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Steiner Wildlife XP 8x44 Review

Posted by Alex Holloway on

Wildlife XP 8x44

We have been lucky enough to have been given and used the NEW Steiner Wildlife XP 8x44 before anyone else.

Let me tell you this, they are 'fantastic'!

I'll explain why.

Steiner has really set the new benchmark for top of the line binoculars with this product. They are amazing in every aspect and provide the sharpest image and highest light transmission we've ever seen in a 44mm objective lens.

Steiner's NEW Nano-Protection®  certainly shows superiority with absolutely outstanding colour fidelity even when compared with other high end optics such as Leica or Zeiss Sport Optics. If you are a serious birder, nature observer or simply one who appreciates excellent true to life colour reproduction without that 'blown out' high contrast that is oh-so common with high end optics nowadays, then these are the binoculars for you!

During our field test we were able to make out the flies circling a tree 50m away and observe with complete sharpness the clarity of a Monarch Butterfly from just only two meters away.

Also worth mentioning is the ergonomics and build quality. We found this to be exceptional. When you hold one of these in your hands, you can immediately notice the robust build quality and can feel it's advanced ergonomic design. 

It's an extremely easy binocular to hold for long extended periods of time with fast, accurate and quick focusing.

Being the natural progression from the Steiner Discovery's, these are not only upgraded feature wise, but optically as well. They went back to the drawing board, took the customers feedback about the improvements people were suggesting and completely addressed them.

So what are the major changes from the discovery's?

Glad you asked!

  • New bag, Might not seem like a huge deal but these are popular with birders and being transportable is a huge deal. The old bag was slightly round and a little hard to pack in a compact and space friendly way. The new bag is more of a 'messenger' design, not only allowing you to store the binoculars, but everything else you might need as well. It's the same compact size, but the space has been used in a much more sensible way. 
  • The eye cups. They have been changed so you no longer need to push down the side eye relief in order to put the caps on. They have also been made mechanically into the binocular and no longer use any type of glue that could potentially come loose in 30 years. It enables them to be removed without any risk of breaking.
  • The focuser. You can really very quickly focus both close and far. A major feature is now both eyepieces have there own focus adjustment. Once the eyepieces are suited for your eyes, you can then use the middle adjustment to keep the subject tact sharp all the time. In fact, you can judge the distance roughly, use the focus wheel to punch it in (it's all very clearly marked) and the binoculars will keep your subject in focus for you with only fine adjustments required.
  • The optics. They were already fantastic, but they are now even better than the discovery's. This is due to the high-quality high-end fluoride glass used in the manufacturing process. It is noticeable that the glass elements are fluoride. The image is not only razor sharp (edge to edge) but provide a 3D image. We found it very easy to gauge distance with these binoculars. It seems to be able to do it by combining a massive colour spectrum with great depth of field control. Whatever your focused on seems to pop out without losing that sense of reality.
  • These use the NEW clic-loc system and come with a full 30 Year Warranty.
  • These won't be released in New Zealand until 2015. So if you want one sooner rather than later, you will need to pre-order.

Full Specifications:

Objective
Diameter
44 mm
Magnification 8 x
Weight 830 g
Width 126 mm
Height 188 mm
Depth 65 mm
Exit Pupil 5.5 mm
Luminosity 30.30
Twilight Factor 18.8
Field of View at 1000 m 133 m
Focusing System Fast-Close-Focus / Presicion-Setting
Close Focus Range 2 m
High-Performance-
Optics
Ultra-High-Definition
Waterproof Water pressure proof up to 5 m
Nitrogen-Pressure-
System
by 2-way-valve technology
Temperature Range -40 to +80 °C
Eyecups ergonomic
Rubber Armouring NBR-Longlife / ComfortGrip
Carrying Strap Neopren
Strap Attachment ClicLoc
Rain Protection Cap Yes
Bag Yes
Warranty 30 years

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


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