Canon 12x36 Image Stabilization III Binoculars

I hope to offer some points I don't see in other reviews. I bought the Canon 10x30 IS II after using Orion 10x50 Ultraviews for over 20 years. The Canons are game-changers. Here's why:1. OPTICS. The Canons have sharp, ghosting-free optics and a six-degree field. The quality of the optics is crucial because these binoculars will be brought to sharper focus than non-stabilized binos.2. STABILIZATION. The experience of image stabilization was a "wow experience" from the start. After a little more experience, I realized how the stabilization helps me to see more detail. With non-stabilized binos you may perceive that you have achieved focus, but you haven't. With the Canons, you can focus before activating the stabilization, then engage the stabilization and see that even sharper focusing is possible. (Focus can be adjusted with the stabilization on). Thus, stabilization helps to see more in two ways) a. By removing shake and b. By achieving sharper focus.3. BETTER THAN A TRIPOD. A tripod can hold binocs steady, but is only practical in a limited range without straining the viewer's neck - and a tripod can't really pan with fast-moving targets. The Canons give you a stable image at any angle and you can pan and focus with stabilization engaged.4. MECHANICAL. These are light, ergonomic and easy to hold for long periods. The focuser is very smooth and fine. The eyecups are too deep for me so I keep them rolled back all the time. The strap is good and the padded case is very nice. The lack of dust caps for the objective lenses is hard to understand, but I just keep them in their case.I thought $500 was a lot of money for binoculars, but I am now hooked. Recommended.

These binos are amazing, and you can’t beat the price. Wish I had a pair of these years ago. 10x stabilized. Nice. Not great at night, but that would cost 5x more. I use these mainly while boating. They’ve been rained on a bit with no ill effect. They are not billed as waterproof, and a drop in the drink would likely be fatal.

They work - no shaky images

The quality of the optics is superb with a crisp clear view, with visual stability. In night viewing they are great for the moon and constellations, but you won't see any detail of the planets. Day viewing is awesome for birding.Just a tad heavy when viewing for long periods of time and would be more comfortable to use if you did not have to continuously hold the stabilization button down.Over-all I am pleased with the purchase. The binoculars perform exactly as I was hoping for.

These are amazing binoculars! Like many of you, I have been looking for a pair of binoculars with higher magnification than my 25 year old, still excellent, Celestron 7x35's, and considered a 10x50 or 10x42. But I wanted them suitable for occasional use by my wife, as well as me, and my hands are no longer as stable as they once were. That means that weight is an issue. And of course, with higher magnification, there's also the issue of image shake. Then I learned of these Canon 12x36 imaged stabilized binoculars. The reviews were good, so I took a chance. They check (almost) all of the boxes. The image is bright, with no distortion. If they are heavier than my old 7x35's, I can't tell the difference. And the Image Stabilization button works magic. Image bouncing vanishes when you push the button. I use these for terrestrial and astronomical viewing. Excellent, excellent.Just a couple of negative points: First, most importantly, the image stabilization works only while you hold down the IS button. The downside of Canon's approach is that you need to devote a finger to continuously press the IS button. If you're trying to press the IS button while looking through the binoculars, then you've effectively added to the physical strain of using the binoculars. This might well be a deal killer for my wife, and it's annoying to me. This is simply inexcusable. Canon no doubt does this to prolong the battery life, lest you forget and leave it on. But as an electronics engineer, I know that it would be cheap and easy for Canon to add a simple timer to the electronics so that the IS turns itself off after some preset time. As a work-around, you can duct tape a dime or a small washer over the IS button to hold it down. Just remember to remove it afterwards or you will run down the battery.For the price, these binoculars can't be beat. A couple of low cost additions by Canon would make these world beaters.