These days, most every optics manufacture offers some sort of awesome warranty on their products regardless what mayhem the end user may put them through i.e. dropped, submerged in the abyss, probed by aliens etc.  That said, I ran across a particular exception to that "rule" the other day when my pair of Predator 10X42 Steiners fogged up in one tube.  I purchased this set from the Cabelas in FT Worth somewhere around 2009 and they've seen more use riding around in my truck door than actual field conditions.  I contacted Steiner CS and they gave me an RMA# and I sent them in.  Within a few days, I received an email saying that the binos were non-repairable and out of warranty They did offer to give me a discount on a like item but I said no thanks.  I actually called them when I received the binos back and asked what the deal with the warranty was.  From CS, any Steiner Bino manufactured before 2014 does not come with a lifetime warranty.  Any after, do.  My particular set according to the S/N was manufactured in 2007 and came with a 10yr warranty.  Not bitching, is what it is, but anyone who has older Steiners be aware.

Any recommendations on binos ?  Asking for a friend

I bought a stack of compact type 10X Bushnell binocs.

They do what I need and I put one in each truck to insure I have a pair when I need them.  My binocs were always somewhere else when I needed them.

Having them in the console or glove box is quite handy.  Cheap too.  Dammit, I now see they are $4 cheaper than when I bought them.

The last time I went hunting, my large binoculars practically dragged my soul to hell due to the weight.

eta:  Shit, buying one more pair now.

Yeah i had some small 10x for my hunting pack. Nothing happened to them i was aware of but the left front lense came loose and was spinning. They wanted almost as much for repair as a new pair. Threw them away. Will not buy steiner again...

I am slowly slipping into the world of binocular optics. I just picked up a Vortex monocular for hiking and I am deep in lust with a pair of Zeiss Terra HD's. Many questions to be asked. What is your budget? What is the intended use? For most handheld applications 8 or 10 power is plenty. If you go more than that, the natural tremor of you hand is enough to jiggle the binos enough to distort what you are looking at and you might want to invest in a tripod for them. I have a set of Vortex Diamondbacks that are great. Vortex has a replacement warranty that is appealing. But like with rifle scopes you are going to get what you pay for.

Vortex Razor HD 10x.

I LOVE mine!  Had one issue with an eye cup rubber thingy coming loose, sent em in, had em back right quick.

I have a pair of Zeiss Conquest 8x from around 2006 that finally started to fog inside the tube.  Their warranty doesn't appear to be anywhere near as good as Vortex - to the point that I don't even think I'll send em in.

Save up and buy Swarovski.

My experience with zeiss CS is poor.

I like the pair I've got a lot.

But from what my buddy at work had to pay to get his work pair fixed, there's no damn way I'm paying that kind of $ to be treated like that when I can get a pair of vortex razors for about the same $ (or less) and have a company that actually stands behind their product.

I bought the 10x42 Predators for my dad for Christmas last year.

But to answer your question, I've been very happy with my Swaro 10x42 SLC HDs.  

I like them better than the 10x42 ELs I had.

KOWA.

You’re welcome.   Read birder reviews on glass.  Not quite Zeiss clear but it is fricken close!

I was always disappointed with my Steiner 10x military marine binos.

I bought mine around 1998 or 1999.   Over twenty years bouncing around in my work, truck or boat, used daily.  All four seasons. I couldn’t really kill them but they were never clear as I expected.  There is a loose part rattling around inside the last couple years but it doesn’t affect use.

True.

I held the 10x and the 8x Kowas back and forth for 15 minutes.   I bought the 8x.

I picked up a set of Celestron Trailseekers based on the recommendation of this site.  I got them for hunting and have been very pleased with their clarity. Beats the heck out of most spotting scopes I've used, and has a lifetime warranty.

I've got a pair of Swarovski EL 8x42 binos that I bought back when the EL models first came out. I'm still amazed when I look through them and I consider buying them some of the best money I've spent. I take them when I'm up a tree bowhunting deer every fall just to observe all the wildlife.

I've got a pair of old, surplus M19 binoculars that I've been using for a couple of years. I like them. Yeah they're a bit heavy, and smell funky, but they work for me. And they've been almost bulletproof so far.

This is the correct answer.

Are they nice?  You bet they are.  I had bought a pair of the SLE's to tryout side by side with my Vortex Razors.  The difference was so minimal that I couldn't justify the vast cost difference.  The Swaro's got returned and the Razor's stayed.  No ragerts.

All my steiners still going strong after a decade or more. But yea, anything can happen to them. Good for all I need to do. I even use my high power at the range. Attached File