Canon 8x20 IS: Initial impression (3 Viewers)

[42za]

Certainly some valuable points 42za, a few of them arguable but I definitely respect your point of view. You might be in the 1% of all binocular users however, due to limited resources and geographic location. Also, I don't think that any of us are speaking specifically to your situation but binocular users at large.

In any case, to put things in theoretical perspective, if I was to suddenly ship you a Canon 10x42IS WP, along with a four-pack of lithium batteries, I have little doubt that you could use it daily for a month, as you would any other binocular and the only difference would be that you'd see everything with fantastically more detail and viewing pleasure. Additionally, if I sent 4 pack of Eneloop's and a solar charger, I have little doubt that you'd get years worth of continuous service without concern. If it's a power delivery issue to the device itself, there are plenty of low hassle, reliable products and methods. With regards to durability, these are quite reliable devices, with a great track record, as long as you're not dropping them on the concrete. With that stated, the last two conventional binoculars I dropped onto a hard surface both needed servicing. :eek!:

Now, I've given the example of Canon's water-proof model but the point is, that they make a model to satisfy the demands of just about any user. So, if you live day to day without any electronics, I'm certainly not going to suggest you change your way of living, but if you use some electronics, a phone, laptop, a GPS, a flashlight, then using a Canon IS binocular is no more a reliability burden than any of these examples. :t:

Hello,

I agree with you , and yes , I do use electronics extensively in my life.

But in my mind there are certain things that should NOT be digitised.

There is no doubt in my mind that the Canon IS binoculars are very good , and those that have them should enjoy them to the fullest.

I just wanted to point out an alternative viewpoint is all.

3 3 3 3

Now you have a nice day in wide open Arizona

o

Cheers.

 

[Binastro]

Etudiant,
The coldest temperature in Scotland is I think minus 27C.

So no.

Actually Finland.
Minus 30C was fairly common in the south, but now it is usually warmer.
I often got on a tram going anywhere to get warmer.

My Finnish friends spent all night out photographing aurorae at minus 37C.
They Used Canon, Nikon and a Minolta SR1.
All cameras worked fine.
All were mechanical.

Leicas work well at minus 40, but can be cold adjusted also.

My car was winterised by Austin and worked fine at minus 30C.

The lowest temperatures in Finland, Sweden and Norway are below minus 50C.

However, Canada seems even colder, below minus 60C.

Russia even colder.

Although Antarctica reached perhaps minus 89C, orbiting sensors have identified regions there down to about minus 91C.

The Moon is I think colder, but I haven't visited yet.

Russian binoculars work well below minus 30C, probably O.K. at minus 45C.

Below minus 45C car and truck tires can fail.

Finnish special winter tyres are great, but only do 1,000 miles if used in summer.

I have experienced wind chills of minus 50C. Frightening for me.


Regards,
B.

 

[Binastro]

I got a very fast charger, about 30 minutes to charge AAs.

It got so hot, I threw away both the charger and Eneloops.
I was really scared the whole lot could explode or catch fire.

I have had a Chinese 4 plug extension lead catch fire in front of me.
I am very wary of Chinese electrical goods.

I had a fridge catch fire at the back, which I witnessed.
Luckily I was awake.

I don't know where the whirlpool washing machines and fridges are made, but one seemed to be the cause of the Grenfell fire.
Other have exploded or caught fire.

It is always possible to make things cheaper and nastier than before.

I think a Dreamliner 787 caught fire on the ground from lithium ion batteries?

Lithium battery explosive fires have destroyed houses.

B.

 

[Hermann]

I got a very fast charger, about 30 minutes to charge AAs.

It got so hot, I threw away both the charger and Eneloops.
I was really scared the whole lot could explode or catch fire.

Very fast chargers are almost always a seriously bad idea.

Hermann

 

[Binastro]

There should be a health warning with very fast chargers.

The problem with some of the lithiums in Canon IS binoculars may be worse where there is one battery almost empty and the other full. I cannot remember the scenario.

The Canon 8x20 IS seems to take a camera type battery.
Possibly the same as the Canon 8x25 IS.
I don't know what that instruction book says.

The official temperature in Helsinki was minus 34.3C, but probably colder outside town.

Nokia make the winter tyres.

Regards,
B.

 

[Patriot222]

Lithium battery explosive fires have destroyed houses.

B.

I'm sure that you already know this Binastro, but for the sake of those who aren't as versed at battery tech, there is a big difference between various "lithium" chemistries.

A non-rechargeable, Lithium L91 (Energizer Lithium) or CR123 are not the same lithium chemistry as rechargeable lithium ion or lithium polymer.

Non-rechargeable Lithium (LiMnO2) like the Energizer E2, CR123, CR2's, etc, are some of the safest, most widely used and reliable batteries in existence. Some Chinese manufacturers have managed to harm the chemistry's great track record but brands like Energizer, Duracell, Sanyo and Panasonic are all very reputable cells.

With regards to your "fast charger" incident. The charger doesn't/can't dictate the charging rate of any cell, rather the cell dictates the rate of the charger. Therefore, all reputable charger manufacturers, regardless of chemistry, will produce products that are designed with the cell's charging capabilities in mind. The term "fast charging" is a bit of a confusing term but where li-ion is concerned, it just means that the charger is working at the cell's maximum rate of charge. This will reduce the life of the cell, but it's still within allowable parameters.

 

[Patriot222]

Very fast chargers are almost always a seriously bad idea.

Hermann

Yes, but more specifically, any charger that exceeds the cell manufacturer's safe charging parameters, is a bad idea. Depending on the cell chemistry, it can be deadly. Fortunately, there are standards in place within the industry and it's important to stick with manufactures who abide by these standards. Many generic, Chinese manufactures fail to abide by these standards. The high performance Flashlight industry and now, vaping industry are the best sources for battery tech.

 

[Patriot222]

Hello,

I agree with you , and yes , I do use electronics extensively in my life.

But in my mind there are certain things that should NOT be digitised.

There is no doubt in my mind that the Canon IS binoculars are very good , and those that have them should enjoy them to the fullest.

I just wanted to point out an alternative viewpoint is all.

3 3 3 3

Now you have a nice day in wide open Arizona

o

Cheers.

Haha, I hear you and I understand the mindset however, if there was a significant downside to "digitizing" binoculars, we'd have probably heard about it by now. As it stands, the digitized binocular only suffers from the the same thing your other electronics suffer from.... needing power. Unlike a laptop though, the binoculars still work if the batteries are neglected long enough.

In any case, thank you for the well wishes in my wide open AZ. :t: I wish you the same 42za.|8)|

Cheers.

 

[Binastro]

Relating to batteries.

I have a very basic old mobile phone that I use solely if I get stuck in the elevator (lift).
The Nokia battery failed, I think.
As I don't buy on the internet I got Duracell replacements by phone.

The one I put in was fine for a few months, lasting about 10 days before needing a recharge.

However, it rather suddenly began to fail in two days.
I thought that 4 to 6 months is not a good lifetime for a battery.

However, it seems that gremlins in the form of humans, somehow latch onto mobile devices, even the simplest, and maybe use up the battery by hidden, non displayed ads, which they get paid for.

Is this correct?

By letting the battery go completely dead, I seemed to have got rid of these gremlins.

At least for about two or three months.

Then, yet again, 2 days battery life.

So I let it go dead again and waited 36 hours.

After charging, it seems back to ten days life.

What a strange world we live in.

Can anyone tell me what is happening here?

As to the 25 to 30 minute very fast chargers that I got, I think they are rogue Chinese products.

Regards,
B.

 

[Patriot222]

Relating to batteries.

I have a very basic old mobile phone that I use solely if I get stuck in the elevator (lift).
The Nokia battery failed, I think.
As I don't buy on the internet I got Duracell replacements by phone.

The one I put in was fine for a few months, lasting about 10 days before needing a recharge.

However, it rather suddenly began to fail in two days.
I thought that 4 to 6 months is not a good lifetime for a battery.

However, it seems that gremlins in the form of humans, somehow latch onto mobile devices, even the simplest, and maybe use up the battery by hidden, non displayed ads, which they get paid for.

Is this correct?

By letting the battery go completely dead, I seemed to have got rid of these gremlins.

At least for about two or three months.

Then, yet again, 2 days battery life.

So I let it go dead again and waited 36 hours.

After charging, it seems back to ten days life.

What a strange world we live in.

Can anyone tell me what is happening here?

As to the 25 to 30 minute very fast chargers that I got, I think they are rogue Chinese products.

Regards,
B.

B. I know this probably isn't very helpful but there are so many variables related to these various components from the phone itself, the charging circuit, to the battery, that an issue like this just isn't something that can be diagnosed without doing some basic electrical checks. Even then, if the problem is intermittent it might be nearly impossible to nail down. Unfortunately, a fault in any of the components could cause what you've been experiencing.

If I was to take a wild guess and the battery is indeed a genuine Duracell brand and not a Chinese, third party manufacturer that's slapping Duracell stickers on their product, then the issue is probably with the charger or the phone. If you can pick genuine Nokia replacement charger, on the cheap and the problem continues, it's probably an intermittent issue with the phone itself. Sorry that I can't be of more help.

 

[Binastro]

Thank you Patriot,

The Duracell battery was bought from Duracell and is a genuine Duracell battery.
I actually bought two, but only have installed the first.
The charger and phone are genuine Nokia.

I really think that the problem is outside malevalent forces.
Either someone hacking all phones or the provider or someone else continually tracking the phone.

If indeed phones are interfered with, then the Swarovski intelligent monocular and other interactive devices may also be hacked.

My lady friend was speaking to her friend and mentioned a firm completely unknown to her friend.
In seconds an advert from this completely unknown firm appeared on her friend's phone.
I would think that this is illegal, but there seems to be no laws in the wild west of the internet.

Regards,
B.

 

[etudiant]

Thank you Patriot,

The Duracell battery was bought from Duracell and is a genuine Duracell battery.
I actually bought two, but only have installed the first.
The charger and phone are genuine Nokia.

I really think that the problem is outside malevalent forces.
Either someone hacking all phones or the provider or someone else continually tracking the phone.

If indeed phones are interfered with, then the Swarovski intelligent monocular and other interactive devices may also be hacked.

My lady friend was speaking to her friend and mentioned a firm completely unknown to her friend.
In seconds an advert from this completely unknown firm appeared on her friend's phone.
I would think that this is illegal, but there seems to be no laws in the wild west of the internet.

Regards,
B.

It may be different in England, but afaik, the US courts have ruled that privacy is forfeited if the information is recorded externally, something that is pretty much inherent in digital communications. So nothing should surprise about commercial monitoring of internet interactions, which includes cell phone links.

That aside though, your phone issues don't seem externally driven. The item may have some internal component aging issue, where something sometimes is failed enough to leave the phone running which at other times it still shuts off properly. No idea how to fix that, or even who could diagnose the problem correctly. Nokia perhaps still has somebody who would know, but given their travails, I'd not bet on it.

 

[Binastro]

Thanks Etudiant.

The fix is very simple.

When, after about two months of the battery lasting ten days, it only suddenly lasts two days, I just run the battery to empty.
After say 24 hours, I charge the battery, and reconnect the line.
It then seems to last the normal ten days.

I suspect that I never had to replace the original Nokia battery, had I understood what the fix was.

I was lucky when the lift was rather full.
I decided to wait.
The lift stuck mid floor and the doctor in the lift had to wait one hour plus to be rescued.
On hearing the yelling I used the phone to get help, even though I was not stuck.

I, the tortoise won the race, not the hare.

Regards,
B.

 

[Hermann]

Any updates on the Canon 8x20 IS?

[Originally posted in the wrong thread]

Any updates on the Canon 8x20 IS?

The title says it all. Anyone here who got one and actually used (or used) it in the field? Any impressions?

The background to this is that I go on daily walks at the moment (doctor's orders ... ), and I think the Canon 8x20 IS may do nicely due to its light weight.

Hermann

 

[Binastro]

Maybe just go for it.

I would, but I don't have a need.

B.

 

[Stanbo]

[Originally posted in the wrong thread]

Any updates on the Canon 8x20 IS?

The title says it all. Anyone here who got one and actually used (or used) it in the field? Any impressions?

The background to this is that I go on daily walks at the moment (doctor's orders ... ), and I think the Canon 8x20 IS may do nicely due to its light weight.

Hermann

Hermann,

I have had my 8x20 IS since November and will be happy to provide you with my working impressions. I was using it yesterday on some wetlands together with my 14x32 IS when I read your post.

I did post on 4th December that I would do a report but for a particular reason have not done so until now. Before I do, can you tell me why you are looking at the Canon particularly, as there are many lighter and smaller unstabilized binoculars you could use.

Stan

 

[Hermann]

I have had my 8x20 IS since November and will be happy to provide you with my working impressions. I was using it yesterday on some wetlands together with my 14x32 IS when I read your post.

Sounds great.

I did post on 4th December that I would do a report but for a particular reason have not done so until now. Before I do, can you tell me why you are looking at the Canon particularly, as there are many lighter and smaller unstabilized binoculars you could use.

Well, I've got several binoculars (read: too many), however, I don't have any stabilised binocular (except for the Zeiss 20x60S Mono, but that's an entirely different piece of gear). I didn't switch to Canon thus far for a simple reason: The 8x20 IS is the first Canon with a dioptre correction range that works for me on days when I can't use my contact lens. Glasses don't work for me.

From the occasions when I tried one of the Canons I know the stabiliser makes a tremendous difference when it comes to seeing detail. In fact, I think it's far more important than all the other features discussed here by a huge margin. And that applies even to binoculars with lowish magnifications like 8x.

So, it's the stabiliser I'm interested in more than anything. And of course how the 8x20 works in the field, given Canon doesn't claim it's weatherproof. I'm not a fair-weather birder, for a binocular to work for me I've got to be able to use it even if it isn't totally dry outside, with appropriate care, of course.

In effect this is going to be a trial: If the small Canons work for me I might switch to one of the bigger ones even if I won't be able to use it on some days.

Hermann

 

[pluton]

I have read in a review that this model is very similar to the Leica from an optical point of view ...
cheers.

 

[getset]

I have read in a review that this model is very similar to the Leica from an optical point of view ...
cheers.

Which Leica are you referring?

Would you mind sharing that review?

Thanks.

Dennis

 

[pluton]

Leica Trinovid 8x20 - Post 1- Canip