Why doesn't Swarovski make an NL Pure 10x42 IS with a 7.6 degree FOV and a and NL Pure binocular 14x52 IS with a 5.3 degree FOV ? With their technology and optical expertise, I know they could, and they could do it quite quickly. I think the reason is they know if they produced two binoculars like that they would cannibalize all their other binoculars because even if they cost $5000 it would be the only binocular people would buy because it could replace all their other binoculars for hunter's and birders. A birder would just need one binocular, the NL 10x42 IS, and a hunter could replace all their binoculars and spotting scopes with the NL 14x52 IS. I think the major negative with all stabilized binoculars is the relatively small FOV and sub-alpha optical quality. All the Sig Sauers and Kites and other IS binoculars have excellent stabilization and pretty good optics, but they have too small of a FOV, which handicaps them when compared to a regular alpha level binocular.
Stabilization is a major advantage, no doubt, but nobody has really been able to combine a big FOV with the brightness and edge sharpness of regular alpha binoculars with an IS system also. The Canon 10x42 IS-L with a 6.5 degree FOV is probably the closest, and it is about equal to a $1000 price point normal binocular optically. The Canon 10x30 IS II at 6.0 degrees and 315 feet is another pretty good IS binocular, but the rest of them fall short of a regular alpha binocular in FOV and optical quality. FOV is very important for birders and hunters because it allows you to scan bigger areas at a time and makes it easier to find your target, especially close up but if somebody could combine all the features of an alpha level binocular with IS it would be a game changer and I know Swarovski could do it.
Stabilization is a major advantage, no doubt, but nobody has really been able to combine a big FOV with the brightness and edge sharpness of regular alpha binoculars with an IS system also. The Canon 10x42 IS-L with a 6.5 degree FOV is probably the closest, and it is about equal to a $1000 price point normal binocular optically. The Canon 10x30 IS II at 6.0 degrees and 315 feet is another pretty good IS binocular, but the rest of them fall short of a regular alpha binocular in FOV and optical quality. FOV is very important for birders and hunters because it allows you to scan bigger areas at a time and makes it easier to find your target, especially close up but if somebody could combine all the features of an alpha level binocular with IS it would be a game changer and I know Swarovski could do it.