We had the opportunity to get a sneak peek, hands-on look at the fascinating eDiscovery 10x42 bino from Steiner-Optik GmbH, a leading manufacturer of premium binoculars and riflescopes for marine, hunting, outdoor, military, and sporting use.
Don’t be fooled by its appearance: this is not a standard binocular, but the first in the world capable of recording photos and videos. Not surprisingly, Steiner presents it with the appealing tagline: “Observe. Capture. Share.”
A successful marriage of analog and digital
The optical portion of the eDiscovery combines 10x magnification, an ideal value for handheld use, with large 42 mm objective lenses. By gathering plenty of light, they deliver clear images even in difficult conditions such as dawn, fog, or backlighting.
Image quality is further enhanced by Steiner’s proprietary autofocus system, which, once the diopter correction has been adjusted to the user’s eyesight, delivers the highest possible sharpness.
To all this, Steiner adds high-level electronics that make it possible to capture 13-megapixel photos and 4K video, complete with audio.
This combination offers a major advantage: quite apart from excellent image quality, even if we somehow managed to drain the battery despite its long runtime — and had no power bank available to connect via USB-C — the instrument would still remain fully usable as a conventional binocular.
In the hand, it still feels like a simple binocular. But it isn’t.
It is surprising how successfully Steiner has managed to integrate all this technology into the eDiscovery while leaving the ergonomics and balance of a standard binocular almost unchanged. The only visible differences are the control buttons and the rechargeable battery compartment.
The housing is resistant to impact and weather, operating from 14°F to 140°F (-10°C to +60°C), and is capable of withstanding demanding use in any environment, much like the German company’s military and professional-grade devices.
During the presentation we attended, the test unit was repeatedly thrown to the ground to simulate accidental drops. It suffered only minor scuffs on the rubber armor and continued to function flawlessly.
Advanced technology within everyone’s reach
In most cases, the biggest obstacle for users adopting new technologies is… the user interface. A capable device that requires a steep learning curve before it can be used to its full potential will struggle to gain acceptance on the market.
The Steiner eDiscovery does not have this problem, because it is extremely intuitive from the very first contact. It is controlled with two buttons, and all settings are visible in the field of view. This means that, when capturing images, there is no need to look away from the observed target or subject in order to navigate a multitude of menus, buttons, and functions.
Hunters and nature observers will also be pleased to know that operation is completely silent.
The additional functions of Steiner Connect
The already impressive features offered by the binocular itself are complemented by those made possible through the Steiner Connect 2.0 app. Using a smartphone, recordings can be zoomed in, stored, and shared. It is even possible to stream them live to as many as five devices at the same time.
In addition, files recorded by the binocular can not only be shared on social media, but can also be used with artificial intelligence tools. For example, applications such as Google Lens can analyze and identify animals, plants, and objects in real time.
Our field test
We had the opportunity to briefly test the eDiscovery during a long-range shooting event where Steiner riflescopes were also being used. To give you a clear idea of its performance, we took the same photograph of a Steiner promotional flag positioned more than 600 meters away, using both the Steiner binocular and a latest-generation smartphone.
The images we publish speak for themselves: despite its many megapixels, the phone’s small sensor combined with heavy digital zoom produced a grainy, muddy image. Although the colors appear unrealistically saturated because of aggressive software processing, the image lacks detail.
By contrast, in the shot taken with the eDiscovery, the Steiner lettering is perfectly legible, and the adjacent targets show far more detail.
Conclusions: a versatile device
Unlike other Steiner products that are designed for a very specific user — its renowned marine binoculars, for example — this new advanced binocular is so versatile that it will appeal to a wide range of users, from the casual hiker to the hunter, all the way to law enforcement personnel engaged in surveillance work.
Whatever the application, the eDiscovery 10x42 is easy to keep close at hand, simple to operate, handy, and very rugged.
Watch the short here
Technical specifications and price
| Manufacturer | Steiner-Optik GmbH |
| Web | www.steiner.de |
| Model | eDiscovery 10x42 |
| Dimensions | 130 × 175 × 85 mm |
| Magnification | 10x |
| Objective lens diameter | 42 mm |
| Exit pupil | 4.2 mm ±6% |
| Twilight factor | 20,49 |
| Field of view at 1000m | 108 m (6,17°) |
| Eye relief | 16 mm (+5.0 / –0.5 mm) |
| Photo resolution | 13 MP |
| Video resolution | 4K |
| Video output format | mp4 |
| Storage Capacity | 64GB memory card |
| Focus | Steiner Auto Focus |
| Filling | nitrogen |
| Connections | USB-C; Wi-Fi |
| Operating temperature | -10 °C / +60 °C |
| Waterproofing | IP67 (1 m / 30 min) |
| Battery | 1x 18650 li-ion rechargeable battery |
| Runtime | > 3 h |
| Accessories | neck strap, lens covers, rain cover, bag |
| Weight | 955 g |
| MSRP | $2,529.99 |
