Canon IS Binoculars

[Phil]

Well finely decided to buy a set of canon is binocular. They arrived the other day and not having a chance to take a look at the stars till tonight I was surprised how well these bino work being that they are only 10x30. The IS works better then I expected. All in all these are very nice bino. Very happy with then. I would have got the bigger pair if I had the funds but I was not able to get then because of money issues. Are they keeper you bet love then. Have not had a change to do a side by side comparison with my 7x50 yet but will be interesting when I do.
Phil:thumbsup:

[sheeny]

Cool! Keep us posted on the results of the comparo!

Al.

[MikeyB]

I just received a pair of 12 x 36 Canon IS binocs today (used, via eBay), after too many months of reading enthusiastic reviews and wondering whether to take the plunge. They look like a prop from Star Wars and although they're bulky, are relatively light. They feel solid but not overly sturdy, so I'll be treating them with the same care as a digicam.

So, how well do they work? Without the IS engaged, the optics are clearly of very high quality, with crisp details over an unusually flat field, although pincushion distortion is evident. 12x is on the very limit of handheld steadiness, but upon depressing the IS button everything goes still and smooth, as though in slow motion and wow, what a view! A smidgen of refocussing may be necessary and then you can enjoy not just the magnification, but the steady clarity that brings out the fine details of a distant tree, or a passing bird in flight. I'm about 5km from a main flight path of Perth International Airport, so there's always plenty of big jets to watch; with the IS I can see them in much more detail, including minor signage and even moving control surfaces. As for astro, the effect is astonishing - tonight's big moon looked almost 3D and even with such a washed-out sky, the stars are a dazzling display through the big eyepieces.

Image Stabilization works way better than I'd hoped and I can understand now why other owners say they've got binocs that are technically better, but the IS are the ones they reach for. My own top-shelf Zeiss Victory's are going to see a lot less use now that I've got these, that's for sure.

[Phil]

Hi Michael great stuff mate your not wrong about the IS. When engaged everything just stands out so much clearer. I get my out night after night to take a quick look around the sky. Love them. Still hope one day for a bigger pair.
Phil