The glass itself is made from lead and arsenic-free eco-friendly material. Another win for these binoculars is that they're waterproof and fogproof. The Nitrogen filled, O-Ring sealed design ascertains a clear view in all situations. This makes them especially equipped to endure those early-morning, rainy and winter outings.

The twist-up eye-cups have multi position stops and both the 10x42 and 8x42 models have a good amount of eye-relief making them a good choice for those who wear glasses. Main SpecificationsThe Nikon Prostaff 3S is feature-rich. Not to mention, it enhances the optical performance in case of outdoor activities. If you are intended to go for astronomy, cruise, whale watching or wildlife viewing, Clearly Nikon Prostaff 7s series is the best choice. Prostaff 3s is suitable for casual outdoor adventures such as boating ,hiking. Also, If you are on a lower budget they can be good companions to go for. Maybe in sunset, you would still be pleased. But at night, the Nikon Prostaff 3S start to show some issues. Specifically, we could witness some halos effect and lens flare while watching the moon. If you say that it’s not a bad experience in terms of enjoying the night wide nature, we won’t be against that. However, in terms of image quality, it’s certainly not there yet.

Phase coatings are applied on the roof prisms to enhance the optical quality, brightness and contrast. Clearly Nikon Prostaff 7s produces high optical quality images than the 3s counterpart Objective lens Diameter The GlassPak isn't perfect – it gets in a tangle when it's not in use, and its bag is permanently attached to the harness, which is annoying – but the binoculars themselves come pretty damn close for the price. They're tough with a refined feel, and the image quality you'll get out of them (thanks to their high density, extra-low dispersion glass) is seriously impressive and super sharp. Add to that an unlimited lifetime warranty, and you have a fine set of birdwatching binos. This difference between the two can largely be explained by the relationship between the size of the pupils in your eyes and the size of the shafts of light exiting the ocular lenses ( exit pupil) of the binocular: An important point to note though is that Prostaff 7s is pricier than Prostaff 3s. So if you’re looking for simple, no-frills binoculars, the 3s will suffice.Meanwhile, for low light performance, we suggest the Nikon Aculon and the Nikon Prostaff 7s. Porro prism is something we always prefer in terms of low light performance. However, if you find Nikon Aculon 10×42 a bit heavy, then Nikon Prostaff 7s is still a fine choice. Who Should Buy Nikon Prostaff 3S 10×42 or 8×42 binoculars? Unlike binoculars that have different sized objective lenses (eg 10x42 vs 10x50), the disparity in the size and weight between an 8x42mm and 10x42mm binocular is extremely minimal and really not worth worrying about. Both Prostaff 7s and 3s have roof prisms meaning their objective lenses align with their eyepieces. This in turn, results in optics equipment that is lightweight, compact and easy to hold. This Nikon binoculars perform with much more than fine clarity, very high-resolution details received. Furthermore, we witnessed no distortion at all. Meanwhile, we were so surprised about the color fringing results. We used this Nikon Prostaff 3s so many times and only a few times we saw chromatic aberration.

The Prostaff 7s seems to be clearly brighter than the 3s series in all light conditions which is not surprising as; The 8×42 model of the 3s weight 19.9 ounces as compared to the 22.9 ounces weight of Prostaff 7s 8×42. Also, The 10×42 Prostaff 3s weights 20.3 ounces while the 10×42 Prostaff 7s weights 20.8 ounces Excitingly, Nikon Prostaff 3S features both high magnification and large view ranges: 122m out of 1,000m (10×42) and 126m out of 1,000m (8×42.). In comparison, the Nikon Prostaff 3S 10×42 offers wider angular field of view than that of Celestron ED Trailseeker 10×42 (7 vs 6.5).

The Nikon Prostaff 3S 10x42 binoculars are a well-built yet affordable pair of daylight binoculars that feel ‘just right’

As both 10x42 and 8x42 binoculars have 42mm objective lenses and assuming they use the same quality glass and coatings, the light-gathering ability between the two will be the same. Bear in mind though that larger lenses often mean heavier and bulkier constructed binos with it. So, once again, it's about arriving at that ideal balance to avoid you 'getting the beak'; something that we believe the binoculars showcased here have got right. Without further ado then, let's swan dive into what we consider the best binoculars for birdwatching… FAQ Are porro prism or compact roof prism binoculars better for birdwatching? Thus if you get more image detail or are able to see further with a 10x binocular, you may be then be thinking why would you the ever opt for a lower-powered 8x binocular instead? This optical has a nitrogen gas-filled system and O-ring seals, helping to resist to fog or mold. Moreover, the whole body of Nikon Prostaff 3S is rubber-armored to prevent slips and water from damaging the body. Premium BaK-4 glass used in the construction here ensures more light gets through, which results in greater viewing clarity, and thanks to a standard tripod adapter thread on the bridge between the lenses, it is possible to mount this device on a tripod for prolonged periods of viewing. Ultimately image quality is what it's all about, and in this regard, these bins deliver consistently crisp and colourful results, with our only gripe being the provided lens caps occasionally slipped off in our review period. Overall though, this is another solid binocular choice for birders… and beyond!