New image stabilised binoculars

[bomberbaz]

Hello all.

I have owned a pair of 10x30 Canon IS bins for around 5 years or so and really do enjoy using them. The lightweight plus stability and decent optical clarity make them  a pretty reliable option to use for all round day and night time grab and go.

However as is often the case I feel a little more resolving power/magnification would be nice to have, particularly for short, night-time sessions.

I am realistic that handheld magnification is 15x (weight related) in reality plus I have a preference for an objective of 40mm plus (although I may go a little less) otherwise I am not gaining in a discernible manner and budget wise I am thinking up to £1,000/1,200 tops

I have done a little looking around but there are new extra names in the IS field since I bought my Canons hence the enquiry!  

So does anyone have any pointers on decent IS bins along the lines as given above?

Cheers all

Steve

[JeremyS]

I’m sure @HollyHound will comment on his 50mm IS 

Meanwhile some reviews by Roger Vine: http://www.scopeviews.co.uk/BinoReviews.htm

[HollyHound]

Just to jump in here quickly... I have had the Canon IS 50x50 for a few months now, and they are nothing short of revolutionary for me 👍

Quick (or even fairly prolonged) looks at the moon are now something I can do instantly and (importantly) really see quite some detail. Jupiter's moons are now easy targets (amazing how quickly they move around in such a short time). Don't even get me started on how beautiful Pleaides has now become, I'm seeing stars and detail in just this that are worth the price of the binoculars alone. Same for M42 😮 Cruising the Milky Way is just stunning down here on the farm too 😀

I'm happy to extol it's virtues even further, but my vote would be an "upgrade" to these. @JeremyS has pointed to to that review site, which covers most of the models, and Roger Vine does seem to agree that the 15x50 are just that bit more usable even than the 18x50, without sacrificing much in magnification.

I also love that you can lock the image stabilisation on (for 3mins at a time), so don't have to keep holding the button (although you can do that too).

The only small criticism, is that they don't come with objective end caps (but standard camera ones work perfectly).

[Tomatobro]

1 hour ago, HollyHound said:

Canon IS 50x50

Is that 18 x 50's IR?

[HollyHound]

1 hour ago, Tomatobro said:

Is that 18 x 50's IR?

There are two models:

• Canon IS 15x50 - Review (http://www.scopeviews.co.uk/Canon15x50IS.htm)
• Canon IS 18x50 - Review (http://www.scopeviews.co.uk/Canon18x50IS.htm)

I've got the 15x50 and they work very well... the reviews mentioned above seem to indicate that the 18x50s have a few (minor) issues with stabilisation artefacts, but of course gains a bit more magnification 🤔

[Tomatobro]

Thanks for clarifying which ones.

A club member let me try some IS bins a few years back but I cannot remember what the make and model they were and I recall being reasonably impressed with what I saw. In the end I got some 25/40 x 100 bins and made a fork mount with Alt/Az finders which I use but still need setting up to use.

The idea of IS bins appeal due to not really requiring any preparation just walk outside and go.

[Stu]

Just to add, I had some 15x50IS for a number of years and regret selling them. The stabilisation works very well and definitely increases the detail and numbers of stars that you can see.

[Mr Spock]

I have the 12x36s. I've used them for over 10 years for birdwatching. They are excellent.
The only negative is the rubber has gone a bit tacky and has marked one of my t-shirts  They have seen a lot of action though.

 

[HollyHound]

9 minutes ago, Mr Spock said:

I have the 12x36s. I've used them for over 10 years for birdwatching. They are excellent.
The only negative is the rubber has gone a bit tacky and has marked one of my t-shirts  They have seen a lot of action though.

 

Great to know they seem to be quite robust, considering they're a consumer electronic device... but then I suppose most DSLR last quite a while too 🤔

[Mr Spock]

They are rock solid in build quality. They've been battered, bashed and beaten, dropped, gotten soaked (despite not being waterproof) and taken it all in their stride. Image quality and function of the IS is as new. 

[Mr Spock]

I've been eyeing up the 15x50 for a while. Not for astro, for birding. Get some extra reach at Old Moor reserve for example.
Currently £999 at HDEW - I'm tempted...

[PeterW]

The 12x can be used  one hand (I troll birders  this way… I have the steadier views)!

The higher mag ones get heavy, once found someone with some 18x and they we’re a real brick. 
My 12x are at least 15yrs and the coating has got sticky, tried baby powder, but the solution was a small pile of isopropyl wipes and a bucket of elbow grease… just clean/scrub/wipe off as much of the rubber as you can. I haven’t decided if I’ll try to find some replacement or just leave them as they are.

Make sure you have some spare (lithium) batteries…. The batteries don’t run out often, but you’ll think they’re broken when the power gets low… just replace the batteries and normal service returns! I like looking at the full moon with mine… when not on birding duty.

 

Peter

[bomberbaz]

Anybody give me some info on these?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sig-Sauer-Binocular-Schmidt-Pechan-Stabilized/dp/B08SJ3LZ3P/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?adgrpid=124758289807&gclid=CjwKCAiA9qKbBhAzEiwAS4yeDV3Ao8jzk_rRwKfSI-Pvzgqjjd2kxfTGZumLaIZo0zOuSxtouwuZKxoCT-4QAvD_BwE&hvadid=515315493253&hvdev=m&hvlocphy=1006585&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=14690009833432560326&hvtargid=kwd-855838907682&hydadcr=24954_1816940&keywords=image+stabilized+binoculars+uk&qid=1667865906&sr=8-2

The thing that attracts me to these is the same things putting me off the 15x50 canons, weight.

The sig sauer are half the weight albeit at the expense of some aperture, it would however still be a significant step up from my 10x30's. 

Problem is I don’t trust amazon reviews although there are some on manufacturers website. 

[PeterW]

Smaller exit pupil and I agree that without a good lot of reviews behind it I would be cautious. I know a number of companies have released IS models recently and some are not well thought of. see how many more reviews/forum posts you can find so you can be as informed as you can be. 
The canon are a very well known quantity, so you know what you’re getting. 

[bomberbaz]

10 minutes ago, PeterW said:

Smaller exit pupil and I agree that without a good lot of reviews behind it I would be cautious. I know a number of companies have released IS models recently and some are not well thought of. see how many more reviews/forum posts you can find so you can be as informed as you can be. 
The canon are a very well known quantity, so you know what you’re getting. 

Seems bresser also make them Peter. Bresser

They are roughly half the weight of the canon 15x50's at just 1.2lb but the 15x50's have roughly 40% more light gathering power. Always a trade off as we all know but one must consider alternatives.

Also I have found a few video reviews and they seem well thought of and should be available to buy for circa £850.00 new inc import duties so a little less expensive too.

[PeterW]

Sounds good, tell us how you get on.

 

peter

[Second Time Around]

A Cloudy Nights thread here: https://www.cloudynights.com/topic/794521-sig-sauer-zulu6/

There's also a link there to a longer thread with reviews of the Zulu.

[bomberbaz]

23 minutes ago, Second Time Around said:

A Cloudy Nights thread here: https://www.cloudynights.com/topic/794521-sig-sauer-zulu6/

There's also a link there to a longer thread with reviews of the Zulu.

Good info in that link, the sigs seem well received and certainly worth considering.  thanks for posting. 

[woldsman]

I work away from home during the week and am a lodger in a Cotswolds village with a Bortle 4 sky (that’s the Clearoutside rating but it is much darker than where I live which is also nominally Bortle 4). As most of the time I don’t have a scope with me, I started using a pair of cheap 10x50 Optomax binos & have got into binocular observing.  Have just ordered a pair of Kenko 14x30 vcsmart IS binos. These have an adjustment angle of 3 degrees and a fov of 4.2 degrees. What really attracted me, however, was the asking price: £299 including postage & vat. The seller was a shop & the binos are ex display but come with a warranty. I reckon there are IS binos that will out-perform these in terms of optics, fov, aperture & adjustment angle but at a much higher price point. I also reckon the Kenko binos will outperform some others costing a lot more. Kenko are an OEM for better known brands as well as having their own line. Anyway, they are in transit & due to arrive Friday so I’ll soon find out!  It’s great you have a budget of up to £1,200 but personally I’d keep using your Canon 10x30s while keeping a look out for a good deal. Other posters on forums claim that patience pays off. 

Edited November 9, 2022 by woldsman

[JeremyS]

1 minute ago, woldsman said:

I work away from home during the week and am a lodger in a Cotswolds village with a Bortle 4 sky (that’s the Clearoutside rating but it is much darker than where I live which is also nominally Bortle 4). As most of the time I don’t have a scope with me, I started using a pair of cheap 10x50 Optomax binos. Have just ordered a pair of Kenko 14x30 vcsmart IS binos. These have an adjustment angle of 3 degrees and a fov of 4.2 degrees. What really attracted me, however, was the asking price: £299 including postage & vat. The seller was a shop & the binos are ex display but come with a warranty. I reckon there are IS binos that will out-perform these in terms of optics, fov, aperture & adjustment angle but at a much higher price point. I also reckon the Kenko binos will outperform some others costing a lot more. Kenko are an OEM for better known brands as well as having their own line. Anyway, they are in transit & due to arrive Friday so I’ll soon find out!  It’s great you have a budget of up to £1,200 but personally I’d keep using your Canon 10x30s while keeping a look out for a good deal. Other posters on forums claim that patience pays off. 

Will be interesting to hear how you find them 👍🏻🤞🏻

[bomberbaz]

14 hours ago, woldsman said:

  It’s great you have a budget of up to £1,200 but personally I’d keep using your Canon 10x30s while keeping a look out for a good deal. Other posters on forums claim that patience pays off. 

I might have that but it doesn't mean I want to spend that. So far I am unconvinced that I want to buy anything and am prepared to play the longer game.

That said, the Sig Sauer's and variants there of are certainly of interest and remain contenders.

[Space Hopper]

On 08/11/2022 at 17:59, Mr Spock said:

Currently £999 at HDEW - I'm tempted...

Not heard of HDEW before. Interesting.

Although the 15x50s are not listed ; only the 18x50 model. Perhaps they've sold what they had.

My own 15x50 is are a 2004 model, also my oldest piece of astro gear. They are in excellent nick, the rubber and optics and IS are like when they were new.

A bit heavy for me now, particularly on my neck which has a bit of arthritis in it (i'm getting old ! 😟)

What i'd really like to do is turn them into the 10x42is 'posh model'......

[Second Time Around]

I tried the 15x50s and found them too tiring to hold up for long with the supplied strap because of an injured back and neck.   Even the 12x36s were tiring for me. 

I found the answer in a harness.

Normally harnesses though are bulky and can be fiddly.  However I've found the one and possibly only exception is the Rick Young Ultralight.  Not only is it indeed ultralight (1 ounce!), it's so small it easily fits in my binocular case so I leave it on my binoculars permanently.

Most of all it's extremely comfortable.    I thought the narrowness would mean that it would dig in to my shoulders.  It's counter-intuitive, but even over just a thin shirt it doesn't at all.  This is because the weight is distributed over the chest as well.  I really don't know it's on and carrying my binoculars for hours is almost effortless.  I also have one on my dSLR.  In fact every time I buy binoculars or a camera in the future I'll be buying another one. 

For further details and a video demonstrating it in use go to https://www.birders-store.co.uk/ultra-light-bino-harness.html  where at £27.99 delivered it's currently a lot cheaper than Amazon.uk.

Edited November 10, 2022 by Second Time Around

[JeremyS]

1 hour ago, Second Time Around said:

I tried the 15x50s and found them too tiring to hold up for long with the supplied strap because of an injured back and neck.   Even the 12x36s were tiring for me. 

I found the answer in a harness.

Normally harnesses though are bulky and can be fiddly.  However I've found the one and possibly only exception is the Rick Young Ultralight.  Not only is it indeed ultralight (1 ounce!), it's so small it easily fits in my binocular case so I leave it on my binoculars permanently.

Most of all it's extremely comfortable.    I thought the narrowness would mean that it would dig in to my shoulders.  It's counter-intuitive, but even over just a thin shirt it doesn't at all.  This is because the weight is distributed over the chest as well.  I really don't know it's on and carrying my binoculars for hours is almost effortless.  I also have one on my dSLR.  In fact every time I buy binoculars or a camera in the future I'll be buying another one. 

For further details and a video demonstrating it in use go to https://www.birders-store.co.uk/ultra-light-bino-harness.html  where at £27.99 delivered it's currently a lot cheaper than Amazon.uk.

That sounds very interesting, Steve. I never knew such a harness existed!

What I don’t quite understand is how it helps holding the binos up, I.e. how it takes the weight off. Is it because the harness pulls them tighter to your chest?

[Second Time Around]

The harness is most useful for carrying.  However, when held up to the face the straps are under tension and so effectively take some of the weight.  For me with my muscle problem this certainly makes a difference. 

I'd also add that this tension makes it easier to hold the binoculars steady.