My wife recently purchased these for me as a replacement for an old set of Steiner 6X30 Scout binoculars with compass that had gotten lost during one of my many military moves. I had gotten attached to the Scouts and was very disappointed when they were lost but was not wild about investing in another pair which might suffer the same fate. I particularly liked the compass and reticle as well as the light weight and feel of the Scouts.
The Steiner Observers are in many respects an upgrade over the Scouts. In addition to the increased magnification and lens size, the Observers are nitrogen filled to make them fog proof and they are waterproof. The Observer compass is fitted more securely and of a lower profile than the compass of the Scouts and lens covers are also an improvement over the Scouts. Taken together, the Observers are a welcome improvement over the Scouts.
I was initially concerned about the size and weight of the Observers since 7x50s are significantly bigger than 6x30s. After using the Observers for some time, I find that they are very comfortable to hold and the additional heft of the binoculars make them steadier in your hands. Their shape and the rubber armoring add to their solid feel. Hopefully the rubber armor will prove more durable than that of the old Scouts, but only time will tell.
The quality of the optics is impressive. The lenses are clear to the edge, they provide excellent depth perception and they are very bright. During night observation of the sky, they do an excellent job of gathering ambient light. The Steiner Observers are what you would expect from a quality German glass.