Styrka S9 Series 15x56 ED Binocular, ST-39920 - Hunting, Wildlife and Bird Watching, Sports, Sightseeing and Travel - Long Range Viewing - Waterproof - Professional Quality - Styrka Strong

Do not buy! Company out of Buisness! No warranty on Styarka!

First Impression:Removing this binocular from the package I was initially impressed with the solid, quality feel of its dual hinge design. I was further assured by its sturdy rubber armor and heft – this instrument is designed for outdoor use. This binocular was accompanied by accessories including a zippered case with a chest harness or an over the neck strap, quality ocular and objective covers, and a strapped cleaning cloth to attach as desired. You will also find your warranty card inside the box along with a Styrka stickerConstruction:As mentioned above, this dual hinge binocular has a substantial, solid, well constructed, quality feeling associated with instruments in this price range and others costing substantially more. A view though the objective lens reveals no dust that has been noted in other quality binoculars indicating construction in well controlled environments. The dark green rubber armor is well fitted and appears that it would provide good protection. As I have paid for these binoculars, I am not willing to test this hypothesis – but feel comfortable they would survive ordinary abuse and then some. The S9 is waterproofed to 3 feet for 30 minutes and nitrogen purged, with fully multi-coated lenses, boasting Styrka's highest level SXL-MAX Coating. Every company boasts about their coatings, and much of this is proprietary witchcraft and jargon that means nothing to the end user if it doesn't work. Some early morning testing on a 39⁰F morning in lakeside mist, and use on a dreary rainsoaked but humid day in late August replicated their excellent light gathering capability.Ergonomics:These binoculars are slightly larger and heavier then other quality binoculars I have used. I suspect the use of an Abbe Koenig prism system is likely somewhat to blame. I did not feel encumbered by this very slight difference but thought it should be said. The focus was crisp, controllable, and easily accessed along with diopter adjustment, while the rubber armor provided for a sure grip. All and all, a very usable set of binoculars.Eye Cups:The eye cups are quite comfortable and capable of providing full field of vision (listed as 4.4° and 231ft/77m@1000yds/m) when extended and wearing glasses. The eye cups are fully adjustable with apparent click stops. Fully seated, the eyecups place your eye within 1/8” from the ocular lens surface. Fully extended your eye will be approximately ½” inch away. The only con noted is common to most binoculars (including those costing 2 to 3 times as much) extended and repeated use will often result in eyecups retracting a stop on their own.Focus:I find the focus action on many binoculars too fast – providing for little margin of error when trying to achieve a good focus. Focus is performed counterclockwise and seems smooth, crisp yet deliberate providing for easy focus. Minimum focus is listed at 9.8 feet, which is excellent for this size binocular. I believe this to be accurate as I tested them on a family of ducks my children were feeding. Swarovski SLC 15x56 minimum focus is 12.8 feet by comparison. Minimum focus is rather a mute point on a binocular of this size, but indicative of the quality of components. The diopter adjustment (+/- 3) is found on the right tube below the eyecup and is easily accessed and worked while viewing.Image:As stated above field of vision is listed as 4.4° and 231ft/77m@1000yds/m. Subjectively I found minimal edge distortion that provided little to no distraction to a very crisp, sharp FOV with well defined object edges and excellent contrast. Color appears largely neutral and true with perhaps a very mild amber tinge or bias. These binoculars provide top notch control of chromatic aberration and glare. Early morning and late evening use revealed this binocular’s particular strong point: these binoculars have an exceptional ability to gather light and create brightness in overcast, misty, rainy, dark, and inclement conditions. I admit that much of this category is subjective – chromatic aberration, color, sharpness, contrast, and relative brightness are all best measured with diagnostic equipment and computers. Point being – these binoculars provide and image that is every bit worth the going street price, and subjectively on par with sets priced substantially higher. Styrka's S9 15x56 is a robust binocular, and like other large binoculars, the quality of its optics cannot be fully appreciated until the set is stabilized either with a tripod or stabilizing stick.Conclusion and Warranty:I initially purchased the S9 10x42 binocular and was so impressed with the pricepoint/performance that I purchased the 15x56 model that I am reviewing here. I feel confident I purchased great optical performance with a second to none warranty:“The Styrka Pride Warranty is so simple. In the event of damage or malfunction, we will repair or replace your Stryka product free of charge. No questions asked. No registration required. No receipt needed. No matter who bought it. The only caveat? The warranty doesn’t cover theft, loss or intentional damage. Send us your Stryka product and we’ll clean and tune it up once per year. Regular maintenance helps keep your Stryka performing like the day you bought it.”This being said, I must caution Styrka is a young company in a saturated market and their warranty is only as good as their solvency. I hope the quality of their products and their commitment to customer support helps them weather the initial set up period and its hazards. I have discerned but cannot confirm the parent company behind Styrka is Celestron. Styrka offers terrific pricepoint/performance that requires serious consideration when seeking to purchase optics.

I liked the clarity, and the low light gathering, but these were too wide for my face. I could never really get them adjusted to fit to my eye distance. I was using them without the eyecups out and that was helpful but did not want to pay the high price for something that did not fit me. I would recommend trying these out, but with a separate tripod adapter as the one that comes with this did not keep it steady to me, hence the 4 stars. I'm returning and done with big eyes at this time, as I've found the extra 5x from my 10x regular binos on chest are not worth carrying in my pack for the weight that's added, especially if you got a tripod and spotting scope in tow I found it hard to justify. I am a hunter who walks alot more than drives as well, so if you are glassing from a vehicle and the weight is not an issue I'd highly recommend.

The glass is extremely clear and bright, they work well at dusk and dawn. The contrast and colors are very good like some high end Leica glass. The FOV is wide but seems wider because the image is sharp and bright until almost the edge of the viewing circle. They are a bit heavy and the barrels are thicker than most 8x42s but the armor has some give and the open bridge allows me to get a good grip with my left hand. They seem to be designed for hours of "glassing" at mid to long range. I can see very good detail on far away objects and and there is no eye strain at all. I have some Zeiss Victorys that are brighter but they cause me some eye strain if I use them for long periods or in bright conditions. The focus knob was smooth in one direction but pretty stiff in the other. So I sent them to Styrka and got them back in 1 week. Styrka replaced the internal focus parts and cleaned the binoculars at no charge! The binoculars can be sent in to Styrka every year for a free cleaning/servicing. Outstanding Customer Service like that is hard to find these days.

STYRKA is out of business and will not support product or warrant issues at all...sadly...Great glasses, great optics, just hope mine don't ever need repair.