I just had both pairs of Monarchs repaired.  They called both non
warranty (warranty is for life so it was a damage assessment).  While
I thought one was not my fault I was happy to get both pairs repaired
for such a small price.  Turn around wasn't exactly quick but was much
better than I'd expected based on old reviews of their service.

I bought a pair of 12s and really regret the purchase.  I love my 8s
but will probably sell the 12s.

Cyndi

On Tue, 14 May 2013 07:00:47 -0400, you wrote:

>I actually just had my Monarchs repaired by Nikon and am expecting them in the mail today. I was very pleased with the ease, affordability (they're way past warranty) and speed of the repair process.
>
>I understand what Ken and Bryan (in his blog post) are saying about 8s vs 10s, and there are definitely tradeoffs, but I respectfully disagree that 8s offer as good a viewing experience as 10s, if you're using midrange-priced binos. I used to bird with decent midrange 8s, then switched to Monarch 10s and would never go back. 
>
>It is absolutely true that it's harder to get on a bird with 10s due to the narrower field of view - that is definitely the big trade off - so for a novice birder, I would always suggest 8s. But having gotten reasonably adept at locating birds, I LOVE the size and clarity of the image that 10s offer. To me, on this point, there is no contest: 10s win.
>
>Perhaps I would feel differently  if I were using top-of-line binos (someday!), but that's my humble opinion where midrange binos are concerned.
>
>--Miriam Lawrence