[Penwolf]

Does anybody have any experience with the Steiner 8X26 Wildlife Pro bins?
I don't see much on this forum about Steiners, why is that?

[statestat]

Hi Penwolf, I use the Steiner Peregrine XP 8x44 and others here use them and enjoy them also. Many of the other Steiner bins are not really designed for birding, with individual eye focus, reticles, and lighted compass etc. I think it is more of a design/marketing issue. Steiners are just not associated with bird watching. Hopefully that is changing, they have good products and quality. A friend of mine has the Wildlife Pro and likes them a lot.

[Penwolf]

Hi statestat,
I have a Steiner Merlin 8X32, a Safari 8X22, and two Safari 8X30s (w/IF).
The Merlins are wonderful birding bins. The little 8X22s are OK pocket bins. The two Safari 8X30s are for set range/distant viewing of wildlife etc.
I am not entirely happy with the 8X22s as they seem a little less sharp than I would like. That is why I asked about the Wildlife 8.5X26s. I cannot afford Leica, Zeiss, or Swor's so I'm looking for pocket bins that are very sharp, bright, and clear, knowing their size is limiting these wants.
Do you know of any other pocket bins you could recommend?

[Tero]

I cannot afford Leica, Zeiss, or Swor's so I'm looking for pocket bins that are very sharp, bright, and clear, knowing their size is limiting these wants.
Do you know of any other pocket bins you could recommend?

No, there are no cheap acceptable quality 8x20s. Not sure how compact you need them. The issue comes up here again and again. Even I started a copuple of topics on it.

Some are even phase coated, but all about the same anyeay. About the only cheap 8x25 I can recommend is the Nikon, which is not phase coated.
http://www.eagleoptics.com/binocular...-atb-binocular

It beats no binoculars in the pocket.