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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Binastro" data-source="post: 3147698" data-attributes="member: 111403">I noticed Sancho's comment regarding compact binoculars and that he didn't like the Canon 8×25 IS.I agree that these binoculars are plasticky and maybe not so well built.I don't have the new build 8×25 IS possibly made in April 2014.However, I do still have the old 8×25 which is possibly about six years old and where the optical window fell off and I have still not repaired it.With the optical window in place but not retained by the plastic front retainer I just tried it out.I'm just able to make out the pyramid tiny pimple on the top of the chimney block 400 feet away. But the detail was more difficult than the new 8×25. It is, however, a dull day and when I tested the new 8×25 it was a bright sunny day, so my eyes might be working at 3.1 mm today and only 2.5 mm or even 2.0 mm when I tested the new one.The stabiliser on the old binocular is not nearly as good as on the new one, and it is jerky. I also have moments of slightly out of focus images with the old one and then it gets back into focus. The new one could be seen to be working with very small amplitude movements.Looking into the front of the old binocular it seems that maybe the whole front cell moves when you press the stabiliser button. At least the front objectives move and I think actually the whole front cell moves. I don't know if this also has a third element behind the objective. In the new 8×25 I suppose that the third element could be a flat optical element although I suppose it could be curved.I think I read recently that the new 8×25 employs a new tilt mechanism.I don't think that either the new or the old have variable prisms but I'm not privy to this information.I remember that when I tried the older binocular perhaps six years ago I didn't think there was much improvement with the stabiliser on.However, the new Canon 8×25 IS really surprised and impressed me.I was testing it against a 10×42 Zeiss Conquest HD and although the larger binocular had a much brighter image even in bright sunshine when the whole aperture would not be used, the Canon 8×25 resolved very much finer detail when the stabiliser button was pressed. This detail was on a much smaller scale than with the 10×42 Zeiss conquest HD but it was fully resolved and could be seen the whole time I pressed the stabiliser button. With the 10×42 Zeiss Conquest HD I could only see this fine detail perhaps 40% of the time. Of course it depends how steadily I can hold a binocular, but I think I am at least average. And I regularly use 12 times standard binoculars handheld.In other words, the new 8×25 easily outresolved the 10×42 Zeiss Conquest HD.To see this tiny pimple 400 feet away is for me very difficult with a 10 times binocular.I had thought that it would be impossible for me to see this with an eight times binocular, but it is now clear to me that a tripod mounted or stabilised eight times binocular easily shows it if it is of good optical quality. In fact I think that a tripod mounted or stabilised six times binocular might just show this tiny detail to my eyes if they are well rested.I cannot really give a full assessment as the old 8×25 is well used, but I would think it's probably working as well as when it was new as far as the stabiliser is concerned.It would seem that the new Canon 8×25 IS is a considerable improvement on the old version as far as the stabiliser is concerned. And I think the stabilising method has changed.Unfortunately I could not compare the old and the new side-by-side as the new one has gone back to its owner.</blockquote>

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