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skeeeter
Optics Apprentice Joined: November/19/2006 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 72 |
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Posted: November/20/2006 at 17:24 |
Tried to call you today but spoke with Mary who was very helpful but did not know some details on the refurbished Steiner Nighthunters 10x50 like how old are they, and how modern are their optical coatings?
I have decided on the Steiners either in refurbished Nighthunter 10x50, or the new 10x50 Military/Marine against the Pentax 10x43 DCF SP though I wonder if I should get the 10x50 SP's.Mary said the refurb's are only 5 yr warranty while the Pentax is Lifetime?
Since the Military/Marine is a porro type will it be better than the roof style Pentax's? Please share some of your knowledge and help me not obsess over this any longer. I will use the binocs for hunting, birding and survailence.
I have bought several times from you (Aimpoints, Weaver) and really liked your fast reliable service which is way I will buy from you again.
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lucznik
Optics Master Joined: November/27/2004 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 1436 |
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Ordinarily I advise that porro prism glass is superior to that of roof prisms. However, I have never been super impressed with Steiner binoculars. (Mostly, I think this is due to their IF mechanism, which I don't like as well as their [for me] poor ergonomics, both of which are semi-related issues.)
I would recommend you rethink your choices. |
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What if the hokey pokey really is what it's all about?
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anweis
Optics Master Joined: January/29/2006 Status: Offline Points: 1148 |
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For your birding, Individual Focus is a big NO-NO. For your surveillance work, if you do a lot of night work, you might want to consider a 7x50. For your hunting, 10x50 IF will work fine, but if you ever try to go for the serious mountain hunting, you will hate the binos because of their size and weight. Ditto lucznick. Don't hurry, choose wisely, we are all here to help. A good 8x42 such as Kahles or Pentax SP would fit all three of your intended uses. Leupold Pinnacles 8x42 is also nice, solid, slim, light, bright, and sharp. I actually don't like it because of too much bending and distortion at the edges, but it's a decent glass and the center field image is great for 400-500 smackers. If you want to splurge, get a top of the line 7x42. It's great at night, you'll see your game before anyone else, and it's perfect for birding.
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Chris Farris
TEAM SWFA - Admin swfa.com Joined: October/01/2003 Location: Texas Status: Offline Points: 8024 |
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We don't know how old each product is on the SampleList as most are not date coded. The NightHunter is a relatively new line from Steiner so I would guess they are within 3-4 years old. The optical coatings of the NightHunter are very modern and one of Steiner's top coatings for low light.
Of the two Steiners you are looking at the NightHunter is considerably better optically and worth the extra money.
Considering the sale price of the Pentax and the lifetime warranty I would lean toward them. The roof prism Pentax DCF SP are phase coated to make them equal if not better than a porro prism. While the porro prism design is optically superior there are many other things to consider that make a binocular brighter and clearer. With today's technology there is really no reason to buy a porro over a roof if all other things were equal.
For your intended use I would recommend something with a decent exit pupil and good magnification like the 10x50s you are considering. |
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