Image Stabilized Binoculars

[Crewdog]

We were looking at whether a set of image stabilized binoculars would be a worthwhile purchase.

In looking at the specs, it seems that there is a limit on the amount of shake they will compensate for, depending on brand and magnification.

I'd appreciate any feedback from users.

On the subject of binoculars, just finished reading "Clear the Bridge" by Adm. Richard O'Kane about a U.S. submarine in WWII in the Pacific, and the author relates how civilians had genrously donated binoculars to the military, and he refers several times to "grabbing the 7 x 50's" on the way topside. I knew there was rationing stateside, and materials collections, but had never heard of binocs being collected.

 

[ron cowan]

My wife bought me a Canon 15x50 IS UD 4.5 All Weather against a lot of protesting but after useing them on the river to identify mile markers etc. I hate to leave home without them. Don't know what the limitations are but know practical use can not imagine how they could be any better They are too strong for just general binocular viewing, but when you see your object they are out of this world. I use them for eagle watching over the river behind my house.

 

[JamesTXSD]

We have the Canon 10x30 image stabilized binoculars. The image stabilizing is very helpful on the boat. That said, I would look at other binocular manufacturers besides Canon. The exterior on our Canon 10x30is began to disintegrate after two years... to the point they were disgusting to hold. Dealing with Canon Repair Service was absolutely the most frustrating service experience we've been through.

If you have nothing to do, here's part of the rundown...

http://captnjim.blogspot.com/2013/01/ca ... eware.html

For full disclosure, Canon did eventually repair and return the binoculars... but it was an ordeal. I've heard good things from others regarding the Fuji stabilized binoculars.

I originally picked the 10x30is because of a more comfortable size and price. You can see distant nav aids better than without image stabilization, but there are still conditions on the boat that are beyond the capability of the image stabilization.

Best wishes,
Jim B.

 

[Knot Finishe]

My experience with image stabilized bins left me unimpressed. I was with about a dozen people at the bow of a large ship 50 miles off Oregon's coast. We all had high-end binoculars and spotting scopes and had a fine day picking out pelagic birds as they flew past. Someone not with the group arrived with a pair of Canon IS bins and really wanted to show them around. They were either 15x or 18x and very expensive, but quite frankly, the optics were noticeably inferior to all the other glass at the bow. The IS worked quite well, but the view seemed muddy and the muted colours of the birds looked off. Also, with all that power it was very difficult to find a target.
Another issue with IS is that I believe it requires a battery to keep those gyros and gimbals working the way they should. If that battery dies, the binoculars will be fairly useless, especially if high powered.
If I were to buy another pair of bins to keep on the boat, I would walk by the IS models and get something with a wide field of view (8x42, 8x50) and not too much power. I would also pass on anything under about $150 and look to spend in the $250 -400 range.
Just my thoughts.

John

 

[RProffer]

I had some 16x50's thinking the extra power would be nice. Well, it was nice when I was on land, and when I really zoomed in, I wish I had a tripod. On the water it was worthless. Way too much magnification. Then I accidentally dropped them in a fish bucket and found out that even 2 seconds in water was enough to destroy them.

I did some research and found that all marine binoculars are 7x50 (must be a reason), but not all are water proof. I got some 7x50 water proof binoculars and have been happy ever since. I have some 7-15x25 that I use for hunting and they work great for that, but not powerful enough for the water.

 

[conniemarie]

We use (and love) Bushnell 12x50 wide angle permafocus binoculars on the boat. There is no delay to focus when time and attention is tight.

 

[Namaste]

Finally a subject I know! I wrote this primer on binoculars back in 2002 http://www.forthebirdsboard.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=85 for birders but the theory is still the same. For boating use the image stabilized binoculars will be of some help for countering the vibration that comes from the engine but of little help counter the pitch and yaw from the boat. My advice is to go low powered 6.5x to 7x or less and buy the best binos you can afford. With proper care, you only have to buy binoculars once. I've been using the same pair of Swarovskis for almost 20 years now.

 

[Todd]

Does anybody else prefer the monocular. I like them much better. Besides being much smaller so you can keep it in your pocket, or right on the dash in front of you, or tucked in the overhead bin, they are easier to use because you do not have to adjust the width, and adjust for differences between your eyes.

Give one a try when you get the chance.

 

[Namaste]

I use a monocular while hiking because it is lighter and smaller than binoculars . The only down side is it can take some practice to acquire a target like a buoy using a monocular.The trick is to find the target with your naked eye first then lift the monocular to your eye having never taken it off the target.