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Nikon is changing the game when it comes to quality optics. No longer do you have to spend thousands of dollars to buy a decent pair of binoculars, and the Prostaff 7 ATB is a prime example. This is a great hunting optic that retails for about $150.
When Nikon sent me the new Prostaff 7 ATB binocular to put through a full season of hunting this fall, I was excited to see how the Prostaff would fair through the beating it would surely get during five long months of bowhunting.
The first thing I noticed when I took the Prostaff 7 ATB binocular out of the box was that this was no toy. This was a serious binocular and side-by-side against my Nikon Monarch binoculars you wouldn’t be able to tell that one pair of optics cost less than the other. The Prostaff 7 stands 6.8 inches tall and 5.1 inches wide, weighing in at 23.5 ounces.
With a durable and protective, rubber coating, the binoculars feel great in your hand even when wearing gloves. The rubberized coating also provides a non-slip grip for those wet days afield in the rain or snow. The Prostaff 7 is nitrogen filled and o-ring sealed making these binoculars both waterproof and fogproff.
I used the binoculars on several occasions including a snowy and humid day afield in late January, my heavy breathing while glassing a group of does on a hillside caused some condensation to build up on the outside of the lens, fogging up my view (it’s important to note that when a binocular company says fogproof, they are referring to fog forming within the binocular, not on the outside of the lens).
As a glasses wearer, one thing I really appreciate about the Nikon binoculars are the multi-click turn-and-slide eyecups. This makes using the binoculars with or without glasses comfortable.
The 42mm objective diameter is a great size and lets plenty of light into the binocular allowing you to see your quarry in dim light.
When it comes to magnification, 10x is about as large as I would recommend going without using a tripod. Personally, for bowhunting, I prefer 8x binoculars for their wider field of view (field of view at 1,000 yards is 330 feet with the 8x binoculars vs 314 feet with the 10x binoculars). The Prostaff 7 comes in both. If you go with the larger 10x magnification, but want a steadier image, Nikon gives you the option of mount the Prostaff 7 binoculars to a tripod for easy viewing.
My binoculars traveled with me all season long from the early days of September in the thick hardwoods of the Northeast to the open pasture of Kansas during the rut. The binoculars were comfortable to wear and easy to use. The large center focus knob made acquiring my target and focusing on it quick and easy. While the binoculars come standard with the popular Nikon binocular strap I opted to use the clips on my Muddy safety harness to keep the binoculars close at all times.
Included in the box with the Prostaff 7 ATB binoculars are a Nikon neck strap, carrying case and lens covers for both ends of the binoculars. With the end caps in particular, I would have preferred to see end caps that attached to the binoculars so you wouldn’t have to worry about loosing them. I lost one half way through the season and plan on purchasing after market end caps that slip over the barrel end of the binocular.
I’d highly recommend using binoculars at all times while hunting. Whether it’s to watch a whitetail sneaking through the brush or determine the length of a turkey’s beard, the Prostaff 7 ATB binoculars from Nikon offer high-resolution optics that will go the distance, all at an affordable price.