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Nikon's Action Extreme or EX Series of binoculars consist of six porro prism binoculars that all offer a bright image and relatively wide field of views thanks to their large objective lens diameters and because of the fact that they are porro prism binoculars. The binoculars in this series are fairly versatile and Nikon offer a wide range of magnifications to suit a wide variety of needs. From the 7x and 8x versions with their wide field of view ideal for birding, to the powerful 12x and 16x binoculars for long distance observation that can be fixed to a tripod and are therefore ideal for uses like plane spotting.
Like most Nikon binoculars, the focus in this series is on technology as well as value for money and all without sacrificing image quality.
Binoculars in the EX Series:
All Action EX binoculars have rubber armoring for shock resistance as well as a firm and comfortable grip. They are waterproof (up to 1m/3.3 ft. for 5 minutes) as are filled with nitrogen to make them fog proof as well. They feature multilayer-coated anti-reflective lenses and eco-glass optics that are free of lead and arsenic that deliver the highest brightness and contrast, true color rendition, and flare-free viewing.
These 8x binoculars in the EX series come with smaller 40mm diameter objective lenses and are obviously designed to be more portable. This will suit most birdwatchers and hunters that wish to carry their optics in the field and I am sure that is was what Nikon was thinking when they designed these as they also have a pretty wide field of view: 143m @ 1000 meters (429 ft. @ 1000 Yards) Again this is ideal for birding, hunting and for sporting events where you want to get as much of the action in your view as possible.
Main Features
Price Range
Depending on where you look you can pick up the 8x40 Action EX for around $125 / £120
Like the 8x40 version above except that these mid size optics feature even smaller 35mm objective lenses making them even more portable and easier to carry in the field.
Wide Field of View
What is most impressive about these 7x35 binoculars is their very wide field of view, which is 163m at 1000 meters (489 ft @ 1000 Yards) with an Angle of view of 9.3° making them some of the widest field of view binoculars on the market. Ideal for birdwatching, hunting and sporting events where you want to get as much of the action in your view as possible.
Main Features:
Price Range
The Nikon Action EX 7x35 CF Binoculars can be bought for about $120 / £100
These are powerful competitively priced binoculars that haven't been compromised on performance, a fairly rare combination to be honest!
The Nikon Action Extreme 12x50 ATB binocular is one of the most popular in the series and it is easy to see why. The proven classic porro prism design with large 50mm objective lenses have outstanding light-gathering abilities, combined with the powerful 12x magnification. Important to note that they are tripod adaptable using standard ¼-inch threading meaning that you can attach them to a tripod using adapter for the most stable base. (Adapter not included) - Read more about: the Binocular Tripod Adapter.
The Action Extreme's construction includes waterproofing, fog proofing, and rubber armoring and comes with the Nikon 25-Year Limited Warranty, plus a No-Fault Repair or Replacement Policy.
Main Features
Price Range
Very well priced, you can get the Nikon Action EX 12x50 ATB Binoculars for about $160 / £150
The obvious selling point to these Action Extreme binoculars are their very powerful 16x magnification for long distance observation or surveillance. With any magnification this powerful, I highly recommend using some sort of stabilization to keep the image still and what I do like is that according to the Nikon website, these 16x50 binoculars come with the tripod adapter included that will enable you to easily attach the binoculars to almost any photo tripod. I have not always seen this mentiond on retailers sites, so just check. If they don't come with one, don't worry as they use the standard ¼-inch threading and most tripod adapers that are fairly innexpensive will work fine, or you can buy Nikon's own adapters. Read more about Binocular Tripod Adapters.
Main Features
Price Range
The Nikon Action Extreme 16x50 ATB Binoculars are available for around $180 / £180
Specification Comparison Chart: Nikon Action EX Binoculars
If you are not sure which Action Extreme binocular to go for, this chart, that compares their main specifications and may help. For example it is interesting to compare the field of views between the lower and higher magnifications, making it obvious why most bird watchers, where field of view is important opt for lower 7x or 8x magnifications.
| Model name | Action EX 7x35 CF | Action EX 8x40 CF | Action EX 7x50 CF | Action EX 10x50 CF | Action EX 12x50 CF | Action EX 16x50 CF |
| Magnification (x) | 7 | 8 | 7 | 10 | 12 | 16 |
| Objective diameter (mm) | 35 | 40 | 50 | 50 | 50 | 50 |
| Angular field of view (Real/degree) | 9.3 | 8.2 | 6.4 | 6.5 | 5.5 | 3.5 |
| Angular field of view (Apparent/degree) | 59.3 | 59.7 | 42.7 | 59.2 | 59.9 | 52.1 |
| Field of view at 1,000m (m) | 163 | 143 | 112 | 114 | 96 | 61 |
| Exit pupil (mm) | 5.0 | 5.0 | 7.1 | 5.0 | 4.2 | 3.1 |
| Relative brightness | 25.0 | 25.0 | 50.4 | 25.0 | 17.6 | 9.6 |
| Eye relief (mm) | 17.3 | 17.2 | 17.1 | 17.2 | 16.1 | 17.8 |
| Close focusing distance (m) | 5.0 | 5.0 | 7.0 | 7.0 | 7.0 | 7.0 |
| Interpupillary distance adjustment (mm) | 56-72 | |||||
| Weight (g) | 800 | 855 | 1,000 | 1,020 | 1,045 | 1,040 |
| Length (mm) | 120 | 138 | 179 | 178 | 178 | 177 |
| Width (mm) | 184 | 187 | 196 | 196 | 196 | 196 |
| Type | Porro | Porro | Porro | Porro | Porro | Porro |
Nikon Action EX Binoculars on Amazon:
Other than the Action EX Series, Nikon have a vast range of binoculars for virtually any and every application, making it easy to find optics for your own specific needs:
