I had Steiners and Fujis 7X50s, and I like the Fujis view more. The views of the Fujis are comparable with alpha birding binoculars like Leicas and Swaros. ( I own Leicas, and has tested the Swaros NL of a close friend) I I know. The US DOD seems to agree and is buying Fujis now. you can unscrew the eye cups with the fujis and use then with a gas mask on. Also yoi can replace with a Baker Marine rubber "bandit" face mask that made they look like a tank gunsight and blocks rain and street light of the oculars while protecting your face from bumps if you are in a moving vehicle like boat or a tank. The only advantage I see in Steiners are the ergonomics and lighter weight. About the hinges, the Steiner plastic hinges sometimes do break, my broke one and was repaired by Steiner at no cost. My Fujinon came with the hinge loose after 16 years of service in a tug boat. They were thigtened. easly by a local binocular tech. Btw Fujion lens cover are also easy to replace, they look like the are part of the armor but they are not!, They are part of a rubber band than can be removed and replaced as they were a birding binocular. THe Fujions are also easy to repair and recolimate being made of metal and not plastuc and glue. A mayor reason why the US Navy and Marines bought Fujis and the US Army seems to be following suit. The Japansese Army of course and the Canadian army also use Fujinons.
I agree with all your points. Indeed, the reason I hold onto my 7x50 Marine unit is its weight and more streamlined form. The Fuji is a bear during long hikes around the neck.
@@AttorneyBose I use the Fujis for astro or surveillance so I mostly carried in a large camera bag I only use the neck strap for brief moments. I replaced the new style ocular lens cover by the large square military style cover, sold by Baker Marine as the "early style rainguard" because it protects the whole ocular arms and works with eyecups folded. They also sell replacement eyecups and objertive lens covers, in case you break yours. They are really rubber band style but the band is to large that seems to be part of the rubber armor.
I appreciate the comparison and looking at the details. I just got a great deal on Fujinon FMTR-C 7x50s. Question of curiosity. Aren’t the Fujinon’s a bit more geared for Maritime use? I know the US Army use to use an older version of 7x50 Steiners for their M-22s but in 2006 they switched to a similar model of Fujinons with Laser Filters. Some good the information I read was complaints from troops in the field about reflections in the lenses among other things. The Fujinons are very heavy to lug around all day though.
I had the FMT-SX 10x50, the views for astronomy were some of the best I ever tested, but I found them too difficult to hold for an extended period . It wasn't just the weight of the Fujinon, but it was the design (short fat barrels and heavy prisms) made it difficult to grip and balance. I am older and have a shoulder problem. But keep in mind I have no problems holding a 16x70 binocular (of other brands, not Fujinon) because they have longer barrels I can balance easier. I might want to try out the Steiner Nighthunter binoculars to see if I find them easier to hold. I don't like using a tripod, I am using for astronomy and looking at the stars, panning around and all the tripods/heads that I have tried I just prefer to hand hold the binoculars. For now I use an older pair of Swift Audubon Mark II Model 804R 8.5x44, much easier to hold then the Fujinon and give very nice views.
You will find the Nighthunter much more pleasing to hold. The ergonomic shape lends to its usability as a hand held unit. Merry Christmas and Happy Viewings!
@@AttorneyBose Excellent review. I will have to start saving up for the Steiner binoculars. Any relation to Amar Bose? Bose makes some of my favorite audio products, especially the Bose Wave Music Player (excellent quality, but not too pricey).
Like you I love low light Binos. Have watched all you videos over and over. The alphas are a little more than I want to spend. If you would can you list for me in order the best 3 or 4 you like under $500.00 for night surveillance. Thanks. Great videos.
How's the view quality between them? For example the chromatic aberration on a wire in bright daylight or the moon & field flatness from edge to edge, view brightness (Fujinon FMTR 16x70 boats 95% light transmission), color (which one is more natural). If it's hard to distinguish during day time try to test them near dawn.
I remember paying a small fortune back in the day for lightly used Leica M9 camera just a few years after it was released. I knew the image quality was so-so but I had bought into the "Leica Heritage" buzz. It felt compact, heavy, dense, and over-engineered. I recently purchased a Steiner 7x50 Navigator Pro and a Nikon 7x50 Action Extreme to compare and see which one I want to keep. One has great legendary build quality, the other has superb image quality. While the Steiner has excellent over-engineered build quality, it's image quality is ok next to the Action Extremes. Everything looks crisp and "HD" through the Nikon. No blackout. The Steiner image is good enough but not great. Also, the image color looks saturated and "pops" more with the Nikon. The Steiner has good, clear image but looks slightly washed out with less color saturation and less contrast. It's very easy to miss focus with the Steiner but once it's set you won't have to touch it again. These are both excellent bins but one (Steiner) looks like you're viewing a 1080p live view image and the other (Nikon) looks like you're viewing a 4K liveview image. The Steiner is shorter but feels much heavier. In a weird way, I wish I never tried the Nikon just so I could enjoy the Steiner more.
For me, I'd keep the Nikon. The Steiner is for military use. I've Bauch & Lomb US Navy Mark II. I like high quality optics. Recently I was admiring the ultimate quality & price (damn :((( ) Swarovski 15x56 which boasts 92% light transmission. It's for dawn hunting but I'm not a hunter. I use it for scenic & night viewing. I can't afford for the Swarovski. Luckily I found Fujinon. It boasts on its webs 95% light transmission !!! Wow !!!! Almost 100%. I've ordered it.
The distinction is negligible but the Steiners are clearer at the edge. I have often thought, though, that edge clarity means little if the field of view is adequate...and with both units, the FOV is immense.
@@Sergey_Sergeev Fujinon Polaris has Field Flatteners, a single lens per tube in the 7X and a doublet in the 10X and 16X models. In the 7X, the field is almost flat with a slight curvature, for comfortable panning due to the marine, military use, but it darkens and bloatens the stars in the last 10%, The 10X is supposed to be almost flat to the edge. or to the last 5%,
@@ricardoernestosotobarrios9519 Thank you very much. I have the Fujinon 10x70 FMT-SX-2 and do not like the sharpness on the edge for astronomy. They are really not sharp to edge. May be up to 70% of the field. I wonder why people astimate it better. May be they refer day use. I hope one day I can try the Nikon SE 7x50.
@@Sergey_Sergeev Nikon SP astrolux are sharper since they are dedicated astronomy bins, The problem with too flat a field is that in makes panning unconfortable for some people, Since Fujinon caters to the marine and military market too, panning is a part of their job. So they take a balance. The Field Flatteners of the Fujis are not as agresive as the ones in the Nikon SP series, or lord, the WXs. If yoy got the money you shoukd try the Swarovski ones too. the EL 10X50s. Or the Cannons IS who also has field flatteners more agressive that the ones used by Fujis.
The Steiner is for military use. I've Bauch & Lomb US Navy Mark II. I like high quality optics. Recently I was admiring the ultimate quality & price (damn :((( ) Swarovski 15x56 which boasts 92% light transmission. It's for dawn hunting but I'm not a hunter. I use it for scenic & night viewing. I can't afford for the Swarovski. Luckily I found Fujinon. It boasts on its webs 95% light transmission !!! Wow !!!! Almost 100%. I've ordered it.
3:05-ish ... "@#%&*" ... When one goes into a forest to view animals with a binocular, it is best to take the binocular out of the bag before entering the forest. The binocular looks very appealing. Very nice video, many thanks. 👍
Have compass version (FMTRC- SX2) 7x50 and can confirm the brightness is ridiculous and quality of image as good as you will ever see in any binocular. I’ve seen experienced users say they’re just as good as the top of the line Swarovski NL Pure but it’s not a direct comparison.
If you’re serious about surveillance you ought to get the Zeiss 20x60 Imaged Stabilized. It seems these are / were in their last production run and clearance prices were being offered... Such is what the Presidential security teams use when on hotel rooftops etc, when scanning the crowd for suspicious characters to best decide which road routes / entrance options the motorcade & President ought to use, etc. I know very well as one was pro-longingly pointed down at me, as I looked up directly back to notice exactly what device I was being spied upon by, before Clinton was advised to pass from the other, lesser, back door, way. Such is an instance as would happen to you, as you do look like a suspicious terrorist sort, yourself. So don’t be so sure no one is keeping vigilant eyes on you as you look upon everyone else...By virtue of their ~25% larger objectives the sharpness and overall performance of these Steiners should not have been exceeded by the Fujinon. The fact that they were speaks poorly to their hyperfocal-distance based focus design. Steiner argue their fast “auto-focus” system works best in low light as that’s when it becomes a struggle to find fine focus. You may want to test this yourself, whether the loss in ultimate sharpness is made up for by achieving faster focus in dim light. Still, Steiner’s auto-focus design is also very dependent on the eyes ability to accommodate at distances below optical infinity, so not sure that’s such a good idea either as I doubt Steiner customers are a young demographic... Regarding NightHunter versus ShadowQuest, some (including Steiner) say it’s just a naming difference but others say there are also coating differences based on how Europeans are allowed to hunt deeper into the dark hours, I think it was. So after you’ve secured said Zeiss purchase, you could also secure a Shadowquest purchase (in a different magnification if you need an excuse), then you can confirm to us poor bystanders if indeed there are coating differences. Mind you, it becomes complicated as Steiner may well make unannounced coating changes whenever they feel like. But yet more excuses to buy even more binoculars, does it not provide.
I had Steiners and Fujis 7X50s, and I like the Fujis view more. The views of the Fujis are comparable with alpha birding binoculars like Leicas and Swaros. ( I own Leicas, and has tested the Swaros NL of a close friend) I I know. The US DOD seems to agree and is buying Fujis now. you can unscrew the eye cups with the fujis and use then with a gas mask on. Also yoi can replace with a Baker Marine rubber "bandit" face mask that made they look like a tank gunsight and blocks rain and street light of the oculars while protecting your face from bumps if you are in a moving vehicle like boat or a tank. The only advantage I see in Steiners are the ergonomics and lighter weight. About the hinges, the Steiner plastic hinges sometimes do break, my broke one and was repaired by Steiner at no cost. My Fujinon came with the hinge loose after 16 years of service in a tug boat. They were thigtened. easly by a local binocular tech. Btw Fujion lens cover are also easy to replace, they look like the are part of the armor but they are not!, They are part of a rubber band than can be removed and replaced as they were a birding binocular. THe Fujions are also easy to repair and recolimate being made of metal and not plastuc and glue. A mayor reason why the US Navy and Marines bought Fujis and the US Army seems to be following suit. The Japansese Army of course and the Canadian army also use Fujinons.
I agree with all your points. Indeed, the reason I hold onto my 7x50 Marine unit is its weight and more streamlined form. The Fuji is a bear during long hikes around the neck.
@@AttorneyBose I use the Fujis for astro or surveillance so I mostly carried in a large camera bag I only use the neck strap for brief moments. I replaced the new style ocular lens cover by the large square military style cover, sold by Baker Marine as the "early style rainguard" because it protects the whole ocular arms and works with eyecups folded. They also sell replacement eyecups and objertive lens covers, in case you break yours. They are really rubber band style but the band is to large that seems to be part of the rubber armor.
I am dreaming about the slc 8x56 from Swarovski. May be you comes one day to testing them.
I appreciate the comparison and looking at the details. I just got a great deal on Fujinon FMTR-C 7x50s. Question of curiosity. Aren’t the Fujinon’s a bit more geared for Maritime use? I know the US Army use to use an older version of 7x50 Steiners for their M-22s but in 2006 they switched to a similar model of Fujinons with Laser Filters. Some good the information I read was complaints from troops in the field about reflections in the lenses among other things. The Fujinons are very heavy to lug around all day though.
I had the FMT-SX 10x50, the views for astronomy were some of the best I ever tested, but I found them too difficult to hold for an extended period . It wasn't just the weight of the Fujinon, but it was the design (short fat barrels and heavy prisms) made it difficult to grip and balance. I am older and have a shoulder problem. But keep in mind I have no problems holding a 16x70 binocular (of other brands, not Fujinon) because they have longer barrels I can balance easier. I might want to try out the Steiner Nighthunter binoculars to see if I find them easier to hold. I don't like using a tripod, I am using for astronomy and looking at the stars, panning around and all the tripods/heads that I have tried I just prefer to hand hold the binoculars. For now I use an older pair of Swift Audubon Mark II Model 804R 8.5x44, much easier to hold then the Fujinon and give very nice views.
You will find the Nighthunter much more pleasing to hold. The ergonomic shape lends to its usability as a hand held unit. Merry Christmas and Happy Viewings!
@@AttorneyBose Excellent review. I will have to start saving up for the Steiner binoculars. Any relation to Amar Bose? Bose makes some of my favorite audio products, especially the Bose Wave Music Player (excellent quality, but not too pricey).
Like you I love low light Binos. Have watched all you videos over and over. The alphas are a little more than I want to spend. If you would can you list for me in order the best 3 or 4 you like under $500.00 for night surveillance. Thanks. Great videos.
How's the view quality between them? For example the chromatic aberration on a wire in bright daylight or the moon & field flatness from edge to edge, view brightness (Fujinon FMTR 16x70 boats 95% light transmission), color (which one is more natural). If it's hard to distinguish during day time try to test them near dawn.
I remember paying a small fortune back in the day for lightly used Leica M9 camera just a few years after it was released. I knew the image quality was so-so but I had bought into the "Leica Heritage" buzz. It felt compact, heavy, dense, and over-engineered. I recently purchased a Steiner 7x50 Navigator Pro and a Nikon 7x50 Action Extreme to compare and see which one I want to keep. One has great legendary build quality, the other has superb image quality. While the Steiner has excellent over-engineered build quality, it's image quality is ok next to the Action Extremes. Everything looks crisp and "HD" through the Nikon. No blackout. The Steiner image is good enough but not great. Also, the image color looks saturated and "pops" more with the Nikon. The Steiner has good, clear image but looks slightly washed out with less color saturation and less contrast. It's very easy to miss focus with the Steiner but once it's set you won't have to touch it again. These are both excellent bins but one (Steiner) looks like you're viewing a 1080p live view image and the other (Nikon) looks like you're viewing a 4K liveview image. The Steiner is shorter but feels much heavier. In a weird way, I wish I never tried the Nikon just so I could enjoy the Steiner more.
For me, I'd keep the Nikon. The Steiner is for military use. I've Bauch & Lomb US Navy Mark II. I like high quality optics.
Recently I was admiring the ultimate quality & price (damn :((( ) Swarovski 15x56 which boasts 92% light transmission. It's for dawn hunting but I'm not a hunter. I use it for scenic & night viewing. I can't afford for the Swarovski. Luckily I found Fujinon. It boasts on its webs 95% light transmission !!! Wow !!!! Almost 100%. I've ordered it.
@joeyahoo4493 Funny enough I returned both the steiner and nikon...and picked up a fujinon Fmtr-sx 7x50. It beats the pants off the nikon and steiner.
@@Goldarachthe Fujinon beats both in what? I'm waiting my Fj 16x70 FMTR to arrive. Thanks
Fujinon ❤❤❤
Really great comparison! Thank you. What about the sharpness on the edge of the field of view of them?
The distinction is negligible but the Steiners are clearer at the edge. I have often thought, though, that edge clarity means little if the field of view is adequate...and with both units, the FOV is immense.
@@AttorneyBose Thank you. I asked, because for astronomy the edge sharpness is important.
@@Sergey_Sergeev Fujinon Polaris has Field Flatteners, a single lens per tube in the 7X and a doublet in the 10X and 16X models. In the 7X, the field is almost flat with a slight curvature, for comfortable panning due to the marine, military use, but it darkens and bloatens the stars in the last 10%, The 10X is supposed to be almost flat to the edge. or to the last 5%,
@@ricardoernestosotobarrios9519
Thank you very much. I have the Fujinon 10x70 FMT-SX-2 and do not like the sharpness on the edge for astronomy. They are really not sharp to edge. May be up to 70% of the field. I wonder why people astimate it better. May be they refer day use. I hope one day I can try the Nikon SE 7x50.
@@Sergey_Sergeev Nikon SP astrolux are sharper since they are dedicated astronomy bins, The problem with too flat a field is that in makes panning unconfortable for some people, Since Fujinon caters to the marine and military market too, panning is a part of their job. So they take a balance. The Field Flatteners of the Fujis are not as agresive as the ones in the Nikon SP series, or lord, the WXs. If yoy got the money you shoukd try the Swarovski ones too. the EL 10X50s. Or the Cannons IS who also has field flatteners more agressive that the ones used by Fujis.
What different fmtr and mtr tq
The Steiner is for military use. I've Bauch & Lomb US Navy Mark II. I like high quality optics.
Recently I was admiring the ultimate quality & price (damn :((( ) Swarovski 15x56 which boasts 92% light transmission. It's for dawn hunting but I'm not a hunter. I use it for scenic & night viewing. I can't afford for the Swarovski. Luckily I found Fujinon. It boasts on its webs 95% light transmission !!! Wow !!!! Almost 100%. I've ordered it.
The Fujinon will become your favorite for low light use
3:05-ish ... "@#%&*" ... When one goes into a forest to view animals with a binocular, it is best to take the binocular out of the bag before entering the forest.
The binocular looks very appealing.
Very nice video, many thanks. 👍
Have compass version (FMTRC- SX2) 7x50 and can confirm the brightness is ridiculous and quality of image as good as you will ever see in any binocular.
I’ve seen experienced users say they’re just as good as the top of the line Swarovski NL Pure but it’s not a direct comparison.
Currently, I am wondering how the FMTR sx will compare to the SLC 10x56.
If you’re serious about surveillance you ought to get the Zeiss 20x60 Imaged Stabilized. It seems these are / were in their last production run and clearance prices were being offered... Such is what the Presidential security teams use when on hotel rooftops etc, when scanning the crowd for suspicious characters to best decide which road routes / entrance options the motorcade & President ought to use, etc. I know very well as one was pro-longingly pointed down at me, as I looked up directly back to notice exactly what device I was being spied upon by, before Clinton was advised to pass from the other, lesser, back door, way. Such is an instance as would happen to you, as you do look like a suspicious terrorist sort, yourself. So don’t be so sure no one is keeping vigilant eyes on you as you look upon everyone else...By virtue of their ~25% larger objectives the sharpness and overall performance of these Steiners should not have been exceeded by the Fujinon. The fact that they were speaks poorly to their hyperfocal-distance based focus design. Steiner argue their fast “auto-focus” system works best in low light as that’s when it becomes a struggle to find fine focus. You may want to test this yourself, whether the loss in ultimate sharpness is made up for by achieving faster focus in dim light. Still, Steiner’s auto-focus design is also very dependent on the eyes ability to accommodate at distances below optical infinity, so not sure that’s such a good idea either as I doubt Steiner customers are a young demographic... Regarding NightHunter versus ShadowQuest, some (including Steiner) say it’s just a naming difference but others say there are also coating differences based on how Europeans are allowed to hunt deeper into the dark hours, I think it was. So after you’ve secured said Zeiss purchase, you could also secure a Shadowquest purchase (in a different magnification if you need an excuse), then you can confirm to us poor bystanders if indeed there are coating differences. Mind you, it becomes complicated as Steiner may well make unannounced coating changes whenever they feel like. But yet more excuses to buy even more binoculars, does it not provide.