The Nikon PROSTAFF 3S 10×42 takes pride in its arsenic- and lead-free Eco-Glass optical system, which means it delivers quality without posing harm to the environment. The roof prism’s mirror surfaces come with high-reflectivity, silver alloy mirror coating, which ensures decent brightness and clarity. Meanwhile, the lenses have multilayer coatings, which offer above average light transmission. Generally, these binoculars perform well in broad daylight. You will hardly see any noticeable image quality distortion. There’s minimal fringing with these, only a mild bit of chromatic aberration–something that most casual users will never distress about.

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. The grip and form of these binos are exceptionally pleasing. Perhaps better than any of the Monarch options.At long distances, this is usually not as much of a factor, but at closer ranges, it can often mean that you don’t see the whole picture and thus can miss some important details. However, when the ambient light level drops, like when operating in a forest, or what you experience just before sunrise or around sunset, the pupils in your eyes expand to allow them to take in more light. Nikon as a corporation is headquartered in Japan. Some of Nikon products are made in Japan. A lot of their optics are actually made in China and this include the Nikon Prostaff binoculars. In the case of 3s binoculars, the 8×42 weighs 565 grams while the 10×42 weighs 575 grams. As for the 7s, its 8×42 weighs 650 grams while the 10×42 weighs 645 grams. So if you prefer a lighter model, the Prostaff 3s is a better option.

Image quality, detail, brightness, low light performance, field of view and price. In this article I go over the main differences that you can expect between typical 8x42 vs 10x42 binoculars of similar quality and thus no matter if your interest is general use, birding, wildlife observation or hunting, it will help you to decide which configuration is best for your particular needs and preferences. 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. The clear winner between these two binoculars is Prostaff 7s. Though it comes at a higher price, it also offers more features that justify the investment.While Prostaff 7s is perfect for hunters, Prostaff 3s is designed for bird watchers and tourists who like observing wildlife. We have an extraordinary bird sanctuary and nature center nearby where these would be a lot of fun. While build quality is impressive, with plenty of depth of field provided and images sharp and clear in the main, we did notice a slight drop off in sharpness towards the edges. Despite the extra heft we also feel upgrading to a 12x magnification from a 10x magnification is worth it if long(er) distance observation is desirable. These binoculars can be used in inclement weather too being both waterproof and fogproof so observers can move from hot and cold climes (like in and out of vehicles and houses) without the need to wait for the glass to warm or cool.