Canon 18x50 Image Stabilization All-Weather Binoculars

Overall an excellent binocular. I have a hard time hand holding a binocular with more than 12x zoom, so the IS on this product is key to get a portable product that still has a good amount of magnification. The eyecups are hard to use and you have to jam them onto your face to get a good field of view or fold back the eyecups. I wish they had the standard twist outs that every other manufacterer seems to have that provides light control and is comfortable as well. That being said image quality is excellent and it's still well worth the purchase. Interestingly, these are my first set of 18x binonulars. Field of view is tight and my vision is excellent so I find that the improved field of view of some nice 12x binoculars like the excellent Swarovski 12x42 NL Pure is preferrable and more immersive. But when 18x is what you need this is a great pair. Update: after several months of ownership i continue to love the optics and performance of these binoculars though truly hate the eyecups. It’s uncomfortable to jam your face into them for an immersive view or else you fold back the cups and have lots of light spilling in. I finally solved the problem by folding the middle of the eyecups in which allows light to be blocked from the sides and a great view but no pain on the nasal bridge. This kept flipping back up but i liked the solution enough that I used rubber Sugru putty to mold the eyecups into a good ergonomic position flipped down in the middle (used rubber band to hold in position while glue set overnight). It’s a little ugly but now binoculars are prefect and comfortable.

While these are heavy and not practical for all applications, they work extremely well when weight is not an issue. I use them when hunting in east North Carolina in large areas of soybean, cotton and peanut fields that can be as long as half-a-mile. On managed land such as this, it is easy to pick up and identify deer when antler size minimums can be an issue. The stabilization of the image is truly amazing with no lag in viewing and no negative impact on image quality. Take these to your MLB or NFL game of choice and you can all but count the stitches on the ball. Battery life is reasonable and the unit conserves power by shutting down after a couple of minutes if you forget to hit the button manually. The big lenses can be protected with standard screw on UV filters you can get anywhere. Without the image stabilization I would have never considered 18 power binoculars because they are impossible to hold still without a tripod. I tried them at a photo/video show and was immediately sold on this technology.These units, while expensive, have been worth every dime and offer up detailed viewing that is simply unavailable on other binoculars...and they are essentially weatherproof, an added bonus.

Bought nearly a year ago mainly to watch Cape Canaveral launches 50 miles away (Kissimmee Florida). Is like being there watching from 3 miles away (except miss the chest rattling sound!). Thrilling to see the the rocket itself from so far away and even see staging to 2nd stage, and the return burns of Spacex Falcon 9 launches. Stabilization is amazing. Aiming the binoculars and finding the rocket is tricky but can do, hand held, in a few seconds. Picture is sharp enough considering going through 50 miles of humid Florida air. Seemed best $ option short of the $8,000 Zeiss. Also use them for distance viewing in mountains and boating. Breadth and clarity were not an issue. The 18x and especially the superb image stability (always a problem for me with typical binoculars), are a happy surprise each time I use them. Am guessing would also be great for watching sporting events (from where I usually am, the cheap seats). I'm sure some concerns I read are valid but for me these are minor verses my desired functions. Cost way more than I intended to spend, but very glad I bought them.

Wow, wow, wow! These are expensive as binoculars go. But in my book the technology is totally worth the price! We got the binoculars for our boat. We typically sail well off shore, and were looking for binoculars to clarify objects 1/2 mile to 2 miles out. I believe these will work. The test I ran on these was to focus in on a tree 100 feet away, without image stabilization, you see a lot of green leaves. With the image stabalizer, you see the individual structure of each leaf, even the viens on the underside are readily apparent! I am truly impressed! PRO: - Image stabilization REALLY works! - Image clarity is far beyond anything I have ever seen - Easy to Focus - Flexible eye cups are form fitting, blocking out most light - The Width between each eye peice is easily adjusted Cons - These are bigger than normal binoculars, fairly heavy, but this is ok by me

This is my review and accessory recommendations for the Canon 18X50 Image Stabilization Binoculars. The Binoculars alone I give 5 stars. The accessories I give 1-2 stars and I will provide my post purchase upgrades. The binocular’s optics are excellent, clear, sharp, powerful, colors are accurate and contrasty. The image stabilization works very well. Thank you, Canon, for choosing to use two AA batteries instead of some overpriced proprietary battery. The build quality seems excellent as well. The adjustable eye pieces and the diopter adjustment are very stiff in a good way. Once adjusted to your eyes they will stay put. The focusing knob is silky smooth. The rubberized body is very nice provides a secure grip. Now the accessories and lack thereof. I don’t understand why any binocular company (I know of) doesn’t have threaded front lens for filters like camera lenses. Then a protective UV filter, polarizer filters and lens hoods could be installed. The Canon 18X50 only came with rear untethered eye covers which can easily get lost. Through a bit of trial an error I have the “Brand: Generic 32mm Binocular/Monocular Objective Lens Caps Internal Diameter 47.5-49mm Rubber Cover Set Black.” Available from Amazon, they fit the eye cups and have tethers. I’m stunned that there are no front lens covers provided for these $1200 binoculars. The “JJL 2-Pack 58mm Front Lens Cover” suggested by Amazon work well and have tethers. The “Altura Photo 58mm Tulip Flower Lens Hood” doesn’t work because there are no thread mount provisions on the binoculars and the front lenses are two close for the two hoods to fit anyway. The neck strap is adequate. The case is really just a cover; It’s not padded and has no strap. It’s bad policy going cheap on the cheap parts, It makes me wonder if they went cheap on the expensive parts.

Update: I own them now! Bought the filter covers for the main lenses too and the lens caps. As some reviewers have noted these binos weigh a bit more than other binos due to the IS. Not too burdensome for a decent hike if you carry it postman-style over your neck and under an armpit and can still bring it around quick enough. All things considered though I wonder if a spotting scope and a light monopod might not be a better choice for weight and magnification. Perhaps for some, so far I'm sticking with this (and it's paid for). Original: First, I don't own these binoculars (yet), due to the cost and weight (they're over 3 pounds), but I've started saving my shekels based on the Bezos review and the Canon name. Also, please note that these binoculars are 18x (not 50x as another reviewer suggests). For bird-watchers it's worth mentioning that one should keep in mind the difficulty that many have in finding a bird through higher power binoculars after spotting the bird with one's eyes. I have a pair of 12x50 Pentax binoculars that I like a great deal and have had only minimal trouble finding birds that I've spotted. Others, however, don't have the same good fortune and so they prefer lower-power binoculars. The Audobon Society (the last time I checked) recommends 7x35 binoculars, but the average age of their membership is somewhere north of 50, so most likely their reviewers are unable to hold steady the higher power binoculars (however, even our nation's elderly should do fine with these as they have image stabilization). I'm curious to know how bright the image is (as I've read somewhere that 12x50 represented the best compromise between magnification and image brightness). From the other reviews it certainly sounds like that's not a problem.

As an amateur astronomer I have used my Canon stabilized 18X50s for several years on two continents and at numerous dark-sky sites and I now find them unusable for skytwatching. I'll start with the pros, then go on to my issues. If you use your binocs for hunting, birding, boatwatching, etc., my comments might not be relevant. The big advantage of the Canons is that the stabilization really does work pretty well. My 18X50s give a MUCH steadier view than handheld 7X or 10X conventional binoculars, though not as stable as binoculars on a tripod. If you've ever used binocs steadied on a monopod you can expect about that degree of stabilization--the Canons absorb a lot of the rapid shaking of hand-holding, but don't do much about directional errors introduced by breathing, "pilot-induced-oscillation," and muscle fatigue (these are significantly heavier than conventional 50mm binocs and your arms are going to FEEL it). Also, unlike other reviewers I haven't had any trouble adjusting the focus, and the binocs seem to hold focus well from use to use. The rubber armor has also held up fine without any of the stickiness reported by others (note, I don't usually use sunscreen or bug spray before handling the binocs) . But here's my biggest problem, and it is a show-stopper for me: the liquid-filled variable prisms develop bubbles at altitude that make the binocs unusable. If you have tried to use a liquid-filled compass at altitude you have probably faced a similar problem--the vapor pressure of gasses dissolved in the liquid is higher than the atmospheric pressure preventing them from coming out of solution, so bubbles form. While Canon mentions that such bubbles are likely to redissolve when you return to lower altitudes, I live in New Mexico at 7000 feet and my expensive Canons are permanently disabled. Since most amateur astronomers find themselves at altitude at one time or another, if you are a skywatcher you might consider other options. Another problem limiting their use for stars and nebulae is that the wedge-shaped prisms introduce chromatic aberration as soon as you turn the stabilization on. With the stabilization off the image quality is fairly good, though not on a par with many other $1000-ish binocs with fewer glass surfaces between your eye and the sky. With the stabilization turned on the image is degraded significantly by color fringes. Please note that this isn't a matter of adjustment, but inherent in the use of the wedge-prisms of the stabilization system. A third issue that bothered me at first was the tendency of the stabilized image to sway a bit at a frequency of 1/2 to 1 Hz inducing mild vertigo, although I was able to get used to it over time.

First, let's demystify binocular numbers: 18x50 18 - is the magnification power compared to the human eye at the same distance. 50 - is the objective diameter (in mm) of the aperture or lens opening. i.e. the bigger the number the brighter and sharper the image, the better for low light use, such as star gazing or artificially lighted night stadium events. For example, binoculars that are rated 9x25 will have an object that will be twice as small (or feel twice as far away) and will be 50% darker and less sharp in the viewfinder than these Canon 18x50 (before factoring in the stabilization). I have owned these Canon 18x50 IS UD binoculars since Aug 2009 and love them. My wife uses them for bird watching and we both use them as a telescope. The stabilization system works great and really does well at eliminating shake and jitter. Even though these are expensive binoculars, they remind me of the high-end units we used in the US Navy that cost thousands of dollars. Also, the rubber coating is good for truly all-weather service. Make sure that you get an inexpensive set of 58mm UV filters, at time of purchase, to put on the front elements for protection from physical damage and to protect the lens coatings from body oils. UPDATE: 27 Oct 2017 These binoculars continue to serve well and have been used for everything from bird watching to amateur astronomy. I would buy them again.

Very pleased with these, the image stabilization works very well, regardless of light level. I was debating which power to get but am glad I chose the highest power model. I don't find the smaller field of view to be an issue.

I found the optical quality to be excellent, and IS seems to work nicely. I didn't find them that heavy.

My new canon 18x50mm with ‘is’ is wonderful. Even though it is heavy it is worth it. You do not have to carry with you a tripod just look ,push the button and enjoy. I live in a high-rise apartment and I can see easily man working on a new project 3 miles away. I can read license plates a mile away. The lens are superb, and the focussing mechanism is very smooth.

Great features that can’t be found in other brands but way too expensive. The field of view is too narrow as a result of the high magnification.

Due to the great features it is understandably a bit heavy. They will be very good to see all the amazing wildlife we have on the west coast and make it easier to observe the UFO activity over the mountain.