22 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Too much magnification for a compact binocular, August 15, 2008
I bought these 10x26 and a pair of 8x22 Safari Pro binoculars for comparison and ended up returning the 10x26's. The clarity on both is great, but the amount of shake at 10x with a pair of compact binoculars is too much! The 8x model appears sharper and noticeably easier to follow objects, and they're smaller and normally a little less expensive too. Otherwise, if you're set on a pair of 10 power compact binoculars, these are pretty good, although already one of the hinges that hold each tube are getting a bit overly loose, but not so much that they sag on their own weight yet.
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15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Perfect for my use, may not be for yours., May 23, 2008
First thing is the binoculars pictured are not the one's you will get. 444's are the newer sort of "racier" version of the 442's pictured.
My first impression opening the box was, "wow, much lighter than I expected". The optical quality is outstanding by any measure at this price point. Clear, bright, a good field of view, amazing for about $170 actually. Typically you get this optical quality starting around $500-600. The 20mm eye relief makes using them with glasses a non issue, really nice feature. Fit's my hands well and the lightness makes fatique no problem. Attached lens covers and a well thought out case with straps make keeping them with you easy and painless.
I use these mainly for sporting events, at the beach, vacation, etc. The "sports auto-focus" is perfect for this use. Pick up the binoculars and wham, it's there. If however your primary useage is realitively close in bird watching inside the confines of a small to medium yard, say less than 120-150 feet, these are not for you. While you can set the focus in that close anything outside about 100-125 yards will be out of focus and setting the focus takes to long for moving birds and game animals.
When used within their rather large limits, it's tough to beat these Steiners...worth every dime.
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12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
German Made - Just go to 10!, July 25, 2009
Completely disagree with the user that said the 8x's were better to own.
I followed young bald eagles soaring on a recent fly fishing trip with ease. All the others on the trip were highly impressed with the clarity and 10x power.
~ German Made Quality
~ Compact Yet Highly Effective
~ Nice Carrying Case (but does not come with lens caps)
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