Q1: Wife and I would use binocs for birds, at a concert,and...? Looking at 10x25 ATB and 9x25 ATB. How to decide?

A: Hello Richard, Thank you for your email. If I were to offer an opinion between the 9X25 and 10x25 - I would recommend the 9x magnification over the 10's. The reason is primarily because of the slightly negative effects of the extra magnification in one over the other. When ever you increase the magnification of a binocular, you will experience the following: light loss, difficulty holding the binocular still, and a narrowed field of view. You'll be holding a compact binocular so you'll want as much light gathering ability as possible in low light situations. The 9x25's have an exit pupil of 2.8mm and the 10's is 2.5mm. This isn't a very large number - but there is a slight amount of light that is lost between the two (the exit pupil is the amount of light that comes through the back of the binocular). A compact binocular also makes it a little more difficult to hold the binocular still in general - and every body movement you make will be magnified as your magnification increases. This is not helped by the narrowed field of view (area of width) that you'll encounter with a higher magnification either. It's hard to keep an object in your field of view with a smaller field of view. Most birds aren't likely to stay still for long periods of time. Having a higher magnification will bring you in closer to the object you're looking at - but when the object moves - you'll find yourself looking up from your binocular more and more to keep track of the object. If you have a wider field of view - you'll be able to follow it. Concerts are another time when I wouldn't recommend the higher magnification. Concerts tend to be a different lighting situation all together - so you want all the light gathering you can get. If you're over magnified - you will (like with the birds) find yourself so zoomed into one particular performer or section of the stage,auditorium,etc.. that you'll only see one particular object on the stage and you won't see a wider area of the action than may be desired. Now, with all the magnification bashing I've done - I do have to say that the 10x25's are nice binoculars as well. Nikon ATB's are exceptional and their optics are fantastic - so even the higher magnification Nikon's do a good job of keeping the image crisp and clear. But fundamentally, I would personally prefer the 9's over the 10's. If you would like any further explanations or if I've missed any important points, please feel free to let me know! I'm more than happy to help! Thank you Richard! Best Regards, Denny

Q2: fmc lenses?

A: Nikon 9x25 ProStaff ATB binoculars have multicoated lenses.