Thread: Steiner Binoculars Good,Bad or Ugly?

Hi all
Im just considouring buying new steiner ranger extreme binos.
Does anyone have any experience with these Good or Bad?
Any advice appreciated
Cheers

Spend some time looking through them. Make sure you like what you see even better have another pair of binos (with a similar cost) to compare them against. Don't just buy them because someone said they are the business convince yourself.

Looked through a pair once, nice crisp optics but I only tried them in bright daylight so can't comment on low light.

At 790 grams you better get a broad comfy elasticated neck strap. I have some 7x50s that are so great and useful that I rarely bring them with me. But they're great for low light! )-:

I've put some info below, quite fun looking it all up, hope it is useful:

Here is something useful on binocular comparisons, meaning of relative brightness, etc.:
http://www.backcountrychronicles.com...light-factors/




I digress from this point, into some useful stuff on practical small(er) binoculars:

It is interesting that in WW2, standard field glasses were 6x30 porro prism binoculars - for US/UK/Germany/USSR alike, each manufacturing their own clones. They were "focus free", i.e. each side was adjusted individually only, which made them easier to keep water out of. The central focus wheel had long ago been invented but it was not adopted in WW2 for field glasses.

Modern 6x30s are brighter and have better contrast, due to full multi-coating.


A picture of WW2 6x30 porro prism binoculars, by Leitz:



A modern lightweight (<500 grammes) 6x30 multicoated porro prism binocular made in Japan by Kowa, and worth a look:

Link to more info on the Kowa:
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produ...ped_fragment_=

And here is a Chinese copy of US WW2 6x30 porro prism field glasses, but with modern multicoating. Found on ebay. Perfect accessory to your Rommel dust goggles, Mauser, or Enfield:

Or your Mosin. Sorry Roza!



Note the eyepiece cover integrated in the leather strap, and the missing eyepiece shield.

Ive got the sky hawk 8x42 really pleased with them. spot rabbits and hares out to 1000 yards with them no issue. good glass. obviously a step down on leica swaro. Makes browns and reds stand out . the objective eye cups protectors wear out. the glass is very good, great contrast. excellent in low light. ive had mine for three years no issues, except the objective lens protector eye cups wearing out.

KOWA - designed in Japan

Kowa 6x30 YF Porro Prism Binocular

I have a pair of Stiener Rangers.
Used them in Thar country and they worked sweet even in low light.
I found them better than Leupold.

Mid class binos in the $800-1000 range are fine. I used self focusing 8x30 Steiner Hunters for many years and they were fine. Top shelf are fine if you can afford them, but knowing where to look for animals and getting a practiced eye is far more important than having pissing contests about who has the flashiest and best euro glass.

Originally Posted by Tahr

Mid class binos in the $800-1000 range are fine. I used self focusing 8x30 Steiner Hunters for many years and they were fine. Top shelf are fine if you can afford them, but knowing where to look for animals and getting a practiced eye is far more important than having pissing contests about who has the flashiest and best euro glass.

Yes, self focusing binos are both lighter and easier to waterproof, what with no central mechanism which extending into the sides of each tube. OK, they may not be good at less than 10m, but this is not a birdwatching forum.

I have a pair of Steiner Ranger Extreme 10x42 binoculars that I bought new around 2 years ago from H&F for around $900, which at the time was pretty much the same as US pricing. The optics are very good and perform well in poor light, focus on 10x binoculars requires finer adjustment than on the 8x version. I have used them in all kinds of weather, did 10 days in Fiordland back in March, been dropped a few times, always carried without a case or unprotected in a backpack, and apart from having to replace one of the objective lense covers due to it detaching they perform like new. The lense cover system works very well keeping the lenses dust and moisture free.

Two of my mate have them.
Both sent them back for issues:
One had a cracked glass inside.
The other one had a a leak. After he got them back they leaked again a year later. He got sent a new pair that he sold and he invested in some Leica and never looked back.
The warranty is good if you have a problem with them,and they are not bad in low light although my Swarovski beat them by 10 min in winter dusk.