Binoculars Review: Steiner Safari 8x22 Binoculars

For years, expense has made fine German optics inaccessible for many people. However, Steiner Safari 8x22 compact roof-prism binoculars may just make such legendary optics into the homes of middle class sportsmen. Steiner binoculars often cost several hundred dollars, but Steiner Safari 8x22 compact binoculars can be found for far less. I was fortunate to find mine at a deep discount on sale at the Bass Pro Shop for only $69.95. They were the last pair on display on a successful sale weekend. Since I've long wondered what a real quality pair of binoculars from a European manufacturer would be like, I took the plunge.

On the day I bought my Steiner binoculars, I think I found a once in a lifetime deal. Fortunately, the binoculars are designed to last a lifetime. Steiner built its reputation by building rugged, high-quality, optics for NATO military and police forces around the world. The martial heritage of these binoculars is obvious right out of the box. The Steiner Safari 8x22 binoculars themselves come in a subdued "earth-tone brown" color with black trim along the top and around the objectives lenses. At 6.5 ounces, these binoculars are surprisingly hefty for compact, roof-prism, binoculars. The body of these binoculars is clad in thick rubber armor with molded ribs running along the sides and thumb pads on the bottom. While the thumb pads are a simple ergonomic touch, they make the binoculars easy to hold steady for long periods of time. The eye cups are shaped to block stray light coming from the users periphery and fold down easily for use by eyeglass wearers. A fairly broad neck strap makes the binoculars easy for users to retain. They come with a zippered,padded, black carrying case made of heavy duty nylon. The case measures 4 1/2 inches by 5 inches by 2 1/4 inches thick and has a belt loop for easy access. The Steiner Safari 8x22 binoculars measure 3 1/4 inches by 4 inches by about 1 5/8 inches tall. While the binoculars will fit in a pants pocket, the case is just a little large for pocket carry.

To my eyes, these Steiner binoculars deliver excellent optical performance. The Safari 8x22 binoculars have a nice wide center-focus wheel for focusing both eyepieces and individual focus on the left eyepiece to ensure that they can be focused perfectly by any user. Typically, binoculars offer several increasing levels of optical coatings from that are a rough indicator of quality and the ability of the binoculars to pass light through without reflecting it away from the viewer. The available coating levels are coated, fully coated, multi-coated, and fully multi-coated. While Steiner coatings are legendary and engineered for a variety of different purposes, the Steiner website and documentation does not provide any information about where their binoculars fall along the range of optical coatings. Needless to say the anti-reflective coatings are visibly present on the objectives and the eyepieces and give these glass surfaces an amber hue. According to the Steiner website, the coatings on these binoculars are also intended to protect users by filtering out harmful ultra-violet light.

In casual use, I found these binoculars easy to carry, easy to use, and capable of delivering bright, sharp, images. There were times when I stepped from an air-conditioned environment into a hot, extremely humid, situation and encountered temporary fogging on the exterior of the eyepieces. However, the fogging cleared up almost immediately, when I held the binoculars a little further from my face for just a few moments. Once the binoculars were out in the humidity for awhile, the problem went away. While many binoculars can fulfill the same missions, I was very pleased by the overall ergonomics, rugged quality, and fine optics of these Steiner Safari 8x22 binoculars. After trying these, I'd also feel confident about stepping up to a more expensive full-sized pair of binoculars from Steiner. These are the kind of binoculars that last a lifetime.