More binos

With Sterling at an almost all time low, this is a good time to buy some new optics. I had been looking for a general purpose binocular for travel, daytime use and astronomy. I bit the bullet and ordered a pair of Nikon Monarch 5 8x42mm binos off Amazon for Xmas as my Christmas treat.
I have read very good reviews about them. My 10x50s are just a little heavy and bulky for travelling.
Hope to test them later in the week.

Hi John,
It will be interesting to hear if the image is comparable to the 10x50s or will they be dimmer.

Had a chance to have a quick look when they arrived when the clouds cleared. The look quite sharp. Good colour rendition on the stars and sharp across about 80% of the FOV. The x8 magnification makes them easier to hand hold. Small bit of CA visible on bright contrasty daylight objects (but did not see it on the moon). There is some barrel distortion present when looking at straight line objects (like a wall) but this usually can't be avoided even in top end binos. Very nice to use and very compact. Buttery smooth focuser which focuses down to around 2 metres distance. Ideal for walking, birding, astronomy or travelling. Very sturdy and well built. Haven't had a chance to compare to the Pentax 10x50s but I suspect they are very slightly dimmer with similar sharpness. €270 on Amazon with the current exchange rate.