Stargaze for less this Thanksgiving with these beginner-friendly super-sharp Nikon binoculars, $63 off for Black Friday

Thanksgiving is all about family, so the sentiment goes, but what happens when you need a break? Put these Nikon Prostaff P3 8×42 binoculars into your bag or pocket and when everyone’s slipping into a food coma, you can step out for some nature watching or stargazing. Even better, these beginner-friendly binos are $63 off in Amazon’s Black Friday sales.

You can get these Nikon Prostaff P3 8×42 binoculars on sale right now at Amazon for $97.

We think these Nikon Prostaff P3 8×42 binos are the best binoculars for beginners; they’re lightweight enough that you can hold them for extended periods, and they boast excellent optics. Nikon, renowned for its quality optical equipment, hasn’t cut any corners here.

Its fully-coated lenses reduce glare, and its 42mm lenses drink in enough light to make these binos suitable for nighttime galaxy spotting. They also excel in daylight conditions, from sports events to watching. At less than $100 for Black Friday, you really can’t go wrong.

Award winning photographer and expert in all things optical.

Award winning photographer and expert in all things optical.

Jase Parnell-Brookes

Jase Parnell-Brookes is a wizard when it comes to binoculars and telescopes, and knows that price doesn’t necessarily guarantee performance. They’ve put many binos through their paces, from Nikon to Celestron and beyond, reviewing them in easy-to-understand terms.

These Nikon ProStaff P3 8×42 binoculars come with everything you need to go skygazing or nature watching; slip them around your neck with the admittedly thin neck strap and you’re ready to go. They’re also waterproof up to 1 meter underwater, so you’re good to step out in rain or shine.

With an 8x magnification and 42mm objective lenses, these are powerful enough to give you stunning views of the moon, constellations and other stellar objects, d. If you’re lucky and your Thanksgiving trip takes you to a less light-polluted area, it’s the perfect opportunity to step away from the table and get a little skywatching in.

That’s not to say these are just for astronomy, however, excellent as they are. As we noted in our Nikon ProStaff P3 8×42 review, these roof prism binoculars are also ideal for hikers and birders; in short, anyone who wants to bring a subject closer.

They’re lightweight enough that your arms won’t get tired using them for extended periods of time. Plus, they’re so easy to use that we rank them as the best binoculars for beginners. If you feel like your children might need a distraction, why not hand them a pair and ask them to see what they can spot?

Key features: 8x magnification, 42mm objective lens diameter, 7.2 degree field of view, 20.2mm (0.8-inch) eye-relief, 1.25lbs / 572g weight.

Price history: This is the cheapest these binos have been all year; they were at the same price in November/December last year. Walmart has also matched this price.

Price comparison: Amazon: $97 | Walmart: $97 | Best Buy: $160

Reviews consensus: In our review of the Nikon Prostaff P3 8×42, we sang these binos’ praises, loving everything from their rugged construction to their brilliant optical quality. Our main gripe was the quality of the lens caps and the thin neck strap. Its Amazon reviews are similarly positive, with purchasers saying how easy to use these binos are.

Space: ★★★★

Featured in guides: Best binoculars for beginners.

✅ Buy it if: You want a pair of portable but powerful binoculars that will stand up to all-weather use.

❌ Don’t buy it if: You’re prepared to pay a little more for a pair equipped with image stabilization, such as the Canon 10x42L IS WP binoculars.

Check out our other guides to the best telescopes, binoculars, cameras, star projectors, drones, lego and much more.