Does anyone have any experience with image- stabilized binoculars? I'd appreciate any comments regarding how well they work and which ones are best, Canon or Fujinon. Thanks
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Tried a Canon
Recently during a regatta we were hosting I had the opportunity to try the Canon. It really worked well stabilizing the image. It uses a gyroscope to stabilize the binocs at the push of a button. I'm told it will go through a battery in a few hours of constant use though. Pretty pricey if you ask me, I would just go for a good quality standard unit myself. Jim Covey
Recently during a regatta we were hosting I had the opportunity to try the Canon. It really worked well stabilizing the image. It uses a gyroscope to stabilize the binocs at the push of a button. I'm told it will go through a battery in a few hours of constant use though. Pretty pricey if you ask me, I would just go for a good quality standard unit myself. Jim Covey
image stabilizing binoculars
I have a pay of the Canon 10X30 IS. Don't use them a lot, prefer my Nikon 7X50 navigators for a general purpose binoc. They do work great when I'm trying to read a buoy number from a distance or something similiar. The biggest problem with them is the small optic at the eyepeice. Very difficult to use with eye-glasses and to get properly oriented to the eye. I got a great deal on them at the Hunts camera show last year, otherwise I probably wouldn't buy them. Bryce S/V Spellbinder
I have a pay of the Canon 10X30 IS. Don't use them a lot, prefer my Nikon 7X50 navigators for a general purpose binoc. They do work great when I'm trying to read a buoy number from a distance or something similiar. The biggest problem with them is the small optic at the eyepeice. Very difficult to use with eye-glasses and to get properly oriented to the eye. I got a great deal on them at the Hunts camera show last year, otherwise I probably wouldn't buy them. Bryce S/V Spellbinder
Canon 15x50
I purchased the canon 15x45 binoculars 2 months ago and have used them extensively on the ICW in the last month. They are fantastic. I can read the numbers on bouy's at times that I can hardly tell that there are numbers with my tasco 7x50's. They are also great for reading the names on boats and signs on shore. I can see where to 10x30's may not be that much better than unstablized 7x50's. They also make a 18x50 but I don't know how that compares to the 15x45. This was reviewed last month in one of the sailing publications. They also mentioned the Fujinon and said they were also good. They are very pricey but I think they are worth it if you can afford them.
I purchased the canon 15x45 binoculars 2 months ago and have used them extensively on the ICW in the last month. They are fantastic. I can read the numbers on bouy's at times that I can hardly tell that there are numbers with my tasco 7x50's. They are also great for reading the names on boats and signs on shore. I can see where to 10x30's may not be that much better than unstablized 7x50's. They also make a 18x50 but I don't know how that compares to the 15x45. This was reviewed last month in one of the sailing publications. They also mentioned the Fujinon and said they were also good. They are very pricey but I think they are worth it if you can afford them.
I'm waiting...
...for the next generation of IS binos to come out. I've used both the Canon and Fuginon versions on recent offshore deliveries, and was disappointed by both. I agree with Bruce, that my trusty Nikons are much better than anything currently on the market.
...for the next generation of IS binos to come out. I've used both the Canon and Fuginon versions on recent offshore deliveries, and was disappointed by both. I agree with Bruce, that my trusty Nikons are much better than anything currently on the market.
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