Tried and tested: On the road with the new Commander binoculars from Steiner

The most striking new feature of the current generation is the modified design. The connection between the two channels is more delicate and there is a grip for two fingers. This means that the glass sits even better in the hand and can be gripped more securely, even with wet fingers.

Excellent light intensity

In practice, you notice surprisingly little of the increased field of view of 140 metres. The enormously bright optics are all the more striking. If you put the binoculars in front of your eyes on cloudy days or at dusk, the surroundings appear noticeably brighter and clearer. The edge sharpness of the Steiner Commander is good, but falls off somewhat, which is not surprising given the enormous field of view. Other binoculars often cover 20 per cent less and are nowhere near as contrasty and bright. The large compass has always been a strength of the Commander and continues to impress. Thanks to good damping, the bearing is easy to read even in rough seas. The attachment of the well-fitting lens covers is not quite perfect. They can be removed, but sometimes come off unintentionally when handling the Steiner Commander and get lost.

Convincing standard

Nitrogen filling, waterproof to a depth of 10 metres, a flotation strap, multi-coated optics with a grease and water-repellent coating, a guarantee of no less than 30 years and, last but not least, a stylish storage bag are of course also included with the new Commander. All in all, the new edition is a great success. The price of 1,650 euros is high, but reasonable in view of the appearance on offer. We therefore award it five out of five stars. If you do without the compass, you can get the Commander for around 100 euros less. In addition, the similarly good predecessor model is still on sale and is sometimes offered at a significant discount.

Hardly any competitors left

If you are looking for marine binoculars comparable to the Steiner Commander, there are hardly any alternatives left. Most suppliers have withdrawn from the water sports segment and are concentrating on hiking, birdwatching and hunting. Only Fujinon still offers marine binoculars of a similar standard. The 7x50 FMTRC-SX2 costs around 979 euros and has additional image levelling, which is particularly noticeable when the binoculars are swivelled. The image has significantly less spherical distortion. However, the binoculars are not as compact and weigh around 300 grams more.

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