I´m a big fan of Canon IS 12x36, and find them excellent for distant viewing and panning, great for tracking flying seabirds, raptors etc. Recently someone gave me a present of the 8x25 IS version, and I´m astounded by how lousy they are. (It may be that these are a duff pair, but as they were a gift, I don´t want to ask for a receipt to send them back!). Although they are passably good for viewing static objects, sometimes they go way out of focus when the IS button is pressed. And always, when panning or trying to follow a flying bird, they go insanely out of focus. When panning, the image lags well behind reality, displaying much fringing, and when you stop panning, the image judders past and then shudders back before settling down, again well out of focus. Are there any 8x25 IS users out there who can advise me on this one? And has anyone any experience of Canon´s customer/repairs service (´cos I can´t believe these are a standard pair). Thanks in advance.
-
Welcome to BirdForum, the internet's largest birding community with thousands of members from all over the world. The forums are dedicated to wild birds, birding, binoculars and equipment and all that goes with it.
Please register for an account to take part in the discussions in the forum, post your pictures in the gallery and more.
Canon IS 8x25...Hopeless for Birding? (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Sancho
- Start date
Sancho,
I have very limited experience with the 8x25, but what you describe does not sound right anyway. Have you tried replacing the battery? The possibility comes to mind that the battery that came with the unit might be defective. If the battery is not the culprit, you should try to exchange the binocular or have it repaired under warranty.
Kimmo
I have very limited experience with the 8x25, but what you describe does not sound right anyway. Have you tried replacing the battery? The possibility comes to mind that the battery that came with the unit might be defective. If the battery is not the culprit, you should try to exchange the binocular or have it repaired under warranty.
Kimmo
brocknroller
porromaniac
I've noticed stability variation in the two 10x30 IS bins I tried. In one, the moon would subtly "swim" around the FOV, which actually made me nauseous, with the other, the moon held its position much better, though I found that sitting down or bracing myself against a tree helps me steady IS bins better just as it does with non-IS bins.
Also, an 8x25 IS owner said that he can see more detail with it than he can with his 7x42 FL, so that should tell you that your unit in not up to par!
Hopefully, the dealer or Canon will do right by you and replace it with a better unit.
Let us know what happens, I'm interested in hearing how this is handled. Thanks.
Brock
Sincerest thanks for that, Brock, it confirms my suspicions and they´re off to the dealer tomorrow!
Okay, the dealers sent me a replacement pair (they´re obviously very dodgy, I asked for a refund!), and they´re similar to the first pair. I think the problem might be that the 8x25 are a different beast to the 12x36. They work fine as long as you´re prepared to accept two conditions...firstly, when you "pan", you have to release the IS button, and secondly, they take a second to re-focus once you´ve "locked on" to your target. When they do re-focus, they´re spectacular, far less flare and a much sharper image than the 12x36. Not sure I have a use for them though, because I can hold a regular pair of 8x bins pretty steady anyway. Mind you, I´m very, very fickle so these might grow on me....
I am not a fan of the 8x25 IS for birdwatching. I've had the 10x30 IS (very nice), have the 10x43 L IS (great view, but a brick to carry), and the 12x36 IS (my current favorite). At 8X the IS effect vs. non-IS binocs is much less noticeable than on the 10X or particularly the 12X. I had a pair of 8x25, but just recently sold them (for $125). They seemed much more fragile than the other IS models, and certainly compared with most non-IS binocs, but without enough of an offsetting benefit. In contrast, the 12x36 are great. I got an excellent used pair for $400.
Yep, I was the one that said that because the rock steady 8x view showed more fine detail but the 7x42 FL's look brighter in dim light than my 7x50 Celestron and 9x63 Pentax DCF along with high contrast . For the money the 8x25 IS are a great buy for someone that prefers a rock steady image and have problems holding binoculars rock steady. I do use my 10x42FL, 12x36 IS II and 15x50 IS much more but for a day trip with my grandsons (6 & 9 YO) I like the 8x25's because they could hold them better since they are much smaller .
Joe
