Background
I went without a good pair of binoculars for far too long, it would seem that maybe I’m going just the opposite way now. I have several good pairs of great binoculars, and today I wanted to share with you another great option. The Steiner Predator 10×42 LRF binoculars are a fantastic option for someone who needs binoculars, but also has serious rangefinding necessities.
Steiner Predator 10×42 Binoculars
Steiner’s Predator binoculars bring the rugged toughness the brand is known for. This set of binoculars utilizes Steiner’s high definition lens coatings to transmit as much light as possible. Housing the lenses is an armored lightweight frame with a center adjustment wheel, with adjustable shaded eye-cups. As always, these bino’s come in a nice little soft-case, with an included soft neck strap.
In addition to Steiner’s famous optical quality, this Predator has a laser built-in. The Predator binos have a rangefinder function that allows the user to hit targets nearly two-thousand yards away. The LRF display is shown in the right barrel of the bino, showing both distance as well as angle to the target. Both barrels of the binoculars have independently adjustable focused eye-pieces, so you can balance the image between your eyes. As well as focus the LRF display inside.
Up front, the object lens-covers are attached by a robust braided nylon strap, much stronger than the typical bikini rubber type. And the super soft rubber shades on the eye-cups keep the sun out of your eyes while glassing.
In the Field
A trip into the dry springtime deserts of Arizona would prove a great opportunity to try the Predator bino’s. I brought along my EDC binoculars for comparison, as I’m quite familiar with and like them.
The first thing I did was test the LRf function of the binos, and this was done before I even left town. Shooting the laser at billboards and signs made easy work inside of 18-1900 yards. Much further than that it was a little bit more challenging to get a good reading. I cross checked all distances with my Sig Sauer Kilo 10K binoculars, and there was rarely more than a yard or two difference between them.
Hours later we found ourselves in the desert scouring the cactus covered hills for shed antlers and fossils. Over the course of several hours I looked through the Predator Binoculars, inspecting every little detail of the rock structures and its inhabitants.
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Pros & Cons
Let’s start out with the things I like about these binoculars. First off, they have an outstanding picture. Like every Steiner optic product I’ve used, the Predator bino’s has a bright and clean image. The focus of both eye-cups was easily set, and once done you could quickly focus on your target area.
At first I didn’t like the eye-cup shades, but certainly not a big deal as they are easily folded out of the way. Later they came in very handy when the afternoon sun was at its brightest, and I found them pretty handy. The objective lens-caps stayed in place, which is very nice as some don’t.
The rangefinder in the Bino’s worked great, and unless you are calling in artillery it will likely serve your purpose. For hunting these mountains it was ideal, easily ranging distances and country where I would expect to see my prey.
While the neck-strap was quite nice, I didn’t use it much. I’d wager that most folks who spend the money for binoculars like this most likely spend extra cash to get a nice binocular case or harness. I have several nice bino cases that I use, currently I’m using the Eberlestock Recon. It’s been fantastic for various binocular sets, but I was a little let down when I tried to store the Steiner Predator’s inside. The bino’s are a bit longer than most comparable sets of binoculars, and barely fit. Obviously this isn’t a huge deal, as I’m sure there are other good options.
The only other thing I wouldn’t say I disliked, but just something I had to get used to was this; The Predator bino’s required you to get you eyes right up in there in order to see. I was used to other bino’s where I simply touched the eye-cups to my brow, and everything looked great. With the Steiner’s I found myself iris-deep in the eye cups in order to see well.
Last Thoughts
With an MSRP of nearly $1800, these binoculars aren’t for the fairweather gawker. But with an incredible service history, Steiner has certainly earned their place. These bino’s would make an excellent companion for a mountain hunt, where distances can vary greatly. Or if you find yourself ranging distant steel targets these would certainly do well outside of ELR events.
I really like these Steiner Predator 10×42 LRF binoculars. And if they were the last pair of binoculars I ever had, I’m sure I would be fine. Especially since Steiner offers a fully transferable product lifetime warranty, and 3-years on the electronic components.
I would definitely put these binoculars on my list of things I would keep, despite having other options with higher prices and performance, I wouldn’t let these binoculars out of my sight.
-CBM
