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U.S. Secret Service issue Steiners |
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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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Posted: July/02/2007 at 12:32 |
The agents that are assigned to the president are issued 15x80 Steiners and every so often they trade them in whether there is something wrong with them or not. Steiner sells them to us at a discount and we usually put them on the SampleList.com site.
We found a box of them while doing an inventory and these date back to the Clinton administration (only if these binos could talk).
Selling right now on eBay with no reserve.
Edited by Chris Farris |
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koshkin
MODERATOR Dark Lord of Optics Joined: June/15/2004 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 13182 |
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Chris, I have never seen these live. How good is the glass? What do you think these compare to?
ILya |
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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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They are very impressive, the glass compares to the Steiner Hunting line with the C.A.T. coatings. The Senator model uses different (better) glass and coatings compared to the 15x80 Observer. It is really hard to compare them to another binocular. They remind me of a BigEye dual spotting scope set up. Surprisingly they are not difficult to use, just move your hands as close to the objective as possible because they are nose heavy. The weight and size actually make them easier to hold steady. The individual eye focus makes them even more user friendly because you can look 30 feet or 500 yards and not have to refocus.
They are also offered with a compass and in 20x. |
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Mike McDonald
Optics Journeyman Joined: September/01/2004 Status: Offline Points: 739 |
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I've used a pair of the Secret Service Bino's in 15x.
Amazing image quality and depth perception. Still don't know why I don't own a pair, nothing hides from these things. |
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koshkin
MODERATOR Dark Lord of Optics Joined: June/15/2004 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 13182 |
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Sounds interesting. I suppose we will see how the Ebay bidding goes.
ILya |
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Mike McDonald
Optics Journeyman Joined: September/01/2004 Status: Offline Points: 739 |
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Hey that's it!
I don't own a pair cuz I don't Ebay |
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koshkin
MODERATOR Dark Lord of Optics Joined: June/15/2004 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 13182 |
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Try samplelist then.
If Ebay bidding goes above my limits, I might try that. ILya |
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Chris in NorCal
Optics Apprentice Joined: November/16/2005 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 56 |
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Can they be attach to a tripod? |
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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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Yes they can be mounted to a tripod. Steiner makes an adapter that clamps onto the center shaft.
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Chris in NorCal
Optics Apprentice Joined: November/16/2005 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 56 |
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Please provide a link to the adaptor
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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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Mike McDonald
Optics Journeyman Joined: September/01/2004 Status: Offline Points: 739 |
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Koshkin you'll be happy to know that I've procured a set of these.
My "Ebay" was painless |
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Bird Watcher
Optics Master Joined: August/30/2006 Status: Offline Points: 1523 |
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Mike,
Nice catch! I hope they arrive in collimation. Let us know what you think of the 15x80mm. I was considering a refurbished Steiner 25x80mm Observer, instead, I opted for a 25x100mm Garrett Optical.(my biggest catch so far @ 10 lbs.) |
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koshkin
MODERATOR Dark Lord of Optics Joined: June/15/2004 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 13182 |
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How do you like them? |
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Mike McDonald
Optics Journeyman Joined: September/01/2004 Status: Offline Points: 739 |
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Was out playing with these last evening and into the darkness.
Steiner did a fantastic refurb job. I've used other Steiners, and have other high end binos. All of those seem to impart some slight cast to the image from lens coatings, the IOR's being the most tinted, and Observers having just enough color balance influence to notice. These units are crisp, sharp, precise, easy to focus easy to hold and balance. I checked them for image quality ( subjective outside the lab ) near/far focus, ability to resolve miute detail, and low light/no light performance. If there is any light at all these things see. Thats the short version. Depth perception and detail resolution is on the upper end of phenominal. Unlike any other unit I've tried, or own, there is no sense of magnification imparted. You're just standing right in front of something that's 800-1200 yards distant and viewing it as though you were there. These are keepers. I just need to order an ocular cover and tripod mount and we're good to go. |
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koshkin
MODERATOR Dark Lord of Optics Joined: June/15/2004 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 13182 |
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All right. I've got one on the way. I'll let you know how I like it.
ILya |
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koshkin
MODERATOR Dark Lord of Optics Joined: June/15/2004 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 13182 |
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OK. These binoculars rock!
Amazingly enough, because of how long these are, I can actually handhold them reasonably comfortably (although not for too long). Still I sent an e-mail to Steiner to ask about a tripod adapter. ILya |
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Roy Finn
MODERATOR Steiner Junkie Joined: April/05/2004 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 4856 |
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Glad you like those Steiner's, ILya. Let me know if you have any problem getting the tripod adaptor.
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Mike McDonald
Optics Journeyman Joined: September/01/2004 Status: Offline Points: 739 |
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Tirpod mount ordered from SWFA arrived today.
Slightly different from the 20x mount I'm used to, and I think it's better, at least for the field tripod currently in use. Gives more room under the bios for the tripod adjustments to be accessed. Time to hit the range |
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koshkin
MODERATOR Dark Lord of Optics Joined: June/15/2004 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 13182 |
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Well, Steiner has successfully ignored my e-mails for a bout a week now, so I guess I'll order a tripod mount from SWFA in the meantime.
ILya |
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