Introduction

Similar specifications to the Steiner 10x26 Wildlife Binoculars, but with a cheaper price tag, these great little Safari Pro's make ideal compact binoculars and are ideal for traveling and for taking on safari if you are on a budget.

According to Steiner: The 10x26 Safari Pro represents a bold new compact shape, balance and comfort with a more powerful 10x magnification without a dramatic increase in size and weight.

They have a robust and water resistant construction with good levels of brightness, as well as blocking out haze and UV light to bring you comfortable and sharp images. Perfect for mountains, the beach, and sporting events.

The Safari Guide Opinion

I guess the most important feature of any compact binocular especially one that you need for for traveling with would be it's size and that is where these Steiner Safari Pro 10x26 binoculars excel. They have a foldable design that allows them to easily fit into even a small pocket. Simple to carry in your luggage and simple to carry with you when out in the field. As a safari binocular this is a great advantage as even on a walking safari, you can carry your binoculars as well as your camera or guide book with no problem.

Price

Like most Steiner binoculars, they have an excellent build quality and whilst they may not have features like being fully waterproof, the fact that you can now get them for under £120 / $140 makes them fantastic value for money.

Optical Performance

Whilst it is probably true to say that these 10x26 Safari Pro's don't use Steiner's best quality optics, you must remember that these are a fraction of the cost of top end binoculars and yet these still offer you a very impressive bright and sharp image. Steiner say that their optics also block haze and filter UV light, which protect your eyes making them comfortable to look through as well as to bring you sharp images.

Field of View and Magnification

Whilst most birders opt for an 8x binocular for their wider field of view that makes it easier to locate fast moving objects (like birds), for viewing wildlife as well as birds on safari, I prefer a 10x magnification that gets you just that bit closer than 8x, yet it is not too powerful so as to make the image unstable (the higher the magnification the harder it is to keep the view through the binoculars still).

What is really impressive on these 10x26's is that even with a 10x magnification, the Field of view is 309 feet at 1,000 yards. This is far better than every other compact binoculars that I have reviewed and is even matches many medium and full size binoculars with a 10x magnification.

Outer Construction

The Steiner Safari 10x26 binoculars are protected by a tough and what must be said good looking casing that is not only comfortable to hold, but feel well balanced. Whilst they are not fully waterproof, they are water resistant which should be fine for most uses, so long as you don't leave them out in the rain.

Rubber Eye Cups

As with most Steiner binoculars these come with soft profiled eyecups that i really like. they are designed to fit the contour your face and block out distracting side-light. I generally prefer binoculars with soft rubber eye cups than those that have harder twist up versions, this is a personal preference as I find them far more comfortable. On the down side some people say that they perish over time, but I can say that this has never happened to any of my personal binoculars, which when i was guiding used on a daily basis in all weather conditions.

Main Features

• Compact, foldable design
• 10x magnification with 26mm objective lens
• Field of view: 309 feet at 1,000 yards
• UV-filtering, glare-reducing optics
• Tough, durable rubber armour body
• Roof-prism design
• Comes with a nylon case and neck strap
  

 

Eye relief: These Steiner Safari 10x26 compact binoculars have 11mm of eye relief, which is probably a little below average for binoculars in this class, but will be more than fine for most people. (Read more on eye relief and eyeglasses here)

Exit Pupil: A great magnification (10x), with an objective lens diameter of 26mm, still gives you an adequate exit pupil size of 2.6, which is fine for all but the very poorest light conditions. (read more on exit pupil) 

Cost & Where to Buy

UK Shoppers Buy in the UK:	US Shoppers Buy in the USA:
Steiner 10x26 Binoculars on Amazon.co.uk	Steiner 10x26 Binoculars on Amazon.com

 

Conclusion

Excellent value for money travel binoculars that are ideal for taking with you on safari. With a great 10x magnification, these are small enough to easily pack into your luggage and carry with you even on a walking safari. Highly Recommended.

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