Steiner Coatings (1 Viewer)

I realize this is not strictly a birdwatching topic, but this group is the best collection of binocular experts I know of.

I've been trying to evaluate the differences between the various Steiner 8x30 Porro binoculars -- Predator, Military Marine, Navigator, and Safari. All have similar optics and list/street prices (Safari has slightly narrower FOV and lower price). Differences appear to be in lens coatings. Steiner makes great claims about their special adaptations but says nothing with respect to the actual light transmission characteristics of the various models.

None are considered serious birdwatching tools I'm told but they are interesting glasses. I'm just wondering if the various models really perform differently in the field or are they just a case of advertising hype.

Thanks,
Charlie

An interesting question that has been raised before, but I don't think we got a definitive answer. I've only briefly tried a few in their range and there are certainly differences, but it was a very bright day and probably not the most revealing. Just some tentative impressions. The Safari wasn't as bright as the others and may have had a slight green bias if I remember rightly. The Navigator appeared to have reduced blue transmission but otherwise bright, which I guess makes some sense. The Skyhawk seemed a bit more neutral than those two, but not the full colour spectrum seen with with premium brands. The Commander appeared very good. Not surprisingly they decided not to bring the Nighthunter, Predator or the Military/Marine to a birding show.

David

clschmalz,
I have tested different Steiner binoculars, test results can be found on:
www.houseofoutdoor.com/verrekijkers/testrapporten
In that WEB site you can find a number of test reports (all in Dutch, but that should not be that difficult, I learned Dutch when I was a child, so...) and looking in the different tables you will stumble upon data of some Steiner binoculars and in the graphs transmission spectra are plotted. If you use Google translate these spectra will be lost and than you miss important information. The Steiner quality differs depending on the model. I found the ceaper ones not impressive, but there are some very good top models.
Gijs

For the last few months I've been using the 7x30 Commander for astronomy and marine use. The coatings are very good. In a direct comparison with a 7x50 Navigator the 7x30 Commander shows sharper stars and had improved contrast.

http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=247113

Andy J