Well I'll be the Son of a Gun, it's Little and Large Canons (2 Viewers)

[PatR]

My beloved, noticing how despondant I was after the disappointing Nikon stabilised bino's, knew that the only cure for the optical malaise that had descended upon our fair Valley was a pair of 15x50 All Weather Canon's. She insisted I get them so to please her, for I is a kind fellow, I did as ordered and they arrived today.

By jingo! The woman has healing powers, for 'tis true the arrival of the Canon's did exactly as she diagnosed and in a flash, I was up and running about like a Malt-fuelled heathen. 'I am cured my love!, cured I tell you! and I can now see the swans in the field below at wait for it......fifeteen times their normal size and in amazing detail! It's a miracle!...........

They are lovely, heavy but not uncomfortably so and hang rather nicely with the Peak Design strap. I think I will get a Sage Green one to match the bino's. Optically, and without the magic button on, they really are impressive. Push the button and the stabiliser engages and the already excellent view becomes as steady as a rock. Very, very effective and, thanks to the 50mm objective lens, amazingly bright. I will test them tonight as we are blessed with very clear skies in this part of Mid Wales.

Very well made, a very effective and tactile rubber finish which provides good grip and, as it is a tad on the chilly side today, an effective insulator. My hands didn't get cold at all.

Super smooth focuser with just the right amount of tension, very sharp in the centre with just a slight drop off as you move towards the extreme edges. No chromatic aberration that I could see and a suprisingly good FOV.

The only negative, apart from the case and the strap which have been replaced by the Peak Design strap and Billingham Hadley case, is the eyecups which take a bit of positioning to get right and are not quite as comfortable as my wife's 10x32's.

What I really like is the threaded objective lenses and I have screwed two 58mm Hoya filters in to act as lens protectors. They in turn are threaded and accept snap-on covers. Why oh why don't others copy this? Brilliant, and I will try them with some polarising filters later on.

One stab at a first impression, and thus far pretty impressed. I will give them a good run out tomorrow. In the meantime, my beloved has beckoned me to fire up the Weber gas grill and as she is in a, 'I want a steak....and I want it now!' mood, I know that it is in my best interests to get grilling pronto.

Lovely bino's. Well done Canon San.

 

[PatR]

Well the clear skies never materialised last night and it would have been futile to sit out in the cold and test the new Canon's. Hopefully tonight will be better.

But, I have given them an optical thrashing this morning and remain very impressed. Their sharpness, edge to edge is quite excellent as is the colour rendition, not Leica delicious but pleasing nontheless with a much warmer image than the Pure's or even the Meopta 15x56's. Alternating between telegraph wires, sharp roof edges and hilltops miles away shows no CA at all. When I recall how bad (for CA) the Fujinon 16x70's were and even the slight purple fringes I get at certain positions with the NL Pure's, the Canon's are really effective at supressing CA.

(Edit: The sun is very bright at the moment and I have just been out to focus on some swans below.....oh dear, blue and yellow edges on their necks, so there is CA under certain conditions. Now looking to compare with my wife's Canons).

They are not as sharp or as bright as the Pure's and, once mounted on a tripod the Pure's do reinforce my opinion that they are quite superb long range bino's. But, press that magic button on the Canon's and it is clear to me that the stabilisation system is working overtime and producing a quite superb and rock steady view. As handheld bino's they really are tri/monopod deniers.

But there is another but. The eyecups are not at all comfortable and the IDP is difficult to adjust for a perfect fit on my facial structure. I can cope with it (just) at the moment but have no such problems with my wife's 10x30 IS ii's. It spoils what is overall, a very impressive bit of kit.

I shall continue to test it over the next couple of days and if I cannot come to terms with the eyecup placement then.............to be followed.

 

[William Lewis]

Nice bins those Pat. I have a soft spot for them and tried them out a few times. Cannons pedigree for quality optics is substantial, they make some of the best lenses around and it shows.

I agree on the eyecups, I find the 10x30's the best of the range for comfort but the 15x50's are the ones I'd have when I don't fancy taking the scope.

Let us know how you get on and thanks for an eloquent account as always!

 

[Hermann]

A couple of quick comments:

• Try them with and without filters. I use filters on my scopes and the Canon 10x42 L IS, and I've come across filters that somewhat degraded the image quality. And yes, two of them were Hoyas.
• If you find the weight too much, get a good harness. The best I found (and the one I use with the Canon) is the Zeiss harness. The RY harness many here like didn't work for me, possibly because of the weight of the Canons.
• The eyecups .... Maybe you'll get used to them. I find I almost always need some time to get used to a new and different binocular. If you don't, modify them.

Hermann

 

[PatR]

Nice bins those Pat. I have a soft spot for them and tried them out a few times. Cannons pedigree for quality optics is substantial, they make some of the best lenses around and it shows.

I agree on the eyecups, I find the 10x30's the best of the range for comfort but the 15x50's are the ones I'd have when I don't fancy taking the scope.

Let us know how you get on and thanks for an eloquent account as always!

Thank you William. Yes they are very impressive and Canon do make some lovely glass. Despite the bit of CA that took me by surprise this afternoon I remain tickled with them and experimented with the eyecups and the IPD adjustment to find a ‘best for me ‘ position. My wife found no such problems but she wears glasses and with the eyecups folded down she was perfectly happy.

But, like all attempts at fiddling, it is often the almost out of the box and seemingly simple things that can provide a solution or at least a part of a solution. I give you the Bino Bandit! There is no logic to an elasticated eye ‘sock’ improving eye relief or IPD and it is likely psychological but it really did improve them and I felt much more comfortable using the Canons. It will likely all change tomorrow but…..end on a high note!

Whilst I love my NL Pure’s 14x52’s, these plastic fantastic Canons are not a million miles behind………(I can’t believe I just wrote that but it they really are an exceptionally good bit of kit).

 

[PatR]

A couple of quick comments:

• Try them with and without filters. I use filters on my scopes and the Canon 10x42 L IS, and I've come across filters that somewhat degraded the image quality. And yes, two of them were Hoyas.
• If you find the weight too much, get a good harness. The best I found (and the one I use with the Canon) is the Zeiss harness. The RY harness many here like didn't work for me, possibly because of the weight of the Canons.
• The eyecups .... Maybe you'll get used to them. I find I almost always need some time to get used to a new and different binocular. If you don't, modify them.

Hermann

Thank you Hermann, excellent advice as always.

Spot on with the filters, took them off, put them back on and not a jot of difference and conscious of the varying quality of the Hoya’s tried with some B+W protector filters and some Marumi DHG’s and again the CA was still there. In the end I just thought bolleaux, the swans with their blue and yellowish/orange edges were probably just showing a bit of Ukrainian 🇺🇦 support!

The weight doesn’t bother me at all. I have attached a Peak Design Slide strap to them and am more than happy with it. The Rick Young Harness, whilst a cracking bit of kit, was not quite up to it. But I have been eyeing up harnesses and will try a couple, as and when, before I venture down that route. Must admit that harnesses bring back too many memories of dangling under a silk canopy so there is a reluctance to use them. But needs might overrule that pathetic phobia.

Eyecups are still under supervision! But I did fold them down ( I don’t wear glasses so it was part of the ‘try anything’ trial) and put a Bino Bandit on! Why it worked is beyond me, absolutely bonkers but as the Yardarm had not gone down my afternoon Pink Gin was still in its glass and I was not under the influence of anything. But work it did…….at the time. ‘Tomorrow is another day!’ as Scarlett O’Hara so eloquently said and I might be firmly back at square one. Or not.

Time will tell, but I am really impressed with these natty bino’s. Very much appreciate your thoughts and comments.

 

[mwhogue]

Eyecups are still under supervision! But I did fold them down ( I don’t wear glasses so it was part of the ‘try anything’ trial) and put a Bino Bandit on! Why it worked is beyond me, absolutely bonkers but as the Yardarm had not gone down my afternoon Pink Gin was still in its glass and I was not under the influence of anything. But work it did…….at the time.

Pat, based on my experience with the BB accessory over the last several years, medicinal "PINKERS" notwithstanding, your eyes ain't lying. On 25 to 56mm bins and all points in between the BB can be surprisingly useful. Depending on the particular bin (and given my facial structure) they are very helpful blocking side light, wind, rain, helping with eye placement, ER and yes even sometimes with a bit of extra stabilization. I use them with or without glasses and they are particularly helpful using my 12x36 Canon IS III without glasses and eyecups folded down for example. No affiliation.

Mike

 

[PatR]

Pat, based on my experience with the BB accessory over the last several years, medicinal "PINKERS" notwithstanding, your eyes ain't lying. On 25 to 56mm bins and all points in between the BB can be surprisingly useful. Depending on the particular bin (and given my facial structure) they are very helpful blocking side light, wind, rain, helping with eye placement, ER and yes even sometimes with a bit of extra stabilization. I use them with or without glasses and they are particularly helpful using my 12x36 Canon IS III without glasses and eyecups folded down for example. No affiliation.

Mike

Mike you are right.......the 'Pinkers' is purely medicinal! Seriously I have been out again this morning with the Canons with the BB on and eyecups fully down and....... 'I can see! It's a stabilised miracle!'

Absolutely no idea why it works but it does. I have BB's on all my Habichts and Meopta's and think it is one of the most underated bino accessories of all time. Bugger the aesthetics, I know it ain't purty, but I have found them to be brilliant so totally agree with your findings.

On on. Operation Return to Sender is on hold pending further testing but have to say, very impressed thus far.

Watching aircraft last night at 17500ft (altitude correct, courtesy of FREEDAR UK) and not only all position lights but a row of passenger cabin lights along the fuselage. Blimey!

 

[kabsetz]

Pat,

Glad you like your new Canon.

Back when I owned the 15x50 Canon, I always used it with eyecups folded even though I didn't wear glasses back then (still don't while wiewing). It was much easier to get good eye positioning that way, and I would rest the top of the eyecups against my brow. Didn't have the Bino Bandit back then. Now I do with 10x42 LIS, and like it quite a bit.

On Cloudy Nights binoculars forum, there's quite a lot info on modifying the eyecups of the 15&18x50 Canons if you wish to go surgical.

 

[PatR]

Pat,

Glad you like your new Canon.

Back when I owned the 15x50 Canon, I always used it with eyecups folded even though I didn't wear glasses back then (still don't while wiewing). It was much easier to get good eye positioning that way, and I would rest the top of the eyecups against my brow. Didn't have the Bino Bandit back then. Now I do with 10x42 LIS, and like it quite a bit.

On Cloudy Nights binoculars forum, there's quite a lot info on modifying the eyecups of the 15&18x50 Canons if you wish to go surgical.

Thank you! I think I will give the surgical bit a miss, at least whilst they are still under warranty. But you are right re the folded down eyecups. Never folded down on my other bino's (or my wifes 10x30's) but it seems to work on this one. Don't know why, it just does. The bino bandit helps a lot too. Still impressed.

 

[etudiant]

My beloved, noticing how despondant I was after the disappointing Nikon stabilised bino's, knew that the only cure for the optical malaise that had descended upon our fair Valley was a pair of 15x50 All Weather Canon's. She insisted I get them so to please her, for I is a kind fellow, I did as ordered and they arrived today.

By jingo! The woman has healing powers, for 'tis true the arrival of the Canon's did exactly as she diagnosed and in a flash, I was up and running about like a Malt-fuelled heathen. 'I am cured my love!, cured I tell you! and I can now see the swans in the field below at wait for it......fifeteen times their normal size and in amazing detail! It's a miracle!...........

They are lovely, heavy but not uncomfortably so and hang rather nicely with the Peak Design strap. I think I will get a Sage Green one to match the bino's. Optically, and without the magic button on, they really are impressive. Push the button and the stabiliser engages and the already excellent view becomes as steady as a rock. Very, very effective and, thanks to the 50mm objective lens, amazingly bright. I will test them tonight as we are blessed with very clear skies in this part of Mid Wales.

Very well made, a very effective and tactile rubber finish which provides good grip and, as it is a tad on the chilly side today, an effective insulator. My hands didn't get cold at all.

Super smooth focuser with just the right amount of tension, very sharp in the centre with just a slight drop off as you move towards the extreme edges. No chromatic aberration that I could see and a suprisingly good FOV.

The only negative, apart from the case and the strap which have been replaced by the Peak Design strap and Billingham Hadley case, is the eyecups which take a bit of positioning to get right and are not quite as comfortable as my wife's 10x32's.

What I really like is the threaded objective lenses and I have screwed two 58mm Hoya filters in to act as lens protectors. They in turn are threaded and accept snap-on covers. Why oh why don't others copy this? Brilliant, and I will try them with some polarising filters later on.

One stab at a first impression, and thus far pretty impressed. I will give them a good run out tomorrow. In the meantime, my beloved has beckoned me to fire up the Weber gas grill and as she is in a, 'I want a steak....and I want it now!' mood, I know that it is in my best interests to get grilling pronto.

Lovely bino's. Well done Canon San.View attachment 1628998


View attachment 1629000

Agree 100% that IS is a game changer for binoculars, glass with IS punches far above its weight.
That said, I've had poor experiences with filters, not because they detracted from the view, but because they fogged up on the inside when exposed to Irish weather. It was insidious, the view gradually faded, as the interior fogging was not easy to see,
After repeated aggravation, I switched to straight lens hoods, 52mm on my Canon 10x42s and have been very pleased.
They shield the lenses from rain and dust very well, cut glare very effectively and never fog.

Separately, afaik the 10x42 front objective glass is actually a filter glass, rather than a lens. That may also be true in the 15x50s, in which case adding a filter would be bringing coals to Newcastle.

 

[PatR]

Agree 100% that IS is a game changer for binoculars, glass with IS punches far above its weight.
That said, I've had poor experiences with filters, not because they detracted from the view, but because they fogged up on the inside when exposed to Irish weather. It was insidious, the view gradually faded, as the interior fogging was not easy to see,
After repeated aggravation, I switched to straight lens hoods, 52mm on my Canon 10x42s and have been very pleased.
They shield the lenses from rain and dust very well, cut glare very effectively and never fog.

Separately, afaik the 10x42 front objective glass is actually a filter glass, rather than a lens. That may also be true in the 15x50s, in which case adding a filter would be bringing coals to Newcastle.

Must admit that this is the first time I have ever mounted filters on a binocular as the 15x50 is the only one I have with threaded lenses. So there is a bit of ‘I will because I can’ and thus far I have not experienced any fogging or a degradation in image quality. Time may prove different as I use them in more interesting weather conditions!

The front element on the Canon’s is a protective glass and I take your point re coals to Newcastle. But I will be fitting various filters such as polarisers just for the hell of it and the clear filters I have fitted at the moment are throw away should they get either damaged or scratched. Should the integral front element glass get damaged then it would be a return to Canon for replacement which, I suspect, will not be cheap.

So, as I can add a degree of protection with, at the moment, no disadvantages I will continue with the ‘belt and braces’ approach. But your point is a valid one and I will keep a close eye on any performance degradation as I get more experience on these surprisingly effective IS bino’s.

 

[Snett_dweller]

Interesting Pat, glad you like them. Very interesting that they are close to the 14x52. Have you tried the latter on a tripod? If so, are they as steady as the Canon (or is the Canon IS as good as a tripod-mounted binocular?)

 

[PatR]

Interesting Pat, glad you like them. Very interesting that they are close to the 14x52. Have you tried the latter on a tripod? If so, are they as steady as the Canon (or is the Canon IS as good as a tripod-mounted binocular?)

I have the Swaro tripod adapter and when fitted to the 14x52 and mounted on a Gitzo Systematic tripod it is rock steady and optically stunning.

The Canon, handheld and IS on, is remarkably steady but excellent though it is, it cannot compare to the tripod mounted NL either optically or movement/shake wise. However, it is more than acceptable and makes long range viewing a pleasure. I didn’t expect it to be so good and am more than delighted with the performance.

As an overall package, and taking into account the portability and convenience of a bino without having to carry a tri or monopod, it is a stunning bit of kit. But it is a compromise.

The NL, or indeed any high quality binocular, on a robust tripod totally isolated from any human movement/breathing and in favourable weather conditions, is ‘likely’ to be better than any commercially available handheld IS bino. Go into military spec IS optics and it is a different ball game……and a considerably more expensive one.

But as a portable, albeit a heavy and ergonomically and (IMHO) optically inferior bino, the Canon is a fantastic compromise. It meets my long range requirements and is quite superb sky watching at night.

It has really surprised me hence the point I alluded to earlier. If I knew then what I know now, the Canon would have been the one I would have chosen over the NL. It would have saved a lot of money and the weight and inconvenience of a bino/tripod combination at a more than acceptable (to me) reduction in overall performance.

If you want absolute optical performance then an IS bino, again for me, is not a replacement for a bino mounted on a substantial tripod. But handheld, and side by side, the much cheaper Canon does not disgrace itself in the company of a bino at the zenith of optical design and quality.

My only concern is longevity and robustness, simple versus complicated, and whether the Canon will last the course. Electronics/ gyro’s can be fickle, the warranty on the Canon is 2 years and I would hesitate taking them to places and in extremes of weather/climate that I wouldn’t even give a second thought to with the NL’s.

 

[Snett_dweller]

^^^ that’s very interesting Pat, thank you for the detailed reply. Again, if using a tripod, going the next step and getting the ATC makes sense too.

You’ve covered all 3 bases and won’t be chopping and changing quickly, so I appreciate the longer term view your posts give. Longevity of the Canon doesn’t hugely worry me - I really do baby stuff - but hope you give updates over time.

Yet more food for thought!

 

[PatR]

My only concern is longevity and robustness, simple versus complicated, and whether the Canon will last the course. Electronics/ gyro’s can be fickle, the warranty on the Canon is 2 years and I would hesitate taking them to places and in extremes of weather/climate that I wouldn’t even give a second thought to with the NL’s.

Many a true word……and all that……..

The Canon’s went FUBAR on Cader Idris mountain this morning. The on/off switch stopped working so my third foray into the IS World is my last.

Very disappointed that my concern on longevity and robustness has been well and truly confirmed so soon because I was truly warming to them and, having overcome the ‘difficult’ eyecups, was enjoying what I considered to be a very impressive pair of bino’s.

‘Oh dear, how sad, never mind’, as Sgt Maj Williams would often say. They are on the way back for a refund and I have tattooed KISS (keep it simple stupid) on my forehead as a reminder for further purchases and sworn on a stack of Archie’s Bonio’s to stay well away from electro thimagagigs.😢

 

[Harry Stottle]

Many a true word……and all that……..

The Canon’s went FUBAR on Cader Idris mountain this morning. The on/off switch stopped working so my third foray into the IS World is my last.

Very disappointed that my concern on longevity and robustness has been well and truly confirmed so soon because I was truly warming to them and, having overcome the ‘difficult’ eyecups, was enjoying what I considered to be a very impressive pair of bino’s.

‘Oh dear, how sad, never mind’, as Sgt Maj Williams would often say. They are on the way back for a refund and I have tattooed KISS (keep it simple stupid) on my forehead as a reminder for further purchases and sworn on a stack of Archie’s Bonio’s to stay well away from electro thimagagigs.😢

Your experience with these has put me off IS bins.
My concern always was that they only have a one or two year warranty, so I delayed my purchase to see others experiences with them.
Back to traditional bins for me.

 

[PatR]

Your experience with these has put me off IS bins.
My concern always was that they only have a one or two year warranty, so I delayed my purchase to see others experiences with them.
Back to traditional bins for me.

It is such a shame. I think these are a cracking bino but…………my reservations came sooner than I expected or hoped.

Now it may be that I am an IS Jonah, the Nikons were pants and the Kite’s had twice the view, literaly.

My wife’s Canon’s are perfect and are nearly two years and there are many very satisfied IS owners out there so please do not deny yourself the undoubted advantages of IS because of my experiences.

I for one will wait a while before stepping into the IS World again and FWIW, the high magnification Kite’s come with a 30 year optics and 5 year electronics warranty.

 

[Hermann]

Infant mortality is a well-known phenomenon with all electronic devices. All electronic devices. If they work for a few months they'll continue working. I had an internal SSD and a mobile go belly-up after a couple of months. So what? That's what the warranty is for.

It was annoying, sure, especially because I had the computer and the smartphone set up the way I wanted to. But I won't go back to using an abacus instead of computers and smoke signals instead of a smartphone.

Hermann

 

[DRodrigues]

...

I for one will wait a while before stepping into the IS World again and FWIW, the high magnification Kite’s come with a 30 year optics and 5 year electronics warranty.

The 18x50 has similar AFOV to the Canons 50. The 14x50 version has reduced AFOV, so the 18x might be more interesting - it has the same TFOV than the 14x... Kite IS seems better than the Canons 50.