Steiner Discovery Binoculars

[Gill Catton]

Originally Posted by freefeet

The Hawke ED's are waterproof. Not that i plan testing them in a river though.

I would agree about the £300 pair being fine. I can't imagine for a moment that spending £1500 on a pair will make my binocular viewing experiences 5 times as good as they currently are.

Yes it was certainly an accident and I didn't so much drop them in as they came in with me when the boat capsized! Thank goodness I hadn't had my camera with me too!

[JeffH]

Hi Wizzo

I've had a pair of Steiner Discovery 8 x 44s for nearly 18 months now and I reckon they are the best pair of binoculars I have ever owned or tried (and as a birder for nearly 35 years I've tried a lot )

I should add that before I bought mine I had the opportunity of field testing them alongside the equivalent models of Leica Ultravids, Swarovski ELs and Zeiss Victory binoculars. At that time the price difference between all these leading brands was only about £150 so price wasn't really a factor in making my choice.

To my eyes and at that time, there was little to choose in terms of optical quality between the 4 leading brands mentioned and I selected the Steiners simply because I found them easier to use than any of the others. As a spectacle wearer I found the other 3 models more difficult to align on putting them to my eyes, whereas with the Steiners (which have the largest ocular lenses of the models mentioned) I have never had any such difficulty.

As for the colour cast mentioned by Cellarman, this is barely noticeable and in my experience such casts are a common feature in many binoculars resulting from different lens coatings.

Here's a link to a review in Birdwatch magazine which may help you in deciding -

http://www.steiner-binoculars.co.uk/.../BirdWatch.pdf

Having said that, there really is no substitute for trying out all the binoculars on your short list for yourself and whatever anyone else may say or think of them. What suits others may not suit you so it's well worth investing some time in visiting one or two of the optics retailers stocking the brands you're interested in (preferably those offering a suitable test view rather than a high street location ) to try them all for yourself.

Hope that helps

Jeff

[wizzo]

Well thanks a bunch Jeff!! There was me about to spend just £300 quid on the 'Hawks' and now you've managed to sell me the Discovery bino's again! Obviously, Im pulling your leg mate I live close to Chew Valley Lake, near Bristol and guess what, there's a new shop called 'Lakeside Optics' that has opened that overlooks the lake. Not only do they have all of the top end scopes mounted on tripods and displayed outside of the shop, alongside mid-range models and budget scopes, they actively encourage you to handle the binoculars and scopes without rushing, whilst answering every question with patience and politeness. This was in stark contrast to Jacobs of Bristol, who made it quite obvious, that they prefered me not to take the Leicas outside of the store. Unfortunatley, Lakeside Optics didn't have the Steiners in stock, but they were quick to praise both the Hawks and the Discovery optics. In terms of handling, I loved the Swarovski bins but could see little difference between those, the Leica, and the Zeiss (all 10x40 or thereabouts). They are going to order a pair of the Discoverys so that I can have a look. At a relative bargin price of £875 for the 8x44's, I'm definately interested. I know this is the wrong forum Jeff, but I have a budget of roughly £4,000-4,500 to spend on the photographic side of things. This would include a body (Nikon D300 or D700) plus lenses for wildlife and landscapes. Could I be cheeky and ask for your advice? I noticed that you're a landscape photographer. Thanks again everyone for your advice. Wizzo

[wizzo]

Jeff, I've just visited your website. I'm totally stunned at the quality and composition of your work. How long have you been doing what you do? I can only aspire to achieve that kind of success, but hey, if we don't have dreams.........

[JeffH]

Originally Posted by wizzo

Well thanks a bunch Jeff!! There was me about to spend just £300 quid on the 'Hawks' and now you've managed to sell me the Discovery bino's again! Obviously, Im pulling your leg mate I live close to Chew Valley Lake, near Bristol and guess what, there's a new shop called 'Lakeside Optics' that has opened that overlooks the lake. Not only do they have all of the top end scopes mounted on tripods and displayed outside of the shop, alongside mid-range models and budget scopes, they actively encourage you to handle the binoculars and scopes without rushing, whilst answering every question with patience and politeness. This was in stark contrast to Jacobs of Bristol, who made it quite obvious, that they prefered me not to take the Leicas outside of the store. Unfortunatley, Lakeside Optics didn't have the Steiners in stock, but they were quick to praise both the Hawks and the Discovery optics. In terms of handling, I loved the Swarovski bins but could see little difference between those, the Leica, and the Zeiss (all 10x40 or thereabouts). They are going to order a pair of the Discoverys so that I can have a look. At a relative bargin price of £875 for the 8x44's, I'm definately interested. I know this is the wrong forum Jeff, but I have a budget of roughly £4,000-4,500 to spend on the photographic side of things. This would include a body (Nikon D300 or D700) plus lenses for wildlife and landscapes. Could I be cheeky and ask for your advice? I noticed that you're a landscape photographer. Thanks again everyone for your advice. Wizzo

Whooops, sorry Wizzo but do be sure to try out the Hawkes as well and if you can't see a discernible difference between the £300 Hawkes and the near £900 Steiners don't waste your money on the more expensive option (but then you might want to visit Specsavers as well )

As for camera equipment, I hope the info given in my pm is useful but as a Canon user I'm in no position to offer any advice on Nikon equipment. However, there are a number of Nikon users on this site and I'm sure a request for advice (in another thread) would yield some helpful responses

Originally Posted by wizzo

Jeff, I've just visited your website. I'm totally stunned at the quality and composition of your work. How long have you been doing what you do? I can only aspire to achieve that kind of success, but hey, if we don't have dreams.........

Thanks for your kind and encouraging words Wizzo - much appreciated
In answer to your question, I first started dabbling in wildlife photography nearly 35 years ago but it's only in the last few years that I've been able to afford some decent equipment and started to get some saleable results. Thanks again and good luck with your own photography

Jeff

[wizzo]

Thanks again Jeff!