Canon IS 15x50 - loud click / jolt when stabilization turns off (1 Viewer)

I am a happy owner of a new Canon IS 15x50. I was worried about the much discussed sample variation, but I think I ended up with a good one so I'm pleased.

I do have one question however. The unit makes a loud click when the IS is engaged, and an even louder click when the IS turns off. Whatever it is that is happening delivers a pronounced "jolt" to the view - as if the whole binocular has just been dropped.

I'm going to assume that this is normal (is it?) - but it does make me wonder if there is a risk of something eventually coming out of alignment over time. It reminds me of a hard drive that comes to a sudden stop when the power is interrupted instead of spinning down normally.

Do I need to be careful about starting and stopping the IS too frequently?

. Dear Saturninus,
My 18×50 IS does make a noise, but I wouldn't say that it is that loud, although my hearing might not be so good.
I suppose it might be the normal noise, but as you have noticed it it seems loud.

Did you buy the binocular new?
Do you have new batteries in it?
Did you buy it from a reputable source?

I have been using the 18×50 extensively for 10 years without any problems.
When the batteries are nearing the end of their life various Canon image stabilised binoculars do make strange sounds and the image behaves oddly.

Before I put the 18×50 away in its case, I put it to my ear to make sure the whirring noises have stopped. When it is working normally and you put it to your ear you probably hear these sounds. I do this to make sure that the image stabiliser has switched itself of, which it usually does after six or seven minutes.

I have switched my binocular on and off many thousands of times.

With both my Canon 10x30 IS and Canon 12x36 IS, there is a quiet thud & mild vibration(more felt, than heard) when IS button is pushed. 10x30's are over five years old with the 12x36 being about 2 years old. Both working beautifully with no issues considering the hard life the have had as they have never been babied.

My 10x42 likewise clicks when the IS engages or disengages, so it seems to be an aspect of the design.
I do not think you need to baby the glass in any way or fear that the noise is an indication of an issue.

Saturnius,

Like others have said, the IS system does make sounds. A jolt to the view is also common, although how big it is will depend on how much the binocular was swaying when you switched the IS off. When you switch off the IS, the variangle prisms "park" in a pre-set default zero correction position, which is often different from the correction position they were at just at the instant when you decided to disengage the IS. This is what produces a jolt.

You don't have to be careful about starting and stopping the IS, you can do it as often as you wish. However, I just learned a detail about the functioning of the IS system that I don't recall hearing anywhere before. Apparently, when you turn the IS on, and then off, the motion sensors will remain switched on for three minutes in order for the stabilization to engage quicker when you need it again. This explains why it often feels like when you first turn the stabilization on, it takes a little while for it to settle, but subsequent activations work more instantaneously. What this means in practice is that it makes sense to on-off the stabilization once even before you think you need it during viewing.

Kimmo

Thanks all for setting my mind at ease. I did buy them new from reputable source and I use lithium batteries.

So I won't go flicking the IS off and on for no reason, but it is nice to know that I don't have to baby it. Of course, I will baby them for a few months anyway just because they are new and these are my first pair of IS binoculars....

Saturninus said:

I am a happy owner of a new Canon IS 15x50. I was worried about the much discussed sample variation, but I think I ended up with a good one so I'm pleased.

Click to expand...

May I ask what you use those bins for?

HighNorth said:

May I ask what you use those bins for?

Click to expand...

I used them for whale watching. But the primary purpose is for stargazing.

I've not an avid birder yet, but I'll get there eventually