Steiner 10x50 Military/Marine Binocular

We like the optics of this pair of binoculars which offer a bright and well magnified image. Even viewing under low light conditions is fine. Another good feature is the autofocus with which the user only needs to adjust the eye diodes for all viewing.

Compared side by side with a Nikon 20x60 scope we also have, this model wins hands down with the optics and construction of most of the other parts.

The downside, at least for the pair we have, is the "rubber armoring" started failing after about 2 years of use. Mind that we only use it indoor while this model is supposedly for "military/marine" use in adverse outdoor situations.

First the rubber armoring coat on the right hand side became slacken. Later, the rubber at the right thumb holding position broke into a hole of the size of a silver dollar to expose the plastic shell of the binocular barrel. With the failing rubber armoring, I surely doubt if the binoculars are weather-proof anymore.

They're still the best. My friends try to tell me how good their fancy Austrian binoculars are and I show them my trusty Steiner Military/Marines. They work better and are much more durable than any of those $1000+ Euro brands. Steiner rules in performance and value!

These are the finest field glasses I have ever looked through. The clarity and their ability to collect light in low light conditions are unbelievable. The only, and I do mean only, drawback is their size. Just too big to wear in the field or still hunting. Laid flat on the table they are nine inches across, three and a half inches thick and five and half inches long. While this may not sound so bad, the circumfernce on this set of glasses ranges eighteen and one quarter inches to twenty and one quarter inches, depending on your preferred setting at the hinge, which determines the distance between the oculars. I suppose they could be packed in on a stand hunt, but I won't be using them while still hunting. However, I think they are relatively light for how big they are.

I have purchased several pairs of binoculars to use on our ranch where most of our "work" of bird watching and wild mammal viewing is done at 100 to 300 yards. [We own] the 7X42 Tasco and 10X50 Nikon binoculars ...and we wanted a great pair of binoculars with better quality than anything we had. I read the reviews of the Steiner 10X50 Military/Marine binoculars and believed that the Steiner binoculars would be exactly what we wanted. We were extremely disappointed to discover that the Steiner binoculars were hard to focus. Each eyepiece must be separately focused for each 50 yard distance change between 50 and 250 yards. Besides being a nuisance to one user, one pair of binoculars between 2 people is simply impractical especially if the object is moving and only visible for a minute or two. The Steiner Military/Marine 10X50 binoculars did not focus across the entire field of view (if focused in the center, the outside was blurred). Considering the price, we found this poor quality quite surprising. The Tasco and Nikon binoculars costing half as much perform much better and all our guests prefer them.

I've owned this model of steiner binoculars for a little over 9yrs. During that time they have been from the tops of mountains to the bottom of death valley and most places in between, while being exposed to all the elements of nature during my adventures and have yet to let me down.I find them to be waterproof (or at least highly water resistant), rugged, convenient and always dependable. The only reason I don't give them a 5 star rating is that they tend to fog up (slightly) on the external eye piece lenses during cold weather, particularly if I'm overheated from my outdoor activities. Particulars of what I like about them are the rubber coated exterior for the sure grip it gives which doesn't transfer heat or cold to my hands and eyes during use plus it seems to protect them from the shock, drop, bang and bounce tests I've preform'd on them. They are fairly small and light weight (though thats a relative term). I do know they don't give me a pain in the neck from wearing them all day, and still afford me the range/field of view I desire without being cumbersome. I like the fact that once I've focused them for my use they stay that way, whether they've been around my neck while hiking/hunting/boating or I've just grabed them out of the glovebox for a look at something. They are quick on target while giving a wide field of view and perform excellently in low light conditions. Nuff said.