OK- I know I am opening up a can of worms here because favorite binoculars can be somewhat subjective, but I have a question. I also have a moderate budget. I have an older set of binoculars- they Swift Audubon 8 x 42 which I have liked (I don't think they make them any more). My brother recently received a pair of Nikon Monarchs- 8 x 42- and when I tried them out, I liked them as much as my Swift's and perhaps a little better because they were brighter. So now I am on Amazon and they have a bunch of different Nikon Monarchs 8 x 42- the Nikon Monarch3, the Nikon Monarch5 and they Nikon Monarch7. Here's my question- what is the difference between "3", "5", and "7"- ??? Do these numbers simply refer to a newer model, but basically the same binoc, or does the number indicate a real improvement? The "3" is significantly less expensive then the "7" and I don't mind an older model if its as good as the newer. Does this make sense and does anyone have experience with Nikon Monarchs? Thank you- Hayward Chappell Lawrence County -- Hayward Chappell 766 Private Rd. 3952 Willow Wood, OH 45696 ______________________________________________________________________ Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society. Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list. Additional discussions can be found in our forums, at www.ohiobirds.org/forum/. You can join or leave the list, or change your options, at: http://listserv.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=OHIO-BIRDS Send questions or comments about the list to: [log in to unmask]