Hello Everyone;
This is a very interesting thread to me. As well as the other thread about adaptors, tripods, etc. I have used tripods for photography in the past, when I needed to take long exposures,etc. But I have never used one with binoculars.
I do get the need to reduce movement/shake to get a steady view. It fascinates me to see all of the setups for these tripods and mounts, what with counterweights and all.
I have taken a different approach. Although I have used alphas like Leica, Swarovski and Zeiss for compact bins, and I love them, when it comes to larger ones I have gone with the Canon line of IS bins. I started with the first generation of the 10x30 IS. I was blown away with its capability. Later I added the 18x50 IS, and more recently the 12x36 ISIII. That one is absolutely rock solid. It feels like it is on a tripod. This has been more than a fifteen year time period that I have been using these, and they have all have been mechanically excellent.
So you can see what my question is. Utilizing and carrying all of those tripods, mounting heads, stabilizers, chairs, etc has to be a hassle. All I do is turn the stabilizer button on. Not all of them are as good as the recent 12x36 III, but they are far better than hand holding. And if you need more light with higher quality glass there is the Canon 10x42L IS, along with stabilization, protected from the weather. And it costs about half what a comparable alpha costs. And you don't need a tripod, with all of the hassle that it brings.
Don't get me wrong. I am not a Canon fan boy. I left their photography system for the Sony mirrorless one. I also recognize that some of the Canon IS line are not weather resistant, and others do not have the high quality glass of the alphas. But I will do what works best for me. That is also why I am loyal to the alphas for their excellent compacts. I travel a great deal, so their size and weight is important, but so is their quality. Canon makes nothing like them. But their line of IS bins has allowed me to reach out and see details in the distance that is just incredible, all hand held. Years ago my wife and I were in Alaska and I had taken the 18x50s. We saw a group of people at the side of the road, so we stopped. They were looking for a bear that was supposed to be up on a hillside several miles away. They hadn't been able to see it even though several had binoculars. Within a few seconds I was easily able to see it. No one else who had binoculars was able to see it. I get this experience time after time with these. Without a tripod.
I can look through a larger alpha 10x42 and appreciate their quality of design and view. But when it comes to a steady view to see every possible detail nothing beats the IS system for me. When people have looked through my 12x36s they have been amazed how steady they are. So that is my question. Why do many, many people stick to the tripod system for binoculars to get a steady view when it seems that there is an alternative that would be much more mobile, flexible and far less troublesome to deal with?
