Author: M48scout
Subject: Steiner Predator Xtreme
Posted: December/08/2013 at 07:55
The fact that locations downrange are perceived "brighter" than your naked eye during very low light conditions is normal in my experience for quality optics. I think that most good scopes will give you this effect to some degree or another. The only way you can really compare low light coatings and associated low light performance is a side by side comparison with other scopes.
My Leupold 3.5-10 x 40mm VX-3 does the same thing, and I consider it a good scope ...... but it gives out before my 8x56 Docter binoculars. They provide MANY more minutes of observation. Of course I can't ever expect a rifle scope to match the low light performance of top quality, large exit pupil, binoculars like the Docters, but I am trying to work toward getting closer.
I'm hoping that tahqua will include some commentary on this when he posts his thoughts on the scope.
I'm waiting on my 3-12 X 56mm Predator Xtreme right now. I bought it explicitly for low light performance, so I have high hopes along the same lines you are mentioning. It may not be equal to top Zeiss models, etc, but if it can obtain 90%-95% of the low light capability they have for the deal I just paid ... I'll be pretty happy.
David
Subject: Steiner Predator Xtreme
Posted: December/08/2013 at 07:55
The fact that locations downrange are perceived "brighter" than your naked eye during very low light conditions is normal in my experience for quality optics. I think that most good scopes will give you this effect to some degree or another. The only way you can really compare low light coatings and associated low light performance is a side by side comparison with other scopes.
My Leupold 3.5-10 x 40mm VX-3 does the same thing, and I consider it a good scope ...... but it gives out before my 8x56 Docter binoculars. They provide MANY more minutes of observation. Of course I can't ever expect a rifle scope to match the low light performance of top quality, large exit pupil, binoculars like the Docters, but I am trying to work toward getting closer.
I'm hoping that tahqua will include some commentary on this when he posts his thoughts on the scope.
I'm waiting on my 3-12 X 56mm Predator Xtreme right now. I bought it explicitly for low light performance, so I have high hopes along the same lines you are mentioning. It may not be equal to top Zeiss models, etc, but if it can obtain 90%-95% of the low light capability they have for the deal I just paid ... I'll be pretty happy.
David