Steiner Predator 8x42

The Predator 8x42 is Steiner's pitch to the American deer hunter: CAT color-adjusted coatings tuned to make game stand out against foliage, rugged NBR rubber armor, and the brand's decades-deep reputation for indestructibility. Hunter sentiment splits into two camps. Longtime owners genuinely love them - one reviewer called the line 'a best buy for hunters' with nothing to dislike, another compared the sharpness to his Leica and Zeiss glass, and multi-decade ownership stories are common. Optics-forum purists are far cooler on it, arguing Steiner's roof-prism models don't deliver enough raw optical performance for the money.

In the field, the strengths are practical: bright dawn/dusk views through prime hunting light, a wide 375 ft field for catching movement, excellent grippy ergonomics with molded thumb rests, and a 6.6 ft close focus that's rare in hunting glass. The honest caveats come from independent testing - the CAT coating's game-popping effect couldn't be verified against ordinary binoculars, overall optical scores landed mid-pack, the diopter is stiff, and the eyepiece design isn't kind to eyeglass wearers even with 17.25mm of eye relief. Some owners also mention a fussy eyebox that demands precise eye placement.

This is a binocular for hunters who value toughness, hunting-specific tuning, and Steiner's lifetime Heritage Warranty over maximum optical refinement. Steiner now lists it at about $713; at that price forum consensus says buy a Vortex Viper HD instead, and it only competes with the Diamondback HD and Nikon Monarch M5 when a dealer discounts it heavily. If the CAT coating idea appeals to you and you find one discounted, owners suggest you'll likely be happy for decades - just don't expect it to out-resolve the best glass in its price class.