11 Best German-Made Binoculars Brands | Reviews & Buying Guide

If you are someone who is very brand conscious, then it might be difficult for you to choose the binoculars that fit your requirements. Each brand has its unique features and the quality and price may vary with each brand. If you want to stick to German brands, then this article is definitely for you.

Germany is known to be one of the top manufacturers of binoculars in the world. Delivering great optical performance for ages, some of the German binoculars are hands down the best ones in the market.

From hunting, surveillance, bird watching, sight-seeing, and other applications, the German brands have covered them all.

This article helps you get an insight into the Best German Binoculars Brands.

All products reviewed in this post have been tested, analyzed, and reviewed by us personally. This also contains the reviews of the German binoculars with their pros and cons to ease you out in shortlisting reliable binoculars.

Best German-Made Binoculars Brands

1. Steiner Optics

Steiner is one of the famous brands in Germany that has been in the market since 1947. The company was founded by Karl Steiner who first started a workshop to quench his goal of producing optical products that would be of great use for military personnel. Later on, he turned his unique ideas into a startup with 50 employees. Today, Steiner has grown to become a leading brand that you can trust on for superior quality optics.

Steiner was the first company to develop binoculars with high-tech Makrolon polycarbonate bodies that made the binoculars lightweight and sturdy. Manufactured for Germany’s military organization, German Bundeswehr in 1967, this was the first milestone for Steiner but the record continued. In 1973, Steiner first introduced the concept of nitrogen-filling in the binoculars to prevent internal fogging of the lenses. It is also the manufacturer of the world’s first binoculars having in-built compasses and first binoculars with dust and water-resistant nano-protection lenses. With it’s innovative and unique functionalities, Steiner won’t disappoint you.

Headquartered at Bayreuth, Germany, Steiner development, quality tests, and research works all are done in the headquarter. Some of the highlighted features of Steiner binoculars are lightweight yet robust rubber armor, fog proof, fully multi-coated lenses for high contrast visuals, waterproof and shockproof. They are well suited for hunting, military, and other outdoor adventures.

Some of the best quality Steiner binoculars are listed below.

a. Steiner 7×50 Marine Binoculars

The Steiner Marine Binoculars consist of advanced multi-coated lenses with a Porro prism design. This enhances light transmission for forming high contrast and detailed view even in poor lighting conditions. With the Sports-auto focus system, you can focus everything from 20 yards to infinity at one shot.

Designed for sailors, boaters, and marine uses, the Steiner Marine Binoculars have all waterproof long-lasting rubber armor. The NBR rubber housing absorbs shock and is designed with anti-slip pads and ridges for comfortable gripping. These binoculars are nitrogen-purged to prevent internal fogging of the lenses.

The magnification power is 7x and the 50 mm aperture is large enough to form crystal clear images. The packaging comes with a carrying case, neck strap, and lifetime heritage warranty.

b. Steiner Predator AF Binoculars

The Steiner Predator AF Binoculars feature the Color Adjusted Transmission(CAT) technology that helps to see the objects hiding in shades and foliage. The advanced focus system lets you focus the objects from 20 yards to infinity without the need for refocusing.

Ergonomically designed especially for hunting and sporting, these binoculars are lightweight and compact. The bombproof Makrolon polycarbonate body and the open bridge design provide an anti-slip grip and make these binoculars waterproof.

Awarded as the best binoculars for hunting, the predator AF series is available in powers 10×42 and 8×32.

2. Zeiss

Zeiss company was founded by Carl Zeiss in 1846. At first, he opened an optics workshop in Jena, Germany, and trained employees for producing microscopes and other optical instruments. In 1872, physicist Ernst Abbe joined Carl Zeiss and together they produced improved quality microscopes. Since the 1890s, their visions and ideas were converted into the manufacturing of other optical instruments.

After the first world war, the company manufactured binoculars and rangefinders for military purposes. Though the company was greatly affected by world war 1 and 2, Zeiss has been able to keep its name in one of the top brands in the global market. Today Zeiss has been able to expand its subunits with major production sites in Germany, U.S, and China.

Zeiss manufactured its first binoculars by combining two monocular telescopes that delivered high-quality images with 3-D depth. In 2004, the fluoride lenses were used in the Victory FL Binoculars of this brand that reduced chromatic aberration as an unprecedented event. For the first time ever, the Victory HT binoculars in 2012 rendered more than 95% of light transmission.

Zeiss binoculars are characterized by higher light transmission, lightweight and ergonomic design. Zeiss is a go-to brand when it comes to high precision optical quality.

Some of the binoculars manufactured under the Zeiss brand are as follows.

a. Zeiss Victory HT Binoculars

Featuring high transmission SCHOTT lenses, the Zeiss Victory HT Binoculars optimize light transmission in low light. These binoculars deliver high resolution, high contrast, and crisp images irrespective of the lighting conditions. These binoculars have advanced Zeiss T* coating on multiple layers of their lenses that guarantee maximum brightness even in twilight.

The diameter of objective lenses is optimized for reducing weight that ensures a perfect viewing experience. Using the large central focusing wheel, you can adjust the focus precisely and easily even while wearing gloves. The LotuTec coatings on lenses make them suitable to use in all weather conditions.

b. Zeiss Terra ED Binoculars

The Zeiss Terra ED Binoculars consist of SCHOTT extra-low dispersion glasses that reduce glare and color distortion. The Schmidt-Pechan roof prism system helps to form high-resolution razor-sharp images. The large focus wheel is easy to reach and allows smooth focusing.

The lenses of these binoculars are coated with Zeiss MC coating that protects them from water, dust, and dirt. They are nitrogen-filled which prevents internal fogging of lenses. They are robust with ridges on the rubber armor for non-slip grip perfect for nature lovers.

3. Leica

The history of Leica begins with the establishment of the Optical Institute by Carl Kellnar in 1849. Shortly after his death, Ernst Leitz joined the institute in 1865. During that time the institute was dedicated to producing mainly telescopes, microscopes, and glasses. Leica manufactured their first vintage prism binoculars in 1907 and since then the company has been manufacturing durable and great optical quality binoculars. The passion for the hunting of Ernst Leitz II(son of Ernst Leitz) drove him to manufacture special hunting binoculars.

Started as a 20 employee institute today Leica is a multinational brand that has been manufacturing scopes, binoculars, and cameras. Though the headquarter lies in Wetzlar, Germany, the manufacturing is done in many sub-units including New York, Portugal, etc.

Color neutrality, precise focusing, robust and ergonomic design suitable to use in any weather conditions is what makes Leica an investment for a lifetime. The Trinovid, Noctivid, Geovid, and Ultravid Series of this brand is quite popular.  

a. Leica Noctivid 10×42 Binoculars

These binoculars consist of roof prisms having SCHOTT high light transmission glasses that balance light transmission and natural colors. The lenses are fully multi-coated with high-temperature plasma coatings to prevent reflection at inner parts and suppress stray light.

With the 42 mm objective lenses and 10x magnification, you can have a crystal clear viewing experience. The eyepieces are large and removable that provide eye-relief of 19 mm that are comfortable to use by glass wearers as well.

The focusing wheel with diopter adjustments requires only 2 rotations to focus the object from 1.9 m to infinity. Ruggedly designed with outer rubber covering, these binoculars are corrosion resistant and water-resistant to a depth of 5m.

b. Leica Trinovid HD Binoculars

The Leica Trinovid HD Binoculars consist of phase-corrected prisms with fully multi-coated lenses that boost light transmission and restore the natural colors of the view. The image formed is bright, color corrected, and razor-sharp.

The rubber housing ensures full protection of the binoculars from external weather and rough handling. These binoculars are ergonomically designed with a non-slip textured body that is compact and can be fitted into the pockets easily for outdoor activities.

These reliable binoculars are available in four different sizes viz. 8×32, 8×42, 10×32, 10×42.

4. MINOX

MINOX is one of the prominent brands providing reliable and superior quality optics since 1936. The founder Baltic German Walter Zapp was interested in developing miniature cameras. But MINOX rose to fame after World War II and commercial production of spy cameras started thereafter.

After being the bestsellers of cameras, MINOX shifted its focus to producing other products like binoculars, riflescopes, and night vision devices in 2000. Today binoculars are the important products of this brand. MINOX has been awarded several times for its contribution in making quality binoculars. The headquarters is located in Wetzlar, Germany where all the MINOX products are designed and assembled.

After years and years of research, MINOX has manufactured several products to meet the needs of people. The X-range, RAPID, X-lite, X-active, BV, etc are some of the binoculars of the MINOX line that are suited for sporting, hunting, and other outdoor/indoor activities.

a. MINOX 62060 BV 10×25 Binoculars

The MINOX BV Binoculars consist of a roof prism design with M* coating on the lenses that serve as anti-reflective coatings to form bright and sharp images. The magnification is 10x with 25 mm objective lenses that is enough to bring the action close to you.

The turnable eyecups provide longer eye relief of about 19 mm that is comfortable to use for both glass wearers and non-wearers. Designed with a slender and non-slip rubber body, these binoculars are rugged and waterproof down to 16 feet. The comfortable open-bridge design ensures comfortable and easy gripping of the binoculars in any environmental conditions. They are nitrogen-filled to protect from internal fogging.  

b. MINOX 62043 BL Binoculars

The MINOX BL Binoculars are low light binoculars that can be used during a low light time like dusk and dawn. The extra-low dispersion SCHOTT glasses with fully multi-coated M* lenses increase light transmission even in weak lighting. The 56 mm objective lenses gather large amounts of light to form a bright and crisp view of the object with color-neutrality maintained.

The central focus wheel is easy to reach and much easier to adjust the focus along with the right eye diopter. This provides long eye relief easier to use for glass wearers. The field of view is extended by blocking the stray light that helps to focus on a much wider area.

The strong and durable polycarbonate housing makes them impervious to water and dust and provides a non-sticky firm gripping surface. These binoculars are fog-proof since they are nitrogen-purged and O-ring sealed.

5. German Precision Optics

The headquarter of German Precision Optics is located in Munich, Germany where product engineering, tests, and developments are done. The other unit of GPO is in Virginia, USA. The GPO was established with the aim of building premium and excellent quality binoculars at a very reasonable price.

The GPO was established in 2015 by the previous owners of other big brands and those who have experienced quite a place in the marketplace. So, the GPO is dedicated to producing premium line products like binoculars, rifle scopes, and rangefinders that incorporate the exact features needed for the end-users.  

The Passion ED and Passion HD Binoculars are the most famous among the GPO brand.

a. Passion ED Binoculars

These binoculars consist of a Schmidt Pechan roof prism system with fully multi-coated optics. The glasses consist of double extra dispersion elements to reduce chromatic aberration.

The smooth focus wheel with a diopter integrated within it guarantees precise focusing. The twist-up eyecups with aluminum covers provide an eye relief of 17mm.

The strong magnesium chassis with soft rubber covering provides a non-slip grip and temperature resistance to some extent. These binoculars are fog proof which is ensured by the nitrogen filling.

6. Eschenbach Optik

The history of Eschenbach Optik began when Josef Eschenbach in 1913 registered his wholesale business of optical products in Nuremberg, Germany. After his death, his son Rudolph Eschenbach handled the business and initiated the production of optical instruments. As the products started gaining market, he established Eschenbach Optik of America, Inc for global marketing of the products.

Eschenbach was the first brand to use the injection-molded aspheric lenses during the 1970s and 1980s. The concepts like an illuminated magnifier and aplanatic lens design were also pioneered by this brand. Combining traditional values with modern innovations, Eschenbach Optik is a reliable brand when it comes to optical precision.    

Below mentioned are some of the popular binoculars of this brand in the market.

a. Eschenbach Arena D+ Binoculars

These binoculars have a BAK-4 roof prism that guarantees crystal clear and sharp images. The fully-multi coated lenses provide an anti-reflective surface for the lenses. The retractable eyepieces with twist-up eyecups render longer eye relief for people with or without glasses.

The prisms are additionally silvered which protects your eyes from harmful UV radiations. This also increases the light transmission by 4% to form a detailed view. The central focus knob helps in precise focusing of the view with right eye diopter locking.

Filled with dry nitrogen, these binoculars are fully fog proof and waterproof. Buy with the five years warranty from the brand and you will not regret investing in these great pairs of binoculars.

Different sizes of these binoculars are available out of which you can choose one as per your need. The 8×32 and 8×42 models are ideal for sporting and recreational purposes. If you want the binoculars that perform amazingly in twilight and dim lighting then you should opt for 10×25 or 10×50.

7. Blaser

Renowned mainly for the production of high-end hunting binoculars and riflescopes, Blaser was founded by Horst Blaser in 1957. Passionate for hunting, he started his own company Isny Im Allgau, Germany.

To meet the needs of enthusiastic hunters globally, Blaser also established its headquarter in Texas, the USA in the year 2008. Each year Blaser comes with innovative ideas and products for turning your hunting experience into a lifetime event.

The Blaser Binoculars are characterized by CCC (Contrast and Color Corrective Coating) on multiple layers of the lenses to give the edge-to-edge and detailed view of the object whatever the lighting conditions. The smart lens nano-protection ensures that the lenses are hydrophobic that is the ideal choice for hunting in any weather conditions.

a. Blaser Primus Distance Specialist Binoculars

The Blaser Primus Distance Specialists have 10x magnification and 42 mm objective lenses to shorten the distance between you and your target. Like all other Blaser Binoculars, these binoculars have CCC coatings on their lenses that render neutral colors and high contrast images.

The center focusing wheel with a diopter adjustment ring allows quick and easy focusing even when the binoculars are not in the optimum position. The lenses come with smart nano-protection that saves them from water, dust, and debris. The magnesium chassis is covered by bicolor reinforcement with fish scale texture that can withstand rough handling.

Final Say

After the world wars, many people realized the need of having good optical instruments. Hence, many of the German brands rose to fame after the world wars. 

The German Binoculars Brands manufacture products that address the needs of consumers for diverse purposes like hunting, sporting, military, fishing, monitoring, and a lot of other indoor as well as outdoor activities. You name it and they have it all. They provide you with binoculars with a great optical performance and brilliant aesthetics that complement the price value. 

Also you should definitely check out the best auto focus binoculars.

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