pbjosh
missing the neotropics

I've been using my 12x32 IS III a lot more the past two weeks, now that I live a couple of blocks from a large body of water. With the IS off, there is no question that my Canon has inferior optics to every bin I own that cost over $500. For birding open country, though, the Canon's middle of the road optics but modern technology absolutely trounce my alpha bins. It's not even funny how much better the Canons are for actually seeing and ID'ing birds out past about 15-20m than my EL 10x42 or any other bin I own.
The 10x42L is an alpha bin, but certainly the oddball looks, the now dated electronics, the questionable ergonomics, and the bulk and weight make it a hard sell. I've pondered getting one many times but never have, for all of the above reasons.
Canon definitely has the knowhow to modernize it and make an absolutely killer instrument. Trim 100-200g off the weight, keep the FOV the same or slightly larger, hopefully add 1-2mm of usable eye relief, and mostly make it more compact and streamlined, and it would be an absolute class leader.
I genuinely think that IS optics absolutely trounce standard optics. The camera lens world has seen this proved out to its logical endpoint where almost every zoom lens, and increasingly a lot of shorter lenses, is image stabilized.
I really hope that Canon will update the 10x42 or will offer a new alpha model or series of models. If not, hopefully Nikon, Swaro, Zeiss or Leica will. It's almost surprising that such a widely understood, well developed, proven technology has been largely ignored by sports optics manufacturers.
I've been pondering selling my EL 10x42 and buying the NL 10x42, mostly just because I like binoculars. But I can't convince myself that the NL will offer any advantage what so ever in the field... So then I think about the 10x42L but it is so bulky, fairly hefty, and ergonomically kind of mediocre. So for now I find myself sticking with my EL and the 12x32 IS and hoping for a better IS bin to come along.
The 10x42L is an alpha bin, but certainly the oddball looks, the now dated electronics, the questionable ergonomics, and the bulk and weight make it a hard sell. I've pondered getting one many times but never have, for all of the above reasons.
Canon definitely has the knowhow to modernize it and make an absolutely killer instrument. Trim 100-200g off the weight, keep the FOV the same or slightly larger, hopefully add 1-2mm of usable eye relief, and mostly make it more compact and streamlined, and it would be an absolute class leader.
I genuinely think that IS optics absolutely trounce standard optics. The camera lens world has seen this proved out to its logical endpoint where almost every zoom lens, and increasingly a lot of shorter lenses, is image stabilized.
I really hope that Canon will update the 10x42 or will offer a new alpha model or series of models. If not, hopefully Nikon, Swaro, Zeiss or Leica will. It's almost surprising that such a widely understood, well developed, proven technology has been largely ignored by sports optics manufacturers.
I've been pondering selling my EL 10x42 and buying the NL 10x42, mostly just because I like binoculars. But I can't convince myself that the NL will offer any advantage what so ever in the field... So then I think about the 10x42L but it is so bulky, fairly hefty, and ergonomically kind of mediocre. So for now I find myself sticking with my EL and the 12x32 IS and hoping for a better IS bin to come along.
Last edited: