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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Review: Styrka S9 (1 Viewer)

Steve C

Well-known member
This is the 8x42 S9

Next up in the new binocular brand review series is the Styrka S9. This is their top of the line model. They can be purchased at around the $980 mark. Styrka is pronounced Steer-ka. Supposedly a Norse word for strength. Not being a Norse speaker, I’ll have to take their word for it.

Styrka was formed in 2014 and binoculars have been available for about a year. They are a company closely affiliated with Celestron. Most current Styrka people came directly from Celestron. Some of those people have previous employment experience at Kowa. Celestron provides engineering assistance and functions as the OEM. Evidently Celestron is happy with their position as an Astronomy company. The evidently decided it was worth expanding into a broader market, but decided to use a different brand name. They are an independent entity from Celestron, in spite of close affiliation

They have a pretty simple, straightforward warranty; They call it Styrka Pride. From the website:

“That’s why the Styrka Pride Warranty is so simple. In the event of damage or malfunction, we will repair or replace your Styrka product free of charge. No questions asked. No registration required. No receipt needed. No matter who bought it. The only caveat? The warranty doesn’t cover theft, loss or intentional damage. Send us your Styrka product and we’ll clean and tune it up once per year. Regular maintenance helps keep your Styrka performing like the day you bought it.”

Styrka offices are in Egan, Minnesota. They have a service facility there, where the bulk of the warranty and service work will occur. More difficult repairs will go to Celestron. They tell me they inspect every binocular before it leaves their possession. The test includes a spin over a collimator.

Out of the box comes a sturdy, somewhat chunky, well armored dual hinge binocular with a pleasing, solid feel. There are a good selection of accessories. There is a zippered case that comes with a harness designed to allow the user to carry the binocular on their chest, a padded neck strap, a cleaning cloth, and straps for the case if you opt not to go the chest harness route. It has very good standard ocular and objective covers.

Focus action: Focus is counterclockwise to infinity (yes I know that will offend some). There is a total of one and a half turns. From the close focus distance of 6 feet, a full turn of the wheel gets to a focus of distance of 75 feet. The next one quarter turn gets to infinity, with an additional one quarter travel past infinity, The focus is soft and smooth with no side to side play as direction is changed.

The eye cups are pretty typical click stop affairs. Down, halfway, and fully extended. All the way down you can get to within 1 mm of the ocular lens surface. Full extension is 12 mm. Eye relief is listed as 18 mm. They are solid enough, but they have some tendency to retract a stop on their own in use.

The weak point in this binocular is the eye cups. Not to pick on Styrka, but this is a pet peeve of mine with binoculars as a whole. The problem is that they may need more extension for some users to match the eye relief specifications. The S9 shares this feature, the eye cup extends out 12 mm above the surface of the ocular lens. You can get to within 1 mm of the surface of the lens with the eye cups all the way down. The eye cups are quite comfortable and I have no problem getting full field with extended eye cups with reading glasses.

Image performance: The S9 has a listed 7.5* fov (394’). This checks out under actual measurement. There is no field flattener technology used. There is a typical classic edge with minimal distortions at the edge. The sweet spot is wide and the edge is not particularly distracting. This binocular happens to have a distinct brightness strong point in dark, dreary, gray day usage.

There is a very slight yellow bias, but the colors in the image appear pretty neutral. The S9 is possessed of a very sharp image and very good contrast. Edges of objects are very well defined, and things like feather detail are easily observed. Apparent sharpness is top notch. Overall we have a very clean, sharp, colorful image that is pretty easy on the eyes. This is a top notch image and should be considered well above good enough.

This is a superb binocular for CA and glare control. I can’t induce either one in any condition.

Ergonomics and construction: This is a solid and substantial feeling binocular. It has ample grippy armoring. It has a somewhat chunky feel compared to other dual hinge binoculars, but is rather typical in handling characteristics.

With cell phones there is the iFixit site which does complete tear downs of various phones. They are checked for ease of repair,, for construction, and the cost of the total of the parts is evaluated. We likely need a similar site for binoculars, somebody to tear down the instrument and evaluate its construction. Lacking that, I will offer the comment that this looks to be a very solid, well made instrument.

Summary: We can wonder why we see an influx of new companies into what seems like a crowded binocular market. The thing they seem to have in common is they are founded by people with considerable optical experience. That seems to me to indicate they have all seen something they can use to do better. I don’t know, but in any case I welcome the competition. We all benefit from that.

The Styrka S9 is a superb binocular and seems worth every penny of its asking price. It has a great image, sharp with good contrast, is particularly bright in gloomy gray days, and has excellent focus action (yeah I know some will complain about either focus direction). The S9 has superior glare resistance and CA control. It may be a bit chunky for some, the big white STYRKA across the case will be visible from quite a ways off (curable with a sharpie marker), and the eye cups may lack some extension. But if something is out there to be found, you will be able to find it with this.

Yes it is new. It is also very good. I will let you make your own decision on where you stand on the new issue.

EDIT: For those who already read this, forgive the senior moment. It is Styrka. I have changed the original mis-spellings.
 
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Steve ..... Nice review! That is one more to put on the mental list to check out when I see it.

I may have missed it but I do not see which model of the S9 that was reviewed.

You might want to contact one of the mods to update the spelling in the Thread Title so it can be found on a title search. It would also be good if they could add the model. (8X42, 10X42, 15X56)

The short eye cups might be an issue for me since I have that as a problem on some other models from other companies. I will keep that in mind if I get a chance to check one out.
 
Mods contacted for the change, which seems to have been done.

I have been informed by a native Russian speaker that Styrka means laundry in Russian. Guess I better wash out my spelling ;)
 
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Steve:

Do you know why the old ESSO gasoline was changed to EXXON?

From what I heard, in some languages, ESSO meant bird poop. But, what's a few billion dollars in sign changes to be politically correct? :cat:

Bill
 
The name changed in 1972 during the Nixon administration and it was announced on the cover of MAD magazine this way: "THE NAME IS NIXXON BUT IT IS STILL THE SAME OLD GAS!
 
Steve:

Do you know why the old ESSO gasoline was changed to EXXON?

From what I heard, in some languages, ESSO meant bird poop. But, what's a few billion dollars in sign changes to be politically correct? :cat:

Bill

So what's a few billion, when we have to have what they sell and they can charge what they charge?
 
A nice review Steve, as usual. I remember you said you were testing most of the recent newer
mid-models. I am wondering if you have completed the task, or are still testing more of them.

I can see the list can be quite large, so hard to handle that.

I am waiting for a review comparison summary by model and make. I know, you have other things to do in
real life..... I do too, but more snow yesterday.

Just give us an update.

Jerry
 
A nice review Steve, as usual. I remember you said you were testing most of the recent newer
mid-models. I am wondering if you have completed the task, or are still testing more of them.

I can see the list can be quite large, so hard to handle that.

I am waiting for a review comparison summary by model and make. I know, you have other things to do in
real life..... I do too, but more snow yesterday.

Just give us an update.

Jerry

Sure Jerry. Next up is the Styrka S7. After that the Tract Toric, I have the 10x42 and will get an 8x42 from their next shipment in a week or so. I am going to also do the Maven B1, and the GPO passion ED.

The reviews will go up first. Then I have scheduled a comparison of hoe each compares to the other and to some other binoculars BF members might have some more familiarity with. I'll try to get something out every week to ten days. You are right, the list could get quite long, but those are where I am drawing the line. I will include the Maven B2 and B3 in those comparisons.

We finally are getting free of winter. For the next ten days we are supposed to have decent weather. If true that will be the first ten day stretch since last October. This is one of those years that three or four days after it gets dry enough to start tilage we will find out we should have been done two weeks ago.
 
Sure Jerry. Next up is the Styrka S7. After that the Tract Toric, I have the 10x42 and will get an 8x42 from their next shipment in a week or so. I am going to also do the Maven B1, and the GPO passion ED.

The reviews will go up first. Then I have scheduled a comparison of hoe each compares to the other and to some other binoculars BF members might have some more familiarity with. I'll try to get something out every week to ten days. You are right, the list could get quite long, but those are where I am drawing the line. I will include the Maven B2 and B3 in those comparisons.

We finally are getting free of winter. For the next ten days we are supposed to have decent weather. If true that will be the first ten day stretch since last October. This is one of those years that three or four days after it gets dry enough to start tilage we will find out we should have been done two weeks ago.

I did a review on the S7 for Styrka. If anyone is interested, I'll dig it out.

Bill
 
Nice review! I've kinda been wondering about the S9. I've had the 8X42 S7 for a little while kinda introducing it into the mix.

I hate to do this to you...but the OBVIOUS question to ME....B.1 or S9?

Many choices of nice binoculars out there... :t:
 
Nice review! I've kinda been wondering about the S9. I've had the 8X42 S7 for a little while kinda introducing it into the mix.

I hate to do this to you...but the OBVIOUS question to ME....B.1 or S9?

Many choices of nice binoculars out there... :t:

I've got the S7 too, it will be next. The S9 vs B1 question is a little tougher. My B1 is 10x and the S9 is 8x. I will get an 8x from Maven to get as close to apples vs apples as I can. In truth all of these binoculars play well at the level of the Zeiss Conquest HD and up to and maybe beyond the SLC. Image differences are small but ergonomics are different.

Bill's S7 review is on the Styrka website.
 
If one feels the need to pit one bino against another to find the absolutely, definitely, undeniably, unquestionably, etc. better of the two, it is a waste of time. It might make one feel better about his or her optical savvy, but in the REAL world nothing is to be gained.

From the into to Binoculars: Fallacy & Fact

... And if there’s one thing I hope to convey, it would be that many of those who believe they can explain everything relating to the quality of observations in terms of binocular performance alone, with no reference to our physiological differences—early onset cataracts, glaucoma, strabismus, macular pucker inducted distortion, and the like are in error. Like it or not, or believe it or not, the eye/brain partnership is every bit as important to binocular observing as the instrument itself. And, to those who try to get around this fact with myriad tests, I would add:

Different tests performed at different times with different subjects having different ranges of accommodation for different visual acuities under different conditions will produce different results. :cat:

Bill
 
Different tests performed at different times with different subjects having different ranges of accommodation for different visual acuities under different conditions will produce different results.
Very true. Which is why Steve's comment:
In truth all of these binoculars play well at the level of the Zeiss Conquest HD and up to and maybe beyond the SLC. Image differences are small but ergonomics are different.
...is probably the most important take-out from this.

To me, knowing the level of quality you're dealing with is more important than one person's take on "this versus that". I think, for example, that knowing Leica's Trinovids play in the same space as Zeiss Conquests is worthwhile. Whether Steve likes Strykas, while Cathy likes Conquests and Tracy likes Torics often doesn't matter that much - since we're all different and have different preferences. But that all agree the instruments are of comparable quality matters quite a lot.

...Mike
 
If one feels the need to pit one bino against another to find the absolutely, definitely, undeniably, unquestionably, etc. better of the two, it is a waste of time. It might make one feel better about his or her optical savvy, but in the REAL world nothing is to be gained.

From the into to Binoculars: Fallacy & Fact

... And if there’s one thing I hope to convey, it would be that many of those who believe they can explain everything relating to the quality of observations in terms of binocular performance alone, with no reference to our physiological differences—early onset cataracts, glaucoma, strabismus, macular pucker inducted distortion, and the like are in error. Like it or not, or believe it or not, the eye/brain partnership is every bit as important to binocular observing as the instrument itself. And, to those who try to get around this fact with myriad tests, I would add:

Different tests performed at different times with different subjects having different ranges of accommodation for different visual acuities under different conditions will produce different results. :cat:

Bill

Nothing here to disagree with :t: Early on, I thought there just had to be an answer for what is the best binocular and that there just had to be detectable differences. As I got into this hobby I now see more similarities among binoculars than I do differences. Not that I can't detect differences, but oftentimes detecting those differences involves too much energy looking back and forth among binoculars, to the point that you get more eye strain and nausea than you get in user detectable, field worthy differences.

As is proving to be the case with this series, there is not a lot left image wise to get much better. I have long ago given up being surprised at how two sets of eyes can have two different reactions to the same binocular. While the binocular remains the same, there remains differing ergonomics, differing eye sight, and differing user perceptions to explain the reactions. I have developed (or maybe just finally bought into) the idea that ergonomics are at least as important as optics and that user perception is the ultimate driver of satisfaction.

I once thought I quoted Bill with the statement..."it is not what is in front of your eyes, but what is between your ears that counts". Bill came right back and asked if he could use the quote. I still think it is his ;). This in line with the "eye brain partnership" quoted above.

What I try to do is to evaluate a binocular for what it is, not to denigrate for what it is not. I make no pretensions about being an expert. Just my observations based on my experiences. I try very hard to not let the brand name game get in my way.
 
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If one feels the need to pit one bino against another to find the absolutely, definitely, undeniably, unquestionably, etc. better of the two, it is a waste of time. It might make one feel better about his or her optical savvy, but in the REAL world nothing is to be gained.

From the into to Binoculars: Fallacy & Fact

... And if there’s one thing I hope to convey, it would be that many of those who believe they can explain everything relating to the quality of observations in terms of binocular performance alone, with no reference to our physiological differences—early onset cataracts, glaucoma, strabismus, macular pucker inducted distortion, and the like are in error. Like it or not, or believe it or not, the eye/brain partnership is every bit as important to binocular observing as the instrument itself. And, to those who try to get around this fact with myriad tests, I would add:

Different tests performed at different times with different subjects having different ranges of accommodation for different visual acuities under different conditions will produce different results. :cat:

Bill

Absolutely Bill. And thats without considering what makes a bino feel comfortable in one person's hand while it feels like shaking hands with an alien to somebody else. Not to mention one man's nicely quick focuser being too fast for the next man.

Perception is everything and perception is subjective and personal.

Lee
 
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Yes, Steve, those were my words. But, you should know YOUR TR quote is in the book ... TWICE. I've read a lot on TR but I had never seen that. It reads like it came from his The Rough Riders. Thank you.

Bill
 
Yes, Steve, those were my words. But, you should know YOUR TR quote is in the book ... TWICE. I've read a lot on TR but I had never seen that. It reads like it came from his The Rough Riders. Thank you.

Bill

That quote can be found, along with lots more, here:
https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/t/theodore_roosevelt.html

Another "famous man quote" I admire and use on another forum:
"Everything that can be counted does not necessarily count; everything that counts can not necessarily be counted". Albert Einstein

Although some sources refute the actual quote as coming from Einstein. Like lots of quotes alleged to have come from someone famous, it just sounds better if it can be attributed to someone with fame.

Whoever said it first, it certainly applies to optics selection.
 
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That quote can be found, along with lots more, here:
https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/t/theodore_roosevelt.html

Another "famous man quote" I admire and use on another forum:
"Everything that can be counted does not necessarily count; everything that counts can not necessarily be counted". Albert Einstein

Although some sources refute the actual quote as coming from Einstein. Like lots of quotes alleged to have come from someone famous, it just sounds better if it can be attributed to someone with fame.

Whoever said it first, it certainly applies to optics selection.

How about this one:

'Wisdom is not the sole prerogative of the articulate and the articulate are not necessarily wise'.

Lee
 
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