For Sale: Steiner Commander 3 binoculars, 7 x 50

[atmarine]

This is a pair of Commander 3 binoculars from Steiner, made in Germany. Very high quality, image stabilization, compass heading, anti fog. These are always in focus. Nothing wrong with them, but thinning out our extra gear.

$520 shipped from NY state.

Email zverhey@gmail, or PM

[a64pilot]

I’ll take them, PM sent

[Aemas]

Next in line if the first falls out.

[sailormed]

Just to be correct, the compass is stabilized, NOT the image.

[Argyle38]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

I’ll take them, PM sent

Lucky!



That's a great price. I'm a optical engineer. You're pretty much getting them for the price of the glass that's in those things.



I got mine last year off ebay and they're great. Less than retail but not this good of a price.


And yes, these are not electronic image stabilized binos. I love Steiner products, but their marketing department is... a marketing department.



-Argyle

[a64pilot]

I don’t think Steiner has an image stabilized Binocular. While I have no experience with a Steiner with a compass, I’d suspect it’s “stabilized” with slightly more viscous fluid than the kerosene that is often used.
I’m getting them for the light gathering capability, I already have a stabilized 14 power set of Bino’s that are great during the day.

I think Steiner makes their own glass? How does it compare to Zeiss?

Now I’m hoping the seller will PM me shipping details

[Argyle38]

I highly doubt that Steiner makes their own glass (at least the raw ingots). That is a very specialized industry. I would suspect they use Schott glass, being Germain and all. I'm pretty sure Zeiss uses Schott as well. I know they use Schott in some products. Schott is one of the biggest glass foundries in the world. Ohara (in Japan) is the other big one.



Now they probably do grind, polish and coat their own lenses (or at least grind and polish, coating is also fairly specialized), if they are doing the design. Hard to tell though, they might farm out the whole lens train, possibly to Zeiss.

[a64pilot]

I looked it up, they do their own grinding, polishing and coating in house.
That’s what I meant by make their own glass.
I wondered if they used Zeiss or not, both being German companies, Zeiss used to supply many lenses for other companies from cameras to microscopes to satellite and aircraft camera’s.
Zeiss used to be considered very good if not the best glass, and by glass I mean complete lenses.
Glass is just what lenses are often called.

[Wood]

I have the 7x50 Marine, which replaced fogged 6x35 Military I bought in 1984. Steiner replaced them at a very steep discount. The optics and light gathering are impressive. They are very heavy - which is good. They hold very well and are well balanced. Not objective heavy at all.


I have no recent experience with Zeiss but I have older Leupold 5 star and Nikon optics - expensive in their day and still good. The 7x50 Marine is noticeable better.


Hope this helps.