Steiner 7x50 -- Navigator vs Navigator Pro (1 Viewer)

[sailopoppotamus]

Steiner have released a new Navigator model to replace the Navigator Pro that has been on the market for a few years. At the time, the older Navigator Pro can still be found online at a 10% or so discount relative to the Navigator. Reading between the lines it seems that the Porro prisms have been replaced by Schmidt-Pechan prisms in the new model. The new model also has a wider field of view (128m/1km) than the old one (123m/1km). The cynic in me is inclined to think that the new prisms are a downgrade relative to the old ones, despite the wider FOV (after all their Commander series still has Porro prisms), so I'm tempted to go for the older model. Any thoughts or advice on the matter? For the record, while I do enjoy watching the occasional seagull, I am mainly looking for a solid pair to use on my sailboat for navigation (with compass).

 

[Ted Y.]

If is the model 2342, Navigator 7x50, it is Porro model.
Same for model 2340, Navigator 7x30.
Or it is another model?

Reading between the lines it seems that the Porro prisms have been replaced by Schmidt-Pechan prisms in the new model.

Can you add a link to this lines?

 

[sailopoppotamus]

I deduced this piece of information based on four factors:

1. An online review of the new model I read a few months ago that explicitly stated the lens configuration has changed to Schmidt-Pechan. Frustratingly I can't find this article anymore.
2. A product description on opticstrade.eu that seems to have since been corrected.
3. The fact that the Steiner website explicitly mentioned Porro prisms for the old line but fails to mention anything relating to the prisms of the new line.
4. I also sent an e-mail to Steiner asking whether the light transmission of the new Schmidt-Pechan arrangement is worse than the old Porro prisms. They got back to me with a very generic e-mail reassuring me that all their binoculars are fantastic, and which didn't dispute my statement of fact regarding the prism type.

Maybe I'm wrong, maybe I'm looking at this too closely. After all I can't find the review I mention in (1), the description on opticstrade.eu has changed, and (3),(4) might just be poor marketing from Steiner.

 

[Ted Y.]

Just look at the binocular (2342) form. It is a Porro one.
The missing info on the web site..., I will not comment.
Sometimes web sites can be in error when explicitly stating something, this is part of the reality.

 

[Ted Y.]

I cannot find any offer of Steiner 7x50 Navigator.
Where you can buy it?

 

[sailopoppotamus]

I found it here https://www.amazon.de/Steiner-Navigator-7x50-Marine-Fernglas-Kompass/dp/B00BLKKCFG .

 

[Ted Y.]

At the end of this review you can find a few comments .

 

[sailopoppotamus]

Thanks, this looks interesting. However it does seem to compare the (now "old") Navigator Pro to an even older model by Steiner named the "Navigator", which is not the same as the new "Navigator". What we can agree on is that Steiner's new model has a terrible name. "Navigator Pro II" or "Navigator II Pro" would've been much better names in my opinion.

 

[Ted Y.]

Indeed. Strange.
But you can order both and compare them, right?
And return the one you do not like. You have at least 2 months to do it.

 

[John A Roberts]

Hi sailpoppotamus,

You may have already have seen some/ all of these:
Two pages from Steiner’s 'New For 2021' brochure, and;
The PDF of the spec’s on the Steiner site at: Navigator 7x50

There's also another page with more images at: Navigator 7x50c

The open bridge design get’s a lot of mention, though there's nothing regarding the prisms used.




The chief advantage of the Schmidt-Pechan prism pair is of course compactness, since the optical performance is inherently compromised
compared to any other common roof or non roof prism choice.
See post #2 at: Roof Prisms Used in Binoculars

Having said that, it’s not impossible to design S-P prisms to incorporate Porro prism like offset, as Pentax did with the specialised VM 6x21 monocular:


See more at: Pentax VM 6x21 WP Monocular/ 18x Microscope

. . . Though to what advantage, in a full-size Porro prism like binocular?


John

 

[Canip]

Thank you, John.

So Steiner has given up its „Sports Auto Focus“ (which never worked, remember the many times we made fun of it here in the forum) in favor of a pure „Auto Focus“.

So they have now found the Holy Grail of optics: Auto Focus with no electronics?

I hope to answer the question shortly (should be able to get my hand on some Navigators early next week). Wish me luck !!
Canip

 

[Ignatius]

I have always found that if one takes the Steiners for what they are, in this case porros with IF, they are good middle class binos. The fact that they spout a lot of idiotic marketing blurb and/or leave out important information does not detract from that as fas as I am concerned, but nor does it increase/decrease my expectations. I would certainly never spend over 750 in any currency on a Steiner product, no matter what. In fact I bought all of them at sales with up to 30% off iirc. I have the MM1050 and the just replaced Navigator Pro C 7x50.

The roof prism binos I have from that brand (HX 8x42 and Ranger Xtreme 8x32) are also pretty good, but again nothing spectacular.

 

[Canip]

For those interested, I wrote a brief remark on the 7x50 Navigator in the "Navigator 7x30" thread:

Steiner Navigator 7x30 - with "Auto Focus"

Disclaimer: I own roughly a dozen Steiner binoculars, some of which I like very much, some I like, and a few I really don’t like. My critical comments hereafter about Steiner’s “autofocus” marketing are in no way intended to belittle the quality of Steiner binoculars, some of which I find very...

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