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Message: <blockquote data-quote="KorHaan" data-source="post: 1352028" data-attributes="member: 49910">Hi Sancho,The Canon IS 18x50 is perfectly usable without a tripod IMO. There are occasions I only carry my 8x32's and regret that I left the scope at home, not being able to ID a distant bird. This is where 18x50's IS would come in handy. As a back-up pair in a bag or rucksack they would be great.12x36's IS are not enough, is my guess. A scope is still required then.Last october I went for a week to Texel, a great birding spot, but I didn't take the scope/pod combo. I just wanted relaxed bicycle rides. All went OK until I picked out with my 8x32's a juvenile Rosy Starling in a flock of 300 common Starlings. I put the bins on the saddle of my bike, sat on my stool and cursed myself quietly for being stupid to leave the scope at home. The views would have been great. The thing that I like about the Canon 18x50's is that they have a tripod attachment point underneath. So you can use them on a tripod if you feel like it, or on a monopod. I've experimented with two tripod adapters last summer to mount my 10x42 non-IS roofs and 10x50 Chinese porro's. Both bins had threads on the far end of the hinge. The little pedestals ( the adaptors) screwed on caused considerable vibration, due to the fact gravity was working on a 90 degree angle this way, and with my hand on the focus wheel at the front end of the hinge it was clearly noticeable. Attachment points underneath the housing are much more stable ( I think ). Ergonomics over optics, to keep to the topic. The field of view in the 18x50's was surprisingly good, maybe because I expected a narrowish FOV with 18x mag. I believe it's 66 m./1000m.Not to be used as an all-round pair of bins, where the 12x36's IS could be used that way.A scope on a tripod though allows for more relaxed viewing than a handheld heavy IS bin.My kind of birding is a need to see details. I'm a total tw*t if it comes to JIZZ.I envy others who can nail an ID at 2 kilometers. I can't; I need the details on the bird. BTW, I fully agree with you that the Canon 12x36 IS's are very comfortable to hold! Regards, Ronald</blockquote>

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