Nikon 10×42 ProStaff 3S Binoculars Review

Nikon’s line of birding binoculars typically features a durable design and comes loaded with all the right features, including top of the line optics, versatility, and waterproof and fog-proof lenses. So, it comes as no surprise that their latest pair to hit the market are up to standard and measure up to many popular birding binoculars that were produced by this manufacturer in the past.

The ProStaff binoculars are creating a buzz in the birding world and quickly gaining a reputation as the best bird watching binoculars, for several reasons. This lightweight pair is very beginner-friendly, highly adjustable, and made out of eco-glass, which is arsenic and lead-free. This versatile pair of binoculars is best-suited for birding, but they can also be used for hunting, hiking, camping, and more.

Our Verdict: This pair of binoculars by Nikon is feature-heavy and comes loaded with some impressive optics, a higher than average magnification that allows you to capture even the smallest details, and nitrogen-purged barrels that allow you to use these binoculars in humid and wet weather conditions without the lenses fogging up.

 The durable, ergonomic design promotes user comfort and adds some much-needed protection. The optics quality is nothing short of impressive and allows you to use these binoculars in low light conditions. Overall, this model is perfect for birders of all skill levels who are in search of a reliable pair they can use in a variety of different light settings and weather conditions.

Overview and Features

Durable, lightweight, these binoculars are designed to take a beating and keep on ticking. However, some birders have noted that it has a somewhat bulky design, which means they’re not exactly pocket-friendly. This pair of binoculars features a tough, alloy coating that’s applied to the roof prisms for clearer images that are not overly bright.

These binoculars feature an ergonomic design that makes them comfortable to hold and easy to grip. The chassis is made out of a durable material that has been reinforced with polycarbonate. The chassis is also coated with a rubberized material that promotes user comfort, improves grip, and provides protection should you accidentally drop the binoculars.

Often, tech-heavy binoculars can be difficult to use, focus, and adjust. But Nikon has changed all that with their intuitive design, easy focus wheel, smooth focusing action, and top of the line optics that will allow you to capture every detail.

Barrel Design

Both barrels are O-ring sealed and nitrogen purged so they’re deemed both fog-proof and waterproof. On the right barrel, the diopter will allow you to easily adjust the eyecups and twist them up if you want to use the binoculars with or without glasses.

Focus Wheel

The focus wheel offers smoother rolling action, so users can quickly and easily adjust the focus. However, it doesn’t come equipped with an automatic focus feature, which can make it easier to focus in low light conditions. However, the experienced birder will have no trouble focusing the lenses.

Warranty

This model is covered by a limited lifetime warranty.

Optics

The optics are made out of arsenic and lead-free eco-glass. The lenses have multilayer coatings for improved light transmission so you can finally go birding at night and sight all the species on your nocturnal birds list. The silver-alloy mirror coating is highly reflective and is applied on the mirrored surfaces of the prisms for clearer, brighter images. The lenses offer 10x magnification, which is more than enough viewing power for birding. In fact, this type of magnification will allow you to capture even the smallest details. The lenses themselves improve light-gathering ability without adding too much weight or bulk to the design.

Lens Coatings

You’d be surprised to learn that many pairs in this price range come equipped with a single lens coating, but the manufacturer has shown us that you don’t have to spend hundreds of dollars to get a pair of binoculars that offer top of the line optics quality. Basically, the more lens coatings, the better the image quality. Models with a single coating aren’t recommended for low light conditions. However, the lenses in these binoculars have several layers of lens coating, which is what makes them so versatile.

The lenses’ multicoated, anti-reflection optics work to maximize light transmission across the spectrum for improved color rendition, clarity, and contrast. Most models in this price range feature a single layer coating, so the fact that these lenses receive multiple coatings is a huge selling point for the serious birder. These extra coatings help to improve the lenses’ ability to gather light, making them more versatile and allowing the user to bird in low light conditions.

Angle of View

The sixty-three degree wide apparent angle of view will reduce the appearance of visible hand shaking that’s typical when a person is holding this type of high-powered optics.

FOV

This model offers a three hundred and sixty feet field of view at one thousand yards.

Ocular Rain Guard

This model comes equipped with a one-piece rain guard cover that protects the eyecups while the binoculars hang around your neck. The removable rain guard will keep the lenses protected and dry in the event of rainfall. This is a nice extra that will come in handy if you love birding in inclement weather conditions.

Use

The binocular’s closed-bridge design offers a stable and solid platform for focusing. The large center focus wheel offers improved focus control, even if you’re wearing gloves. The right dioptric adjustment collar works to compensate for glasses wearer’s, which is a huge plus. -he binoculars themselves are very durable and lightweight, made with material that’s temperature resistant. This type of material will prevent contraction and expansion that’s typical with metal. Contraction and expansion can negatively impact image clarity and can cause the lenses to move out of alignment.

The thick rubberized protective covering gives you a slip-resistant surface that makes the binoculars easier to hold in wet and cold weather. The ergonomically placed palm pad texture will improve user comfort and stability.

The O-ring sealed, nitrogen-filled barrels can easily handle wet or humid weather conditions, without negatively impacting visibility and image clarity. Most lower-priced models don’t come with this level of protection, which can limit where and how you use your binoculars. The nitrogen-purged barrels prevent the lenses from fogging up since moisture isn’t able to enter the chamber.

Advantages and Disadvantages

Pros

Cons

Nikon Versus Adorrgon Roof Prism Professional HD Binoculars

Nikon’s forty-two-millimeter objective lenses offer excellent light-gathering ability, so you can use the binoculars any time of the night or day. The Adorrgon Roof Prism Professional HD binoculars offer even better magnification at 12x and come loaded with forty-two-millimeter objective lenses. The competing model also features a thick rubberized coating on the chasses that improves user grip and protects the binoculars in the event of a fall.

The large objective lenses provide a longer than average range at three hundred and sixty-seven feet, which is perfect for birding and hunting. Just like the Nikon binoculars, this pair is equipped with roof prisms, for an optimal viewing experience and top of the line image quality and clarity.

These binoculars are very versatile and can handle a wide range of lighting conditions, so they’re perfect for birding at dusk and dawn. However, they’re only covered by a two-year product warranty, while this pair is covered by a limited lifetime warranty. In terms of quality, both offer a comparable performance, but the Nikon binoculars feature a more durable chassis design and a better ergonomic design that makes the binoculars easier to grip and hold for a longer period of time.

Conclusion and Rating

Our Rating: (4.5/5)

Easily considered one of the most affordable, and easy to use binoculars on the market, this versatile pair can be used for a wide range of applications, although they’re best-suited for birding, since they allow you to capture even the smallest details, which will make it easier to identify different species of birds, even those that are in flight or highly active.

As you can see, these binoculars are versatile, beginner-friendly, and available at a price that won’t break the bank. They’re also loaded with all the right features that birders of every skill level can appreciate. If you love birding at dusk and dawn, then these are the binoculars for you. The stellar optics quality will allow you to enjoy clear, crisp images, any time of the night or day. Easy to use, focus, and offering better than average magnification, these binoculars scored a rating of four and a half out of five stars.