Steiner Binoculars

[noelex 77]

As hellosailor says you are better to focus the left eye only then adjust the diopter setting on the right eye. The scale is often slightly out so this is preferable to just setting the calculated value.

However, I think it would be preferable to get some binoculars that will work with your glasses, particularly with other vision problems.

[ranger58sb]

Originally Posted by Therapy

OK,

I will put them on the list.

Nolex,

It is going to be hard to "try them on" in low light. Like after the store closes - heh.

I am nearsighted in one eye and far sighted in the other and have astigmatism in both. I have a lasik fail experience also.

Maybe I should give up the dream and stay at the PC.

Whether Steiner or not... individual eye focus (vs. center focus) is great, as is the constant focus from right here to infinity. The long eye relief is what gives me a full field of view.

I wear eyeglasses (commonly prescription sunglasses during days on the water), and usually keep both binocular lenses set at 0. The eyeglasses do the correction; binocular just magnifies.

Unless for some reason I have the eyeglasses off (rare), in which case I can change to the correct setting for that... essentially using the binoc for both magnification and correction.

-Chris

[Therapy]

Originally Posted by ranger42c

Whether Steiner or not... individual eye focus (vs. center focus) is great, as is the constant focus from right here to infinity. The long eye relief is what gives me a full field of view.

I wear eyeglasses (commonly prescription sunglasses during days on the water), and usually keep both binocular lenses set at 0. The eyeglasses do the correction; binocular just magnifies.

Unless for some reason I have the eyeglasses off (rare), in which case I can change to the correct setting for that... essentially using the binoc for both magnification and correction.

-Chris

I will check out he Steiners in Miami at the boat show.

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by Reefmagnet

Well, I had to wait over three months for the supplier to manufacture a batch, but I received my Fujinon FMTR-SX 7x50 binos this past week and they are absolutely fantastic. I ended up choosing these particular binos thanks to their great online reviews and competitive pricing. They are a bit weighty and bulky, which I knew beforehand, but I solved this by picking up a used pair of ex military 8x30 Steiners off Ebay for small change to use as a spare/travelling pair. Very happy!

Yes I have fujinon Polaris , absolutely brilliant glass , better at night then the Steiner. But its a heavier bins that for sure.

Ps would we be better using a surface area of a spherical cap ( Pi(a2+h2) a being the cap radius !!

Dave

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by carstenb

I think Jedi was half asleep, if you take the difference between 30mm and 50mm = 20mm whixh happens to be 67% of 30mm so he ended up with 1.67.

Jim you are correct in your math (it is also highly unadvisable to argue math with me. I used to do very complicated hydraulic sizings in my head when everyone else used an HP calculator)

We shall await his response with bated breath (so hurry up Jedi - I can't hold my breath for very long!

Start breathing again

It's worse: I was preaching about surface being a squared function (which in itself is correct...) but didn't check my previous post, so I looked it up now:

It is about how much light the objective catches. For this you have to compare the surface area of the front element, which is much bigger for a 50mm compared to a 30mm because it gets multiplied by pi: 157:94 meaning you get 67% more light into the 50mm objective. This results in a much much brighter view.

and obviously forgot to square it myself (arghhhh!). I actually compared circumference instead of surface area, how stupid I now think I understand Jim's point that when you compare the surface area of the two, pi is a constant on both sides of the equation so can be ignored. I normally use d^2 x pi / 4 but for comparing d^2 will do: 50^2:30^2 = 2500:900 = 2.78 like Jim posted.

Mea culpa

To get back on topic: the 50mm binoculars are almost 3 times as bright as 30mm binoculars! That is a huge difference.

[Bash]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

It's highly unadviseable to argue math with me

Or anchors. Or waterline. Or phototechnology. Or....

On the other hand, we might critique your spelling. Next time, try "unadvisable."

(smiley face)

[Lagoon4us]

...........Mung beans.

[b_rodwell]

Jedi said:

"Whatever you do, get one with a compass and a light-switch for that compass so that you can use it at night."

The Nikon 8208 OceanPro 7 x 50mm (recommended for the impecunious by Jedi) does have a compass but does not appear to have light.

Does this make it a non-starter, or does it just make it a bit harder to use?

Brian

[hellosailor]

Brian, not having a light in the compass is an odd economization, perhaps one might call it a cheat. It means the compass feature will be useless at night. Juggling a penlight on top of the binocs is simply not feasible. With so many other options, I'd suggest confirming that omission with Nikon and if it is true, pass on it.

Ranger, when you say individual focus, have you really found that is a feature? Or do you mean, individual diopter focus rings? Big difference. A lot of the marine binocs are preset to infinityand cannot be focused at all, except for the diopter adjustment. But that's not the same as true center-focus, which also makes binocs moreexpensive.

I've also tried the Fujinon Polaris. They put many glasses to shame, but at twice the weight of the compact optical designs, I'd also hate to need to use them for an hour at a clip, i.e. searching for a MOB or some other purpose. If I was using them for eight hours every day and expected to build muscles <G> that might be something else. But for the casual user, the weight of binocs is also an issue.

Noelex-
" some binoculars that will work with your glasses, particularly with other vision problems. " Astigmatic correction is meaningful, but more critical for tasks like reading, than for binoc-gazing. It is often uncorrectred and less critical folks never notice. But for the real problems that simply are never reflected in an rx, like floaters, there is no correction, no accommodation, possible. Except perhaps for reincarnation. (Actually, technically, floaters can be corrected by draining and refilling the eyeballs but that's a procedure which is so costly, risky, and involved, that re-incarnation is the better way to go.)

[goboatingnow]

I've also tried the Fujinon Polaris. They put many glasses to shame, but at twice the weight of the compact optical designs, I'd also hate to need to use them for an hour at a clip, i.e. searching for a MOB or some other purpose. If I was using them for eight hours every day and expected to build muscles <G> that might be something else. But for the casual user, the weight of binocs is also an issue.

True, but damm fine glasses at night . as to searching for MOBs. Naw my MOB technique is a hand wave, ( dont fall over )

dave

[ranger58sb]

Originally Posted by hellosailor

Ranger, when you say individual focus, have you really found that is a feature? Or do you mean, individual diopter focus rings? Big difference. A lot of the marine binocs are preset to infinityand cannot be focused at all, except for the diopter adjustment. But that's not the same as true center-focus, which also makes binocs moreexpensive.

Yes, individual eyepiece adjustements.

I have this Commander XP 7x50 C | Steiner -- The Binocular-Specialists and wifey has the slightly smaller (lighter) one.

Once set to your eyes, everything's in focus at all distances (except for VERY close). No futzing with a center focus thing as "range to object" varies. I use some center focus binocs in a different application (because the Steiner is heavy) and I keep one of those onboard for guests -- good enough glass, given cost -- but I mostly find center-focus to be a major pain in the ass.

BTW, when these say "stabilized" they mean the compass, not the overall view. It's also a nice feature (my early '80s Steiners didn't have that) but shouldn't mislead folks to think these are image stabilized.

And yes, the lighted compass is a good thing, although used sparingly so night vision doesn't suffer. Often there's enough ambient light so I don't have to light the compass, but when I've needed it, I needed it.

-Chris

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by b_rodwell

Jedi said:

"Whatever you do, get one with a compass and a light-switch for that compass so that you can use it at night."

The Nikon 8208 OceanPro 7 x 50mm (recommended for the impecunious by Jedi) does have a compass but does not appear to have light.

Does this make it a non-starter, or does it just make it a bit harder to use?

Brian

Every binoculars with compass that I've held did have a light for the compass and so did the Nikon. Batteries are included in the box but may be the shop did not install them for a display model? Anyway, when you order from Amazon, you'll get a good complete one or Amazon will take care of it. Other good sources are high end camera shops like B+H in NYC who will ship anywhere I think.

[hellosailor]

Chris, I've used the Commanders. And as Steiner themselves would be glad to tell you, that binocular does not have 'individual focus". It has diopter adjustments, just like so many others.

It is a fixed-focus (i.e. to "infinity") binoc that has no focusing adjustment. Which is perfectly adequate for most marine users. Not so good if you want tocheck out something on your own masthead, but perfectly good at a thousand yards, or even two hundred.

[ranger58sb]

Originally Posted by hellosailor

Chris, I've used the Commanders. And as Steiner themselves would be glad to tell you, that binocular does not have 'individual focus". It has diopter adjustments, just like so many others.

It is a fixed-focus (i.e. to "infinity") binoc that has no focusing adjustment. Which is perfectly adequate for most marine users. Not so good if you want tocheck out something on your own masthead, but perfectly good at a thousand yards, or even two hundred.

OK, I appreciate the correction. I guess I've misunderstood the word "focus" all these years. This from their website blurb:

The Steiner Sports-Auto-Focus makes handling particularly comfortable. If both eyes are of the same dioptre strength, simply set both of the adjusting rings on the eyecups to ”0“ and you will see clearly from 20 m to infinity. If not, adjust both oculars individually for razor sharp images. Once adjusted, everything will be sharp and clear from 20 m to infinity for varying distances. Simple use. Also with a single hand only.

Whatever, the alternative center-focus technique (or adjustment, or whatever it is) sucks for me, so I like the individual... er... adjustments

-Chris

[Therapy]

Originally Posted by hellosailor

" some binoculars that will work with your glasses, particularly with other vision problems. " Astigmatic correction is meaningful, but more critical for tasks like reading, than for binoc-gazing. It is often uncorrectred and less critical folks never notice. But for the real problems that simply are never reflected in an rx, like floaters, there is no correction, no accommodation, possible. Except perhaps for reincarnation. (Actually, technically, floaters can be corrected by draining and refilling the eyeballs but that's a procedure which is so costly, risky, and involved, that re-incarnation is the better way to go.)

That would be me.

I have asked and won't take the risk.

I will just have to live with not seeing that speck on the horizon for a minute or three.

And the Nikons for ~300 sure beat the Steiners at ~1000. Since I can't see well anyway I won't notice. Kinda like me picking stereo speakers with poor hearing abilities.