Opinions on Steiner Merlin 10x42 binos

[Bill Strickland]

I'm thinking of buying a pair of Steiner Merlin 10x42 binoculars and would like opinions on them,,,,,,,,,,,,,pro or con.  I've looked through the Nikon Monarchs, and they are fine binos, but the Steiners seem slightly brighter and crisper to these old eyes, and I really like the eye cups.  I know there are better binos, but these are at the top of what I can afford.

Thanks
Bill

[mo bo hunter]

the thing i dont like about stiener is their warranty it sounds good until you send somthing in, then its well thats not covered under warranty, and the charge to fix them is almost what a new pair cost, but they will offer to replace them with a new pair for 125.00 and up  
bass pro sells redhead brand made by bushnell that have worked great for me check them out.

[Frank V]

Zeiss!

[TaterHill Archer]

I like the steiners.  I have 2 sets and haven't had a problem with either one of them.

[vwvectors]

2nd the motion on Zeiss . Don't be afraid to buy the best .

[dannyvp]

i have the merlin 10 power. Pretty nice. I did like them better than the Conquest. On the con side they fog up bad. The eye pieces are great for keeping out all stray light. It's on reason i bought them, but they fog up becouse of them. Im looking into a coating to put on them to stop this.

[rascal]

Ive looked through (drooled over) some very high end binocs, like leupold, swarovski and ziess, they are very very very nice but I just cant justify the cost for the ammount of time I use them.  I dont hunt out west so your mileage may vary on that aspect.  Ive used stieners before and I also like them, seems like a good product for the cost.  

From what Ive been told if you spend a great deal of time behind your optics then buy the absolute best you can afford.  Thats probably good advice.

[TaterHill Archer]

Rascal,
That may be the best advice I've ever heard.  I would buy Zeiss, if I  could afford them.  Steiners were a good trade off.

[Yolla Bolly]

Bill---My one Steiner binoc is a disappointment---but it was not the model you mentioned.
Both the Leupold and the Nikon held up better to the abuse to which I subject them.

[TonyW]

This comes from my experience with Nikons, but try this before you buy. Take a pair of good 7 X 50 binoculars and focus on a object in the shadows. Now take a pair of 10 X 42 binos and look at the same object. It should be larger, but it may not be as sharp. The 7 X 50 have better resolving power, the 10 X 42 have better magnification. In other words, you may be able to read small print with the 7 X 50 ( or spot an antler tip) and then have a larger slightly blurred image with a 10 X 42 (a branch? a leg?).
I bought 7 X 50 when I realized that they bring in more light. Use them to look in shadows and you will see what I mean instantly. If the Steiner 10 X 42 can do this, go for it. Only your eyes can decide.

[TonyW]

From the Nikon 7 X 50
The large, 50mm objective lenses provide a 7.1mm exit pupil for maximum light gathering, while a diopter adjustment and large central focus knob make focus easy to achieve and maintain. (They also have a built in compass)

Nikon 7 X 50 binos include this info:
Exit Pupil 7.2 mm
Eye Relief 22.7 mm
Relative Brightness 50.4
Twilight Factor 18.7

I could not find the relative brightness or twilight factor on the Steiner Merlins, but they were not bragging about it, only Exit pupil: 4.2 mm and Eye relief: 18 mm

[Mike Orton]

Bill,

Your comment about Steiners being an acceptable trade off is on target.  They are a mid level glass.  They are rugged. They will serve you well.  Yes there are better higher priced binos in the market today.

I've had several pairs of Steiners, mostly 8 by 30.  And yes I had a problem w/ the original 8 by 30 military/marine fogging after a sever soaking in rain for a week long hunt.  I returned them to the factory for service.  The factory authorized free repair covered under warrantee but also offered me to upgrade to a better model.  I personally liked that option, and upgraded to the 8 by 30 Night Hunter.  This mid-sized bino is perfect for my western based archery hunting.  Great low level light gathering qualities.

I have also just within the last month, acquired another pair of Steiners.  These are the 25 by 80 monsters that I intend to use tripod mounted in place of a spotting scope.  I never could get used to peaking through one eye on a spotting scope.  So I'll give these big monsters a try.  The risk of buying these specialty binos is based upon my personal good experience in dealing with the Steiner Company.

FYI, if I could justify the expense, my perfect bino would be the Leica Douvid 10 & 15 by 50 bino.  But at $2500 a pair the mid level priced Steiners seem pretty attractive.

[TonyW]

This website gives detailed advice about binoculars and optics with no manufacturer's bias:
 http://www.astronomics.com/main/category.asp/catalog_name/Christophers/category_name/22DSS4TXW53Q9LMMHWBSGNQV75/Page/1