Main Chassis Material
So for me, the 7x power on these Steiner binoculars was a good choice and I would say that on the water is generally a good compromise between image detail and steadiness. Check the pricing and availability of the Steiner Navigator Pro 7x30c binoculars at Amazon. Steiner's Sports-Auto-Focus System & Diopter Adjustment
Such a pleasant surprise, these Weems & Plath 7x50 Pro binoculars performed comparably with other optic brands, featuring similar flat-field lenses for edge-to-edge image sharpness. Depending on the selected payment method, you will be directed via a secure SSL connection to your payment service provider in order to enter your payment information. You may already know that Steiner is a prominent name, Note: I get commissions for purchases made through links in, Your email address will not be published.
You are probably wondering how that is possible. Steiner had several groups of people in mind when they designed these binoculars. But on my first inspection after taking them out of the box, I felt they would be fine, they fitted quite easily into my daysack along with all my other gear and then once out on the river and in the kayak, their slightly larger size was really never an issue for me and I do think that the extra performance I got from their larger 30mm lenses was well worth it in this case. The exit pupil is the bright spot you see if you look into the eyepiece of a pair of binoculars from a distance of about a foot, but you can calculate it by dividing the size of the objective lens by the magnification. Theyre solid to hold, weighing in at a shade under 3 pounds, and measure a bit less than 7 inches long and a bit more than 8 inches wide. Copyright 2022 Optics Oasis | Powered by Astra WordPress Theme. So 7x30s will have an exit pupil of just over 4 mm. Sorry you cannot see this table as your browser does not support iframes. Buy Steiner Navigator Pro 750 from Amazon.co.uk, Buy Steiner Navigator Pro 750 from Amazon.com. These Steiner Navigator Pro 750 binoculars have been used (maybe slightly abused) for the past six years onboard my Dehler 36. If you need to, you can actually reduce the minimum focal distance a fairly long way by adjusting both of the diopters. In the event you already have an e-shop-direct account, you may enter your login information now (e-mail address + password). Some models do: -all SkyHawk 4.0-all Rangers Xtreme-all Observers-Wildlife 8x42, Wildlife 10x42-Safari UltraSharp 10x42You can use a coin to open the cover screw between the two lenses. Normally you inform the Customer Service about the model and serial number and for a flat rate of 15,- you will receive the matching eyecups, which you can assemble yourself easily and quickly.Unfortunately, with some models it is not possible to change the eyecups yourself, as a special tool is required for assembly. Of course, the replacement will be done on a goodwill basis. I put that question to Dr. Bill Cross, senior optics engineer at Bushnell Outdoor Products (www.bushnell.com). This makes it possible to keep both eyes open, which makes it easier to see sharply. The section of the Dordogne river that we paddled down was pretty slow-moving and tranquil most of the time and even the "rapid sections" were for us pretty easy to navigate (except for one!). With this basic setting, a possibly necessary diopter compensation is done automatically. I sail and race solo or double handed but take non-sailing friends and guests onboard throughout the year. So if you are planning on using these bins often on a boat and for long periods, I would consider getting it. Ease of Use At 17.4 mm, I would not describe the Steiner Navigator Pro 7x30 binoculars as having a very long eye-relief, but for a mid-sized instrument, it is pretty good and should be enough for most eyeglass wearers. Rusty metal strap fittings are easy to replace, though they went rusty fairly quickly. You can now see sharply from 20 m upwards. You will be thrilled by the advantages of the Commander Global. Weight Porro prism and roof prism systems are two different optical systems and each has its advantages.
Factors such as age, gender, and time of day that you use binoculars play a role in determining which is the best pair for you. The good news is Steiner produces a few slightly more compact options because of this, I zeroed in on their 7x30 Navigator Pro which I thought could be ideal. Rain-Guard The classic layout was patented by Ignazio Porro in 1854, and is still favored for most marine binoculars, while the more modern Dachs or roof prism design is often preferred for birdwatching and hunting. The padded section is for me the part that lets this strap down a little. One optical coating that is important to mention here for their intended marine uses is that they have a hydrophobic/aquaphobic material on the outer lens surfaces. This makes it a binocular that can be used with one hand. This makes it possible to keep both eyes open, which makes it easier to see sharply. Not only does this make for a much cleaner, integrated look, but it is far, far quicker to add an remove the strap should you wish. From the shopping cart, you will then proceed to the checkout. The scale must be balanced in such a way that any contact between the compass needle and the compass housing is avoided; at any time and at any place during a measurement. One other very important aspect is that NBR rubber, especially in relation to marine uses where you will often leave the binoculars on your boat, is that it also has an excellent level of resistance to sun and heat aging and so does not harden and perish as natural rubber does. If you look at the optical performance of both models, the Commander stands out clearly. When were young, in low-light conditions, the pupil of our eye can open up to 7 mm, Cross explained, But as we get older, this drops down to perhaps 5 mm. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. Please always have the deliverer confirm any damage to the packaging in writing. If you sail too far outside this zone with this product, the compass rose may become unreadable or obstructed. The Ranger Pro series is the predecessor of the current Ranger Xtreme series. Rather unfairly, they all get tarred with the same brush and I will admit to often stating in my reviews of binoculars using folding cups that I would have preferred to have had the twist-up type instead. I found the cups themselves to be very comfortable even when pushed firmly against my face and this is certainly one area where they have the advantage over the twist-up type on most binoculars. The "always in focus" system and not having to adjust the focus is an excellent feature in this context of using it on a canoe/kayak and certainly made the binocular much easier to use in one hand and ensured I didn't miss out on seeing that kingfisher darting about. It is helpful to cover the other lens while focusing, preferably with the lens protection cap. This article originally appeared in the October 2016 issue of Power & Motoryacht magazine. Keep a grip on the Nikon OceanPro 7x50 binocs even when wet, thanks to their rubber armor. So once you have set up both diopters to match your vision, the close focus distance on these is about 20 meters away (depending on your eyesight). The fit on the one that comes with the Steiner Navigator Pro 7x30 Binoculars is perfect and they easily flop over the top of the eyecups making them a cinch to return, but at the same time the rubber of the eyecup and that on the rain-guard, rub together just enough to ensure that it does not come away too easily. I just wind the strap around the pole a few times then reattach it. Made for them by Bayer, it is lightweight and very robust. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Reviewed by Jason Whitehead for Best Binocular Reviews. Although the zip on the bag has also gone fuzzy and needed a bit of persuasion to move recently. I like the attention to fine details, for example, Steiner has added not one, but two metal ring connectors on each side of the strap (4 in total), these free up the strap to move into a more natural position as you bring the binocular up to your eyes. However, the Commander has a higher quality coating and is brighter.The Steiner Commander is waterproof up to 10 meters and the Navigator Pro up to 5 meters.Finally, the Steiner Commander comes with a 30-year warranty and the Navigator Pro comes with a 10-year warranty. If you want nearly the same quality without the cost, you really need to check out the Navigator Pro. Once the two sides are no longer aligned, your eyes will receive two different images, causing the blur or squint effect. In Europe, they are covered by a 30 year guarantee. This website uses cookies to improve your experience. The Commander is a professional model, built to a military specification, Steiners Phillips says. What is the difference between Sports Auto Focus and Fast Close Focus? $299.95; www.nikonsportoptics.com Steiner have launched some new models of the Navigator (which we will be reviewing as soon as we can get hold of a pair), but these are still available to buy at the time of writing this review. As with many of their other instruments these are also filled with nitrogen gas under pressure and are said by Steiner to prevent fogging up inside at temperature range of between -20C to +60C. Get yourSteiner Navigator Pro binoculars now. Covering enables you to keep both eyes open, which facilitates sharp vision.Once the basic adjustment has been completed, the center wheel must be used to focus at different distances.The basic setting of the Sports-Auto-Focus (missing focussing wheel):We look for an object about 100 m away, as detailed as possible. The Steiner Navigator Pro 7x30 binocular an excellent choice for use on most small vessels, be that speed boating, sailing, yachting or indeed kayaking and canoeing. Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. As they are less complicated and thus easier and probably also cheaper to make than twist-up eye-cups, this type of eyecup is often found on cheap binoculars, and as such these low-quality cups (often with very little eye-relief) tend to offer a poor user experience. 2.Steiner Navigator Pro 7x50 In the US, these Steiner binoculars come with a Lifetime Warranty. The lens caps are captive which means youll never lose them, but as a tradeoff you do have to deal with a couple of rubber flaps bouncing and clanging around in a strong breeze. Nicely padded and with Steiner's excellent click-lock attachment system.. All other things being equal, a 50 mm objective lens admits about twice as much light as a 35 mm objective. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. Presented with available features ranging from reduced weight to built-in compasses, it pays to choose your binoculars wisely. In order to be able to read off as accurate a direction measurement as possible on the compass scale, it is essential that the compass needle can rotate freely and undisturbed within the compass. So an FOV of 7 degrees corresponds to about 360 feet at 1,000 yards, or about 123 meters at 1,000 meters. Its quoted in two different wayseither the width of the field of view at 1,000 yards or 1,000 meters, or as an angle. Due to the moderate 7x magnification and excellent quality optics, I was hoping and half expecting that this instrument would only show a very minimal amount of color fringing and thankfully I was not to be disappointed: Caused by chromatic aberrations, color fringing is generally more difficult to control with high magnifications, so even though the Steiner Navigator Pro 7x30 Binoculars does not have ED glass (which is designed to reduce chromatic aberrations), the level of observable color fringing, even under extremes like viewing a black telephone wire against a bright blue, sunlit sky only showed very little amounts which is impressive and they compare very favorably even against the very best in this area. Also important to note here is that the rubber used for the tethering looks and feels fairly robust and thus should last as this is a part that often fails on binoculars that I test. What is the difference between roof and porro prism construction? At 21mm in diameter, these have pretty large ocular lenses for a mid-sized binocular in my experience. For the type of abuse I have given them , its probably a good idea that theyre attached. Included in the box with these Steiner Navigator Pro 7x30 binoculars are a number of accessories. The padded bag has a detachable shoulder strap which is really handy for securing them to a pole, as I do on my boat. Another seemingly insignificant part, which becomes much more important on a boat like a canoe is the ocular lens cover (rain-guard): Whilst I ALWAYS ensure that they are replaced once I get home in order to prevent dust from settling into the ocular lenses. Even if this proves to be true, you should still be able to find them at retailers for a good, long time. We will send you an order confirmation e-mail as soon as we receive your order. Click Here for Current Prices & Where to Buy. The main difference between the Commander and the Navigator Pro is the optical performance. Your compass is currently optimized for the magnetic field of the northern hemisphere (zone 2), of course only if you purchased binoculars in this region. The 7x30 configuration gives you exit pupils of around 4.3mm (307), which is pretty much the same as the 4.2mm that you get with a 10x42 binocular and thus in terms of image brightness I was expecting these to provide me with a similar type of experience meaning that, they should perform well enough in all but pretty poor light conditions and this indeed turned out to be the case: As well as this, I know from a tour of their factory, that Steiner uses excellent quality glass (either Hoya from Japan or Schott in Germany) on all their higher-end instruments and so this combined with the knowledge that all the lenses along the whole optical pathway on the Navigator pro have multiple layers of anti-reflection coatings applied to them (fully multi-coated) meant it was no surprise to find that the image brightness, in general, and especially in the good to average light conditions that we mostly experienced on our trip was excellent. The integrated electronic magnetic field measurement guarantees absolutely precise measurements anywhere in the world, whether in the Arctic Circle or the South Seas. We focus each eye one after the other by turning the diopter adjustment on the eyepiece. Indeed the only times I wished I could focus at a closer range was to observe things like the dragonflies and dropwings that would often land on our canoe. The Commander Global is equipped with a digital worldwide compass, which provides precise bearings all over the world through magnetic field measurement and declination adjustment. All of these models are built to withstand the special environment that you encounter both on fresh water and salt water excursions. Even so, I would still highly recommend purchasing an inexpensive lens cleaning kit for the proper cleaning of the lenses. Binoculars are classified according to two numbers, such as 8x30. Apart from sleeker styling, the main advantage of the Dachs design is that it can focus to much shorter distancesperfect for watching birds in your backyard. Though not built to military spec (that model is the Commander 7x50, which lists for $1,207.49), the Navigator Pros feel rugged in the hand, and the integrated lens caps at both ends will help keep everything clear. Many circumnavigators therefore use 2 - 3 binoculars with different compass zones.o Changing the compass module to another zone cannot be done independently.If you are a circumnavigator, we recommend the Commander Global: No calibration or adjustment; the Commander Global is the spearhead and once again demonstrates the innovative capabilities of STEINER. They might not look clean and box fresh in the pictures Ive provided, but the optics are absolutely tip-top. The image remains sharp and in focus from the center of the view right to the edges and they show almost zero image softening at the edge of the view. In addition, the Commander has an improved anti-reflective coating on the lenses for high light transmission and has an additional Steiner Nano-Protection coating on the outer surfaces to allow water, dirt and oil to roll off the lenses. I was actually going to try this, but because I was also testing two other instruments and had my camera around my neck, I decided against a bino harness, but I think using one on a canoe could be a very good idea. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. I mean everything! Shape This results in the typical Z-construction, which the light has to follow on its way to the eye. If the eyepiece is designed for use without glasses, the eye relief is about 3/8 inch (or 10 mm). You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Either way, this is not really what this type of binocular is designed for and so I would still not recommend them to anyone who often needs to view objects at close range. The second number refers to the size of the objective lenses, in millimeters. Gary is a bird watcher and amateur astronomer. When youre using binoculars on a swaying boat, field of view (FOV) is significant. Priced at around $49 / 49 Euros. This combined with their reasonably large exit-pupil makes this instrument very easy to use with less chance of black rings forming on the edges of the view.