Like a marine or a soldier, this optical bad boy can tough it out in every conceivable environment on the planet. Well, almost every conceivable condition, that is. The Steiner Military-Marine binoculars has been advertised as being built like a tank so it can go under scrutiny for extreme viewers who would want to take on the challenge. However, it does pale in comparison with Nikon’s Monarch ATB Series.
Like any other pair of binoculars, the Steiner Military-Marine Binoculars magnifies distant objects. From mountaintop views, to deep canyons, onboard ships to shorelines to hunting grounds, everything looks bigger. Of course, that was a no-brainer from the start. But unlike any other pair of binoculars, the Steiner Military-Marine Binoculars is built to withstand conditions better than conventional binoculars.
The Steiner Military-Marine Binoculars is covered with a rubber armor that makes it waterproof. The rubber coating also absorbs much of the shock when it is dropped. Even the internal workings of this device are built compact and tough. It is robust and versatile, just like the marines they’re made for and named after.
As for the viewing capability of the Steiner Military-Marine Binoculars, it’s no slacker either. It has a field of view of 360 feet at 1000 yards and magnifying power of the factor 8. It has great lighting and a rather wide eye relief for eyeglass wearers. It is also a preferred pair for game hunters because of its increased depth of view. It’s very versatile because it functions well on different locations. It provides a panoramic view from mountaintops where you’re looking at the valley and a great view of the mountains when you are in the valley.
In professional game hunting, the high depth view and resistance to internal fogging create a great view for fast-moving game. But if you’re not in to that and just want to see the serene, unadulterated majesty of nature, the Steiner Military-Marine Binoculars will serve you well. That’s nature’s majesty 8 times magnified if I might add.
Because of the rainproof construction, Steiner guarantees that the Steiner Military-Marine Binoculars would prevent any fogging from water that might come from leakage. Steiner also promises a 10-year warranty for these binoculars, which is just as well because that is the basic number of service years this trooper can take. For 10 years, it is guaranteed to remain free of internal fogging and leaking.

Night Vision Binoculars

Amateur astronomers study the heavens as a hobby relying mostly, if not exclusively, on optical tools, since they do not have access to hi-tech equipment that measures infrared or ultraviolet radiations. They use either a telescope or binocular depending on the kind of heavenly image they want to study.

The most common celestial bodies observed by amateur astronomers are the moon, stars and star clusters, planets, galaxies, comets, nebulae, and meteor showers. Since these are better seen at night, their optical equipment must be suited for low-light conditions. Telescopes are often used, but for certain purposes and under certain conditions, binoculars are a better choice.

One of the main advantages of binoculars over telescopes is their wider field of view (FOV). When studying star clusters or widely dispersed meteor showers, you will want an FOV wider than what most telescopes can offer. Another advantage of the binoculars is their ease of use and portability.

You will want a binocular that can pick up images even in surroundings with very low-light. The three factors that can give your binocular this capability are:

- Prism type. Porro prisms, named after their inventor, Ignazio Porro, are deemed better than roof prisms in terms of gathering light. The type of glass used for the prism is also important. BAK-4 type is often preferred over BK-7 as it offers superior quality.

- Objective lens diameter. With a bigger lens diameter more light will be able to pass into the optical tubel, thus providing a clearer image. You may need a minimum of 50 mm for good nighttime observations.

- Exit pupil. If you hold your binoculars at arm’s length, you will see a circle of light in the eyepiece. That is the exit pupil. Its diameter is determined by dividing the objective lens diameter by the magnification. This opening controls the amount of light coming out of the binoculars. If it is larger than the pupil of your eyes, some of the light will fall on your iris, and thus will remain undetected. On the other hand, if it is smaller, you will perceive the image as dim because only a portion of your pupil will receive light. Therefore, since most astronomical observations occur at night, and since your pupils dilate when it is dark, it is advisable to choose a binocular with a wide exit pupil. Indeed, an exit pupil of at least 7 mm is recommended for nighttime viewing. You can get this measurement from a 7×50 mm binocular.

Most amateur astronomers consider a 7x magnification sufficient for their hobby. However, magnifications of up to 30x coupled with a 60 mm objective lens are also available for binoculars. This increase, however, comes at the price of portability and handiness.

Binoculars and telescopes are not rivals when it comes to observing the skies. They have their own roles to play and they actually complement each other. If you can afford to purchase only one of these fine optical tools, God bless you. That is a very difficult choice.

Battlefield Binoculars

Telescopes and binoculars have long been pressed into military service. Battlefield commanders immediately recognized the military potential of the telescope as soon as it was invented. The earlier binoculars used were of the Galilean design. This means that their objective lenses were convex while their eyepieces were concave. This setup resulted in a narrow field of view and a low level of magnification. It was not until the end of the 19th century that the porro prisms supplanted the Galilean design, which greatly improved both.

Military binoculars, like the soldiers they are meant to serve, are tough. Durability is of the first order because these optical equipment are expected to be dropped, banged, soaked, covered with dust, and to withstand all kinds of punishment and torture. A strong, heavy duty protective armor, therefore, is necessary.

Since soldiers may have to do a lot of running, hiking, and hill and mountain climbing, it is important to keep at a minimum the weight they have to carry. Their binoculars are not exempted from this weight-trimming. No fancy stuff is included here.

A digital camera might be a nice addition to the binoculars, as soldiers can document the number of tanks they encounter, but it entails added weight. Besides, all the additional mechanisms of the camera would only result to a less rugged device.

Zooming binoculars offer the advantage of a range of magnifications. This may be valuable in the battlefield as it affords the user the option to choose how close he wants the image to appear. However, this type of optics involves a good number of minute moving parts with some connected to each other by thin wires. These are prone to damage and misalignment.

Soldiers may have to scan the horizon even when bullets and missiles are flying all over their heads. In situations like these, it would not be too surprising if their hands begin shaking. This shaking results in a fuzzy image. A good remedy to this is the incorporation of an image stabilizing mechanism into the binoculars. However, as in the zooming binoculars, there is a trade-off. This capability comes at a price of more weight and less durability.

While military binoculars will do without these fancy features, they can be enhanced with  built-in compasses and  rangefinders. These provide additional features to the binoculars without much added weight. If one does not want a rangefinder, reticles can help the user determine the distance of the viewed object.

Night vision capabilities are also a part of a good number of military binoculars.  These use either infrared illumination or an image intensification tube that enhances surrounding light.  The United States troops had made extensive use of night vision binoculars during the invasion of Iraq and it has arguably saved a lot of American lives.