New Bins day (1 Viewer)

[rdnzl]

I like the MM series. Never had any problems, and they are a good value with nice views.

 

[Rg548]

I'm actually quite surprised how good these are, excellent views, but with the caveat that they are I.F.
However for my intended use, ie paddleboarding, this could well be a bonus.
Just pick 'em and look.

 

[rdnzl]

Get a floating strap, and you're good to go!

 

[jring]

Not in the commercial optics, only for actual military optics. Military spec on commercial glass is a marketing term.

Hi,

the good news is that these look very much like the german army Fero D12 made by Steiner which was still being used in the german army when I was serving in the early 90s - the last model w/o laser filters for whatever reason - after all the Leopard 2 tanks which I was working on back then had laser rangefinders since their introduction in 1979...

The bad news is that these bins were not well loved by anybody besides some beancounters and my comrades in the optics repair department always had a case of beer or two to share which they got from those who still had the preceding Hensoldt DF and needed repairs for those.
By the book these were to be sent back to the depot to be either stored for WW3 or destroyed for decades...

But nobody wanted a plastic Steiner with soso optics in return for the built like a tank Hensoldt which is still a nice cheap pair even today - and so cases of beer were offered for clandestine repairs with scrounged parts and those pairs which were beyond repair were carefully disassembled for parts...

Holger Merlitz did a review of the Fero D12 vs the Hensoldt DF and some very rare Zeiss West DF which was never adopted (which is interesting since obviously two companies belonging to the Carl Zeiss foundation competed against each other back then for the german army tender...

Review: Zeiss Dienstglas 8x30 vs. Hensoldt DF 8x30 vs. Steiner Fero-D 12

Joachim, who has pair of Hensoldt DF 8x30 with the recticle removed in the glovebox... the best 50€ I ever spent on optics...

 

[Scott98]

No.... I've had binos from all the big three, and nikon, and Meopta, all up for discussion. And now Steiner.

sorrry, I confused your name with someone else!!! my bad...

 

[dries1]

Hi,

the good news is that these look very much like the german army Fero D12 made by Steiner which was still being used in the german army when I was serving in the early 90s (the last model w/o) laser filters for whatever reason) - after all the Leopard 2 tanks which I was working on back then had laser rangefinders since their introduction in 1979...

The bad news is that these bins were not well loved by anybody besides some beancounters and my comrades in the optics repair department always had a case of beer or two to share which they got from those who still had the preceding Hensoldt DF and needed repairs for those.
By the book these were to be sent back to the depot to be either stored for WW3 or destroyed for decades...

But nobody wanted a plastic Steiner with soso optics in return for the built like a tank Hensoldt which is still a nice cheap pair even today - and so cases of beer were offered for clandestine repairs with scrounged parts and those pairs which were beyond repair were carefully disassembled for parts...

Holger Merlitz did a review of the Fero D12 vs the Hensoldt DF and some very rare Zeiss West DF which was never adopted (which is interesting since obviously two companies belonging to the Carl Zeiss foundation competed against each other back then for the german army tender...

Review: Zeiss Dienstglas 8x30 vs. Hensoldt DF 8x30 vs. Steiner Fero-D 12

Joachim, who has pair of Hensoldt DF 8x30 with the recticle removed in the glovebox... the best 50€ I ever spent on optics...

Yes, I read the reviews from Holger a ways back. I carried a Hensoldt DF for a year in Afghanistan, it held up against all the dust very well. Any SLR camera had trouble over there with the dust, I carried a camera with internal focus. The Hensoldt 8X30 is also my truck glass, always there. Truly built like a tank.
Those Steiner 8X30s were not loved by many who handled them.

 

[rdnzl]

You guys are brutal.

 

[dries1]

I am sure that the new Steiner 8X30s have better optics than the plastic body DF-12 Steiner.

 

[Rg548]

You guys are brutal.

Firstly, opinions.... well we all got them.
My Steiners are newer versions than those in the test.
They sit on my Paddle board, and stay in the car glovebox and I don't give a s##t about them.... it's why I bought them.
My other binos are not welcome on my board !!
But my opinion remains the same.... they have surprised me optically, really quite good.
My mate came round, laughed at them, then looked through them, then said the same... he is a Zeiss user.

Maybe tomorrow i'll wake up, come to my senses and bang these pieces of crap on ebay.

 

[Dave3006]

Rg548, your logic is flawless. No need for a $3000 pair of binoculars on a paddleboard or glovebox. Smart purchase.

 

[jring]

Yes, I read the reviews from Holger a ways back. I carried a Hensoldt DF for a year in Afghanistan, it held up against all the dust very well. Any SLR camera had trouble over there with the dust, I carried a camera with internal focus. The Hensoldt 8X30 is also my truck glass, always there. Truly built like a tank.
Those Steiner 8X30s were not loved by many who handled them.

Hi dries,

was it really the 50s vintage DF or rather the current Fero D16 (introduced from 1990 on - once again made by Hensold) - the latter has laser filters and rounded backcovers (like the D12), but of course a metal body...

Joachim

 

[dries1]

Joachim
It was the 50s DF, I also have the Fero D16 with the laser filters which we also had with us. The older DF was indestructible, and was appreciated by others. Other glass carried in the group were the Leica 8X30 also with Laser filters.