light to pass through the binoculars and into your eyes, resulting in a brighter image and better low-light usability. In general, an exit pupil size of 5 mm or larger is ideal for low light conditions, while an exit pupil size of less than 3 mm is considered worst.

With an exit pupil size of 4.2 mm, the Nikon Prostaff 7s binoculars provide decent low-light usability. But they won’t give you an ideal viewing experience. However, If you only use binoculars in low light conditions occasionally, then these Nikon binoculars with an exit of 4.2 mm will be suitable for you. 

6- Eye Relief

Eye relief is an important factor to consider if you wear glasses due to weak vision and use binoculars with glasses on your eyes. Before I talk about the Nikon binoculars, let me give you an overview of the eye relief of binoculars.

Actually, it is the distance between your eyes and the ocular lens that you use binoculars and keep your eyes on the barrels. Long eye relief means that this distance is greater, and shorter eye relief means that this distance is of smaller size.

Those binoculars that come with longer eye relief are generally more comfortable for those who wear glasses. When the eye relief is small, less will be the distance between the eyepiece and the eyes. 

So if you wear glasses and use binoculars with shorter eye relief, then you won’t be able to get a comfortable viewing experience. The reason is that the glasses you wear will also occupy some space between your eyes and the eyepiece so the eye relief will get too small for you to get a perfect view.

What is ideal eye relief? Anything above 15 mm is considered optimal, however, I recommend you choose binoculars with eye relief longer than 16 mm so that if you use them with glasses, they give you a comfortable viewing experience.

In the case of Nikon Prostaff 7s binoculars, you will get 15 mm of eye relief which is decent – but obviously, there is room for improvement for the Nikon brand to work on. However, if you choose Prostaff 7s in 8×42 speciation, then you’ll get 17 mm of eye relief which is ideal.

Conclusion

In the end, I would say that these are very good options for those people who are on a tight budget and don’t afford to spend on high-end binoculars. Although they are not a replacement or alternative to those premium binoculars like, vortex diamondback, Nikon Monarch, or Viper, they still offer good features and can be taken as a decent replacement. 

I love many of their features like visual quality, lightweight, smaller size, and ideal eye relief. However, there are a lot of aspects where Nikon needs to work. So are they worth your attention? My answer is yes, and these are very good options for those individuals who can’t buy expensive binoculars.