Steiner Sky Hawk 10x42
Sky Hawk is a series aimed mainly at ornithologists, including roof prism models with the following parameters: 10x26, 8x32, 8x42 and 10x42.
Cons:
The producer stresses the point that the prisms were made of BaK-4 glass and other optical elements in the binoculars were covered by special High-Definition-Coating layers which assure a contrasting, crisp and very bright image.
Pictures
Manufacturer data
| Magnification | Lens diameter | Angular field of view | Prisms | Eye relief | Weight | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 42 | 94/1000(5.4o) | BaK-4/roof | ? mm | 645 g | 1800 PLN |
Results of the review
| Real front lens diameter |
Left: 42.15+/-
0.05 mm Right: 42.17+/- 0.05 mm |
8 / 8.0 pkt | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Real magnification | 10+/- 0.15x | 3/3.0 | ||||
| Transmission | 79+/- 4% | 9/25.0 | ||||
| Chromatic aberration | Medium in the centre, very high at the edge. | 3.5/10.0 | ||||
| Astigmatism | Low. | 7.4/10.0 | ||||
| Distortion | The distance of the first curved line from the field centre compared to the field of vision radius: 24% +- 3% | 2/10.0 | ||||
| Coma | Low. | 7.2/10.0 | ||||
| Blurring at the edge of the FOV | The blur occurs in the distance of 76% +- 2% from the field centre. | 4.5/10.0 | ||||
| Darkening at the edge the FOV | Slight. | 3.8/5.0 | ||||
| Whiteness of the image | Light cream. | 4.3/5.0 | ||||
| Collimation | Exemplary. | 5/5.0 | ||||
| Internal reflections |
|
3.2/5.0 | ||||
| Housing | Solid and original. Because of the profiled eyecups it is comfortable against the face. Too slippery padding. | 7.3/8.0 | ||||
| Focusing | Both screws comfortable. Individual focusing on the left eyepiece. | 4.9/5.0 | ||||
| Tripod | Difficult access. | 2.5/3.0 | ||||
| Interpupilary distance | from 56.2 to 74.2mm | 5/6.0 | ||||
| Closest focusing distance | 1.95 m. | 2/2.0 | ||||
| Eyepieces FOV | Apparent field of view of 58.3 deg (according to simple formula) and 54.0 deg (according to tangent formula). | 9.5/20.0 | ||||
| Field of view | Measured by us amounted to 5.83 +- 0.03 degrees and it was wider than in the specifications. | 6/8.0 | ||||
| Quality of the interior of the barrels | Gray, dark, matt, clean. | 4.9/5.0 | ||||
| Vignetting |
|
6.5/8.0 | ||||
| Prisms quality | Good quality BaK-4. | 8/8.0 | ||||
| Antireflection coatings | Green on the objectives and eyepieces. On the prisms one surface from the eyepiece’s side seems to be left uncovered. | 4.5/5.0 | ||||
| Warranty [years] | 10 | 4.5/6.0 | ||||
| Final result |
66.6%
35th place in global rank of our 10x42 test. |
126.5 / 190 pkt | ||||
| Econo result | 38th place in Econo rank of our 10x42 test. | -1.8pkt. |
Summary
Pros:- solid and original housing,
- well-corrected coma,
- slight astigmatism,
- good whiteness rendition,
- good quality of prisms and coatings,
- excellent blackening and cleanliness inside the barrels,
Cons:
- high distortion,
- distinct chromatic aberration,
- slightly truncated pupils,
- average transmission for this price segment,
The next instrument which, taking into account its price and the reputation of the producer, was designated for top places in our test. The final score it got should be considered average, though, especially with the regard to that price. When we spend 600 USD we should expect something more.
