REASONS TO BUY
Above-average performance across the board
REASONS TO AVOID
Don't like the funky eyepiece that extends to the side
Steiner Predator 8x42 Review
Good image quality, but we've seen similar image quality in much less expensive products
Credit: Steiner
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Our Verdict
The Steiner Predator 8x42 offers decent all-around performance, but there are better binoculars available in the same price range you can see in our Best Binoculars review. The Predator is able to provide fairly bright and clear images, but comparable clarity and brightness is offered by others that cost much less. If you already have a pair of these binoculars we see no reason to upgrade, but if you're getting a new pair, there are some better bins out there.
Editor's Note: This review was updated on January 11, 2022 with info on updates to the Steiner Predator.
Our Analysis and Test Results
Product Update Note — January 2022
The Steiner Predator 8x42 has been updated since our test period. The minimum focus decreased from 6 feet to 6.6 feet, and the field of view narrowed slightly from 381/1000 to 375/1000. The aesthetics have changed, too, as you can see in the comparison photos below. The image on the left is the Predator we tested, followed by the updated version on the right.
The Steiner Predator 8x42 has been updated since our test period. The minimum focus decreased from 6 feet to 6.6 feet, and the field of view narrowed slightly from 381/1000 to 375/1000. The aesthetics have changed, too, as you can see in the comparison photos below. The image on the left is the Predator we tested, followed by the updated version on the right.
Marketed toward hunters, the Steiner Predator earns mid-range scores for clarity and brightness. It supposedly has a coating on the lenses to make wildlife easier to see, but we didn't notice a difference.
Performance Comparison
The Stiener Predator Pro 8x42 is a decent pair of binoculars at a reasonable price point. It is marketed towards hunters and works best for wildlife viewing.
Credit: Michael Payne
Clarity
The optical clarity of the Steiner Predator 8x42 is good, which could be due in part to the CAT coating. In our clarity test, on Zone 9 of the ISO 12233 chart, the center was clean, but we could see defocusing around the very far edges. No chromatic aberrations or purple fringing was noticeable in backgrounds, nor was there any noticeable distortion in horizontal or vertical lines.
Brightness
The Steiner Predator 8x42 binoculars have what the company calls a CAT coating, or Color Adjusted Transmission coating, which is supposed to make animals easy to see by filtering out blue and green light. As for the brightness of the scene, the CAT coating helps provide decent performance that scores in the middle of our test group. The Steiner Predator is not as bright as the Nikon Monarch 5 8x56, Swarovski EL 8.5x42, or Vortex Viper HD 8x42, but did do a good job overall. While out birding, we didn't notice that wildlife stood out more with the Steiner Predator versus the Nikon, Swarovski, Vanguard, or Vortex Viper binoculars.
The lenses on the Stiener Predator have a CAT coating (Color Adjusted Transmission), which filters out blue and green light and is supposed to make animals easy to see.
Credit: Michael Payne
Ease of Adjustment
The hinge for adjusting the interpupillary distance operates smoothly and easily. The focus adjustment knob moves easily and quickly, allowing for quick close focusing. The diopter on the left eyepiece was stiff and hard to adjust. The diopter has no locking mechanism, so it's possible to move it by accident.
Construction Quality
Steiner Optics components are produced in Germany and then assembled in Monterey, California. The Predator 8x42 has a quality feel, and we saw no noticeable alignment issues. Steiner states that this pair of bins can survive an impact of 11G. The caps all fit nicely, and the quick-lock straps work smoothly.
The 8x magnification binoculars in our test. This magnification is often considered the sweet spot because it gives you plenty of enhanced vision but reduces vibration from your hands which is sometimes apparent in 10x binos. From L to R: Nikon Monarch 5, Swarovski EL, Steiner Predator, Vortex Viper, Zeiss Terra, Vortex Diamondback, and the REI XR (previously tested).
Credit: Michael Payne
Comfort
The Steiner Predator 8x42 has a good thick rubber coating with a spot to rest your thumb, and different nubs and ridges for the fingers. This makes the Steiner Predator easy and comfortable to hold. The eyepieces extend out on the sides to help keep light out of the eyepiece, which can affect a scene's brightness. This seems like a good idea in theory, but most testers found it annoying and uncomfortable. It also makes the eyecups more difficult to adjust and causes issues for those with glasses.
We aren't huge fans of the flared and extended sides of the eyepieces on the Steiner Predator. They make the binoculars harder to use for people with glasses.
Credit: Michael Payne
Field of View and Close Focus Range
The Steiner Predator has a good field of view with 381 feet visible at 1000 yards. The close focus range of the Steiner Predator is 6ft, which is good but the Zeiss, Swarovski, and Vortex Viper have better close range.
Should You Buy the Steiner Predator 8x42?
The Steiner Predator 8x42 is a good pair of binoculars at a decent price point if you can deal with the funky eyepiece. As with most of binoculars tested, we are amazed at the quality you can get at the different price points, and the Steiner Predator 8x42 is a good pair to keep around the house or in the car.
What Other Binoculars Should You Consider?
These are great for hunting or birding, but there are a lot of other top contenders in a similar price range that perform better, like the Vortex Viper HD 8x42. There are even more affordable models we'd recommend over these, like the Vortex Diamondback HD 8x42, which best this pair in nearly every metric. If you'd like an extremely lightweight pair with great optics to take out into the field, the Leica 10x25 Ultravid BR is our recommendation.
—Max Mutter
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