Optics are very important when it comes to improving our vision and they should be reliable enough to help you see further. While the expensive options are often the best as well, there are actually many more affordable alternatives such as Nikon Prostaff Vs Aculon that are also still quite good in application. Coming from the same house they are similar but also slightly different and before deciding to choose one, do check which can offer the most so then we can shop wisely.
In this article, we are going to give you information about:
- What to Look in a New Binoculars
- What are Nikon Prostaff and Aculon
- How are the Built of Nikon Prostaff and Aculon
- How are the Optics of Nikon Prostaff and Aculon
- How are the Specs of Nikon Prostaff and Aculon
- How are the Performance of Nikon Prostaff and Aculon
- Nikon Prostaff Vs Aculon
Choosing a New Binoculars
Similar to telescopes, a binoculars will help you to see any objects from far away to seem closer and its core mechanism is probably one of the greatest inventions that helps humans strive in modern day as well. Just like how you choose a rifle scope, the binoculars can be very helpful as well to monitor the area and to seek your target in which our naked eyes are not capable of seeing properly from such a distance. But, which of them that you want to buy can vary among users.
In general to help differentiate the binoculars there are the small, medium, and full-size binoculars based on the size. What’s most important about them is the things you will get in every product and since they are essentially a magnifying optics, the magnification should be at the top when you are shopping for one. Usually they are described on the product name such as 8×42 means that the unit will zoom at 8 times the actual size.
The next number is still related to the optics and the same to your scope, it means that the objective diameter of this binoculars is 42mm and this part will affect the resolution of the device or sharpness of the final image. Since the objective lens is acting as a light gatherer of these binoculars, it is mainly affecting the amount of light captured which means the more the better the result, especially for a further away object.
When you buy a telescope, we often considering the field of view as well because while as a magnifying device it seems better to always reach for those with the most magnification, remember that the amount of power will also affect the field of view from the optic and the higher this number the narrower as well your field of view despite having a great zoom into a certain object thus, limiting you from seeing the rest of the area which may affect the decision making.
Lastly we also think that exit pupil is one of the most important point to notice in a binoculars because they are going to play a necessary role in deciding the image quality and to put it simply, the higher means the better image as well because the higher number indicate that the better viewing under low-light conditions and also able to maintain a full image of an object in case the hand is shaking a little bit while holding the device.
| Nikon Prostaff | Aculon | |
|---|---|---|
  |   |
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| Product Dimensions | 7 x 6.5 x 3.5 inches | 16.42 x 5.98 x 4.17 inches |
| Shipping Weight | 4.8 Ounces | 1.18 pounds |
| Best offer | Check price | Check price |
About Nikon Prostaff and Aculon
Now when you already know which binoculars to go for or an image of what you need from the device, it is time to see what the market has to offer since you will find plenty of them out there. In most cases with any optics, the more you spend, the more reliable the product is since they need to make high-quality parts to help the device run with better experience. But, it also doesn’t mean the more affordable choices don’t worth the attention.
This is because our technology has made it possible for more cost-efficient parts to deliver similar performance and quality so we can rest assured about how they will work on practice. To ease the selection when you are shopping for the unit, it is probably convenient to stick with the more popular names such as Nikon. They are most popular for the camera line but their optics are also equally reliable including many of their golf rangefinder and the binoculars.
They also carry various models to choose from and if you are planning to save the budget as well, the Nikon Prostaff and Aculon are two amazing options to consider. They are not actually the same to each other, also not from the same price range and if you consider the Prostaff is already very affordable then the Aculon is probably pretty cheap. They are among the budget options and what Nikon does really well without being overly questionable in terms or quality.
It may lead to confusion as they also use the same name Prostaff to call a rifle scope line but the two are also under the binocular product line and for Aculon, there is even a laser rangefinder for golf under the same name so be careful when adding product in your shopping cart. You will find these binoculars in several magnification or power rates but for the comparison below we will be choosing their 8X42 variant which is supposed to be more versatile for typical everyday application and also suitable for hunting.
Nikon Prostaff and Aculon Design
But, if you are planning to bring them for hunting, we do think we also need to compromise about the size since none of them are considered compact and they are quite bulky as well at 6 by 5 inches compared to 5.7 by 7.3 inches. The Prostaff is also far lighter at 20 oz. compared to the Aculon which is already whopping around 7 oz. heavier. The material seems to be similar as well and there is no issue about the build quality because the two are very robust.
In addition, from the built quality and design itself, only the Prostaff that is featured with both waterproofing and fog-proof which means this model is going to be more reliable in various conditions while the latter is not. Usually the fog-proof binoculars are purged of oxygen gas and are replaced with nitrogen or argon gas to prevent fog building up in the barrels which affects your view quality. Read also: Trijicon AccuPoint Vs Vortex Razor.
Nikon Prostaff and Aculon Optics
Moving further, let’s see what Nikon Prostaff and Aculon can offer and starting with the optics, both of them are also the same. Different from many others, Nikon decided to use their lead-and-arsenic-free Eco-Glass but the Protaff is coated with high-reflectivity silver alloy mirror coating on the surface of the prism to achieve a bright and clear view. On the other hand Aculon is using aspherical eyepiece lenses to aid a flat field of view while the multilayer coating is also applied to give brightness in any condition.
Nikon Prostaff and Aculon Magnification
On the magnification, since we are choosing the same power both of them are going to be the same as well and the reason why we stick for this rating is because they are generally more versatile than most other sizes. With 8 times magnification the strength is ideal for viewers who are attempting to see a larger field of view while still being closer with the target. Overall this is very useful for applications such as spotting large game of birds in the field but the Aculon is valued at 8 degree and the former is at 7.2 degree.
In comparison the Aculon will actually give you a wider field of view at the same distance since their apparent FOV at 1000 yards is between 420 feet compared to Prostaff which is slightly narrower at 377 feet. However, if your object is closer than what you expect, the Prostaff can focus better with a close focus distance only at 9.8 feet compared to Aculon that needs almost twice as far.
Nikon Prostaff and Aculon Performance
Lastly we want to talk about the performance of Nikon Prostaff and Aculon but there is nothing to complain here and we are glad that these binoculars are very reliable in practice. They are also easy to get used to and easy to focus but the most stand out feature is probably their image quality because the coating on their glass is helping by making a distant object look quite good, remembering that they are quite a medium-powered binoculars.
The two have the same exit pupil of 5.3mm so they are equally comfortable to use but from the convenient, we do think the placement of focusing rocker/knob Aculon is just slightly easier to reach as our eyes are looking for the object, probably because it is right near the tip of our fingers, yet the focus knob on Prosftaff is also easy to use and there is no issue in adjusting them.
Nikon Prostaff vs Aculon
Both Nikon Prostaff and Aculon are good options if you want to keep the budget low but still getting a reliable and easy to use binoculars. These 8×42 powers are more versatile for observation and hunting or for a wider application. The differences besides on the price point is that Prostaff is both water and fog-proof as well as has a closer focus distance than Aculon yet it also has a narrower field of view and sometimes not as bright as the Prostaff.
Conclusion
All in all you can go amazing with any of them as there is no bad option but for recommendation we will be suggesting to choose Prostaff because this model is more durable but if you will be seeing a wider area, the Aculon is a more suitable option.