Low or high power hand held? (1 Viewer)

[kabsetz]

Yarrellii,

Thank you again for a very good post. It is great that you have the patience and time to answer the anti-IS folks so kindly and thoroughly. Not much there I'd like to add, except that with a good sample of the 10x42 L, there are also hardly any optical compromises compared to non-stabilised alphas left. Plenty of ergo and weight cons, though, but those are easy for me to live with.

The feeling of being downgraded when using something else is very familiar, including all the times I do field-testing of traditional alphas for review purposes. When I do, I usually take my Canon along in case there's a more interesting bird to see, so as not to be forced to use a muggle alpha when the purpose is to actually see a bird well.

But for each his own. If someone really does not like IS and does not see the benefit thereof, fine.

- Kimmo

 

[John A Roberts]

In terms of length the Canon IS 10x42 is basically 'one size larger', so that of a conventional x50 binocular.
It also weighs as much as a regular x50 at 1030 g/ 36.25 oz, though with significantly more bulk.

See an image from Chuck comparing it to a x42 Swarovski EL SV, at: swarovision 10x42 vs canon 10x42 is
And another from Theo98 comparing it to a x50 EL SV, at: 10X42L IS Pros/cons...


John

 

[Thotmosis]

Your decision, your loss. By the way, I trust you still use a fully mechanical camera, and of course no mobile?

Good idea. Best try the 10x42 IS.

Hermann

Well, I have my current iPhone for three years now and I had to change the battery already 2 times and the screen 1 time. Also the fact that you are 7 days a week, 24 hours a day connected and available is not always that positive. As a news junkie to be able to read the news 24 hours a day is also not so good for my health… So modern instruments also can have their drawbacks. I don’t use a camera at all btw.

 

[Thotmosis]

No one can predict the future, but given the development in electronics, batteries, etc. it's not unreal to think that in 25 years IS technology will make possible smaller and more powerful binoculars that will appeal more and more to a broader public, and probably many people will think about IS the same way I think (now) about mobile phones.

I fully agree and maybe in 25 years we will have bionic implants like The Six Million Dollar Man, so we don’t need binoculars at all. After a NASA test flight accident, Austin is rebuilt with superhuman strength, speed and vision due to bionic implants.

The Six Million Dollar Man - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Thotmosis]

It is great that you have the patience and time to answer the anti-IS folks so kindly and thoroughly.

Just for the record: I’m not anti-IS (well not if it’s about binoculars that is…) read my posts #33 and #36 again. I’m curious and can see use for it, just concerned about certain aspects. Also for MY uses binoculars have to be very sturdy and tough, I think the current IS binoculars are not stealth enough for me. Like I’m Nepal at the moment and it’s monsoon, high chance that electronics will fail because of the humidity or that they bounce against a rock. Different users, different priorities and different choices.

 

[Thotmosis]

In terms of length the Canon IS 10x42 is basically 'one size larger', so that of a conventional x50 binocular.
It also weighs as much as a regular x50 at 1030 g/ 36.25 oz, though with significantly more bulk.

See an image from Chuck comparing it to a x42 Swarovski EL SV, at: swarovision 10x42 vs canon 10x42 is
And another from Theo98 comparing it to a x50 EL SV, at: 10X42L IS Pros/cons...


John

Nice homework John, will need some time to read this treads though

 

[Hermann]

Also for MY uses binoculars have to be very sturdy and tough, I think the current IS binoculars are not stealth enough for me. Like I’m Nepal at the moment and it’s monsoon, high chance that electronics will fail because of the humidity or that they bounce against a rock.

I don't know about the sturdiness of the Canon 10x42 (yet). However, I don't think humidity will be a problem, at least not for the 10x42 IS WP. The manual says on cleaning the binoculars:

"Wash with running water.
Wash dust, dirt, and sand from the surface of the binoculars with tap water at about the same flow as for washing your hands.
Do not rub the objective and eyepiece lenses if they are still dirty.

Soak and wash.
Soak the binoculars in water in a bucket or other container, and gently move them back and forth so that dust, dirt, and sand come off easily.
If they are covered with salt water, soak the binoculars for one to two hours to remove salt.

The manual can be found e.g. on the Canon website: Canon U.S.A., Inc. | 10 x 42 L IS WP

They do warn, however, not to put the binoculars in a washing mashine:

"After Use
Do not wash the binoculars with detergent, hot water, or strongly running water, as that may result in malfunction.
Do not swing the binoculars in an attempt to shake off water, or use a hair drier or similar item to dry them, or wash them in a washing machine."

I personally believe the weight might be more of a problem in a place like Nepal, even with a harness.

Hermann