• Steiner Safari 8x22mm Compact Binocular

    During my preparation for the 2005 Group Safaris trip, I realized a few of my hunting items were lacking. One of the key items I thought I would need was a decent set of compact binoculars. I had a set of moderately priced Bushnell's that had served well for the short distance bow hunting I typically do here in PA. Although they served me fairly well they were certainly lacking in the definition department as on several occasions I had trouble counting the tines on bucks from around 75 yards or greater. I decided it was time to upgrade.

    I put a limit on what I could spend at $125.00 or less. I spoke with our resident outfitter Rob Martin and asked him for some suggestions. After Rob explained to me that it was the Primary Job of the PH (professional hunter / guide) to do the spotting for me and that I should not be weighed down with bulky or heavy gear, he recommended a compact pair of fixed power binocular. Now this is exactly what I wanted to hear and just what I had in mind except for the fixed part. I was thinking zoom all the way. Well Rob made perfect sense when we talked about the need for quality and clarity over unneeded bells and whistles. Rob made several brand name suggestions and the search was on.

    After several days of browsing and checking cost against size, features and price, I decided on Steiner Safaris 8x32 fixed power compact binoculars.

    Upon receiving the package from Midway I was delighted to see the sturdy nylon case with the little beauties inside. I was impressed with the small size and lightweight. I immediately took them outside and after a few minutes of adjusting the eye-cups and the focus ring on the left eyepiece at about 25 yards I took a walk around my house and looked for a distant object to focus in on. I picked out a construction dumpster (of all things) at a house that was being worked on across the street. It was a good 125 yards away. I was surprised at the clarity and the brightness of the view and was able to read the small print on the dumpster with ease. Just for comparison, I grabbed my 12 power Bushnell's and looked at the same thing. There was no comparison between the two; these little Steiner's were far brighter and much sharper with less magnification. I decided I made a good choice, with Rob's help of course.

    To be honest with you these binoculars saw very little use in Africa as my PH did almost all of the glassing. I did however carry them with me and they were never a problem and never got in the way and when I did use them I felt that they were fine for the close in stuff (300 to 400 yards) but Karels' big Docter Optics were far better suited to the vast areas we were covering.

    Now, back home this deer season is another story altogether. In the thick woods and leaves of early season archery hunting, these little gems really shined. I was able to pick out deer with relative ease in the thick growth as well as count tines (or the lack thereof) on some of the deer I saw at a distance. They are also handy for sporting events, occasional bird watching, hiking etc.

    Final analysis:

    Good points:
    - Compact and lightweight
    - Reasonably priced
    - Clear and bright
    - Fit nicely in shirt pocket or in zip pouch in my pack
    - Nice heavy duty case

    Needs improvement:
    - Eye cups spin too easy, forcing you to reset them at what could be an inopportune time. Could be solved easily with a drop of Crazy glue, just havent done it yet.
    - Focus ring (for eye balance) is easy to turn out of adjustment just by handling, removing from your fanny pack, opening the binos from the folded position etc., this ring should be stiffer to turn or further up on the body to help avoid this problem.

    Summation:

    I would recommend these binoculars to anyone needing a compact set like this for archery hunting, hunting in the deep woods, tree stand hunting and for hiking, sports events and anything of that nature where it is impractical or unnecessary to carry a full size set of binoculars with you. Overall, I think these are a good product and have learned to live with the two minor complaints I have with them.

    Specifications
    Price: under $100.00
    Prism Type: Roof Prism
    Eye Relief: 10mm
    Field of View: 369 feet @ 1000 yards
    Weight: 8.5 ounces
    Waterproof: Yes
    Fogproof: Yes
    Shockproof: Yes
    Color: Armored Green
    Warranty: 10 Year Limited Warranty - Non-Transferable
    (Steiner reserves the right to repair or replace product at their discretion.)

    Notes:
    - Case included
    - Features a proprietary lens coating which blocks the colors of haze and foliage and enhances the visibility of browns, reds and other wildlife colors.


    Steiner Division
    Burris Company, Inc
    920 54th Avenue, Suite 200
    Greeley, CO 80634
    Phone: (970) 356-1670
    www.Steiner-binoculars.com