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15x50 Fuzzy Image...Improved (1 Viewer)

Isn't this funny, gentlemen...

Let's be serious.
I received my SunSniper Steel camerastrap today and attached it to the screw thread of my 18x50's, pretty straightforward and once it was on, I went for a walk carrying the 18x50's bandoleer-style on my left hip. I must say it was a most pleasing way to feel the weight of the bins virtually being evaporated although noticing they were there, pressing on the hip. Fast and efficient to raise them to my eyes, with excellent access.
This is far better than carrying them any other way I've tried before, and believe me, I've tried any other option.
To carry them in a bag, slung around the shoulder, is as easy, but it won't give immediate access to use them, because you'll have to bring out the bins to use use them.

I'm glad I bought the strap and am now considering the 10x42 L IS's once again for future acquiring, weight being no issue anymore and multiple advantages to look forward to....

Best regards,

Ronald
 
Glad it works for you Ronald! I am off to Hawaii tomorrow for a month a whale watching with my 18x50IS.
 
Aloha Dave,

I am in a condo near Diamond Head Jan27-Feb13, then we are off to a beach house on Puako, Big Island. Feb13-27.
 
It would be good to hear from Canon about the advisability of hanging the glass from the tripod fitting.
Having been cautioned by an earlier thread about fitting failures (in the Nikon 50mm scape), I'm sensitive to that risk.
Certainly the fitting will get stressed in tension and for more than the weight of the glass when it swings or bounces as one walks along..
 
etudiant said:
It would be good to hear from Canon about the advisability of hanging the glass from the tripod fitting.
Having been cautioned by an earlier thread about fitting failures (in the Nikon 50mm scape), I'm sensitive to that risk.
Certainly the fitting will get stressed in tension and for more than the weight of the glass when it swings or bounces as one walks along..
Click to expand...

I agree. I don´t even like the fact that the strap-lugs are on the rotating eyepieces. That must create some kind of stress where the eyepieces swivel, eventually, given that these binos weigh over a kilo. Which is why I prefer to carry my 15x50 sideways in a camcorder bag. Takes a few seconds to get out of the bag, but I hand-hold them for as long as necessary and then pop them back in the bag again. The idea is to use a pair of compacts or small 8x to scan as I walk, and only extract the Canons when I need a big gun.
 
etudiant said:
It would be good to hear from Canon about the advisability of hanging the glass from the tripod fitting.
Having been cautioned by an earlier thread about fitting failures (in the Nikon 50mm scape), I'm sensitive to that risk.
Certainly the fitting will get stressed in tension and for more than the weight of the glass when it swings or bounces as one walks along..
Click to expand...



Yes,

I've thought about that risk before putting on the SunSniper strap; the tripod fitting is used in a way it might not have been designed for.
On the other hand, so are the tripod fittings in photo cameras, and the aforementioned strap will hold the weight of a camera PLUS a heavy lens attached.
I've assumed the tripod fitting is strong enough to hold the weight, but to anticipate the risk of it giving way with the bino falling off, I also attached two elastic cords off the strap-lugs to the buckle of the strap.
Should the tripod fitting happen to fail and come loose, then the bino is held by the elastics so it won't bounce.

This is sufficient peace of mind for me, right now. We'll see how things will develop.

The new way I'm carrying the bins reveals yet another problem, though I'm not sure it is a problem until it actually manifests itself. I'm speaking of the door to the battery compartment, which is exposed to the elements now that the bins hang upside-down. The all-weather designation of the 15x50's and the 18x50's should pose no leaking problems of the compartment door, as it is reasonably sealed by rubber rings underneath, but it would be nice if I could fit some cover over it, to keep it dry. I'm not sure how I'm supposed to do that, the only thing to attach the cover is on the strap buckle or the screw in the tripod fitting.
Needless to say a bag is no solution, as it won't fit over the bins with attached carrying strap.

For me, the easy access I have to the Canons is important, as they're the only bins I carry most of the time I'm out in the open.

Best regards,

Ronald
 
Last edited:
Excellent idea to put safety lines on the glass along with the tripod snap. That way the glass will not hit the deck if the fitting gives way.
If Canon built their IS binocs around a metal frame, similar to the base plate of most DSLRs, the fitting should hold easily.
The concern is that if that part of the housing is plastic, the fitting may not be held sufficiently strongly.
An exploded view would answer the question.
 
Jeez, talk about the "vortex of fear"! Play these "what if" scenarios long enough and it leads to bins never leaving the shelf. These things are much tougher than the delicate flowers folks seem to think they are.

The first month I had mine I fell and slid ~50m down the ice pack atop Mt. Fuji with the binos banging on the ice behind me. I have also slipped on the slimy sea wall at low tide and used the binos to break my fall, with the Canons taking a wack on objective housing. Took the lickin's and kept on tickin'!
 
Hey Rick,

You're absolutely right here; my impression of the Canons' integrity built-wise has always been favourable, even the little 'plastic' ones. Mine have bounced twice without any damage and have been used in the most severe circumstances I can think of here in my damp corner of Europe, but apart from walking I do a lot of cycling too, and it's good to know the bins won't bounce on the tarmac when you're doing 18 miles an hour.
Hence the elastic precaution cords!

As a matter of fact, even this 'vortex of fear' measure has its own merits, surprisingly,
as the bins are kept from turning and twisting around the attachment point of the SunSniper strap, as I've noticed. This is getting better and better. Weight of the bins no longer being an issue (1220 grams with batteries), I carry them far easier and they've become my only pair I'd like to carry out in the open.

Dave's suggestion in his first post actually opened up a new way to deal with the Canons' vulnerabilities, and optically they are indeed much better, worn and rested horizontally. Mine are only on the shelf when they're asleep.

Seems to me serendipity has played a major role on this thread, so far.
Could it even get better?! :t:

Best regards,

Ronald
 
RJM said:
Jeez, talk about the "vortex of fear"! Play these "what if" scenarios long enough and it leads to bins never leaving the shelf.
Click to expand...

Well, in my case it it´s not "what if", but "what has already happened". My beloved IS 12x36 fell about 3 feet onto a carpeted floor, and the collimation was knocked way off. I´ve posted elsewhere that three attempts at repair by Canon, and a hefty bill, didn´t solve the problem (well it solved the collimation, but they replaced the IS system, which never worked again!). Since then I´ve been wary of IS, but not to the extent of giving up, as I´ve since bought the 15x50.
Using a new Bushnell Elite 7x26 in a light shower recently led to their getting water in one barrel, which left an internal stain. These are being returned to me now, again with a hefty repair bill. They´re the same Bushnell compacts that have "Rainguard" on the literature, referring to the coating, but unfortunately not to anything else.
It´s not a case of "Vortex of Fear", but an aversion to having to send binos abroad (no repair facilities here), and getting whacked for 180 euro each time. A few simple tips from BF-members that might prevent water or impact damage could save us all a lot of money.
 
My fear vortexed after perusing the Nikon ED50 threads with their lurid tales of split scopes and failed tripod fittings.
My 10x42 fitting is set into the housing between the lenses, which housing is covered by a plastic cap.
Unless the fitting is securely anchored in metal, it seems iffy to me as a suspension point, even though RJM is surely correct that the basic shell is quite robust.

.
 
etudiant said:
It would be good to hear from Canon about the advisability of hanging the glass from the tripod fitting.
QUOTE]



Well,

I mailed Canon Netherlands a message with a simple question:

" Is the tripod fitting securely anchored in metal, so that I can safely put a SunSniper camerastrap onto it and carry the bins this way?"

They ( Canons technicians) answered me today that the tripod fitting is not constructed for this purpose and they advised me that carrying the bins on the SS strap is at my own risk.

I guess what they're saying, is that the tripod fitting is not anchored in metal?
I'm not convinced that Canons answer isn't really a standard answer, for guarantee purposes, but I can't be sure.

Best regards,

Ronald
Click to expand...
 
Hi Ronald,

Looking at the Canon parts diagram for the 15x50's it looks as though there are four small screws holding the tripod adaptor to the 'plastic' (?) body.

Doug.....
 
Last edited:
doug el10x32 said:
Hi Ronald,

Looking at the Canon parts diagram for the 15x50's it looks as though there are four small screws holding the tripod adaptor to the 'plastic' (?) body.

Doug.....
Click to expand...


Hey Doug,

What diagram might that be? It's not in my manual.
Could you post a pic, if it's not too much trouble?

Best regards,

Ronald
 
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