Steiner

Safari Ultrasharp 8x30 Binoculars

When you're preparing for safari or an outing with your local chapter of birding enthusiasts, you'll want to pack the Steiner Safari Ultrasharp 8x30 Binoculars alongside the relevant animal-identification book. It would be awful to be in the field and miss the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see a snow leopard, Rufous-necked wood-rail, or your neighbor in flagrante delicto (wait, what's your neighbor doing out there?). Rugged, waterproof, and well under two pounds, these lenses won't weigh you down or slow your pursuit of rarely seen wildlife.

Binoculars have more tech than most cars, and at the end of it all, here's what you absolutely care about. The 8x30 refers to the magnification (8) and objective diameter (30).  Huh?  Magnification is just how much closer the object will appear to your eyes, so with these, something 80 feet away will seem like it's only 10 feet away. The objective diameter is not some funky business term, but instead determines how much light, in reference to your object, gets in.  So, the bigger the number, the more light that gets in, and the better the image clarity.

Steiner's standard auto focus system means from 20m to infinity, you'll see clearly so long as you've cleared the gunk from your sleepy eyes. What happens if the object of your desire moves closer? The innovative Sports-Auto-Focus Plus system gives you close-up image definition with a quick turn to the right, clearing the way for stunning visibility at 2 to 20 meters. The waterproof casing ensures the magnifying prisms remain pristine when the weather is anything but. The BAK-4 prisms use fine, high-density glass that virtually eliminates internal light scattering to produce clear, bright, well-defined images. Ergonomic eyecups minimize incidental light interference and are comfortable for all-day observing. If you need your specs, simply fold the cups down and enjoy peeping from a distance.