Extremely compact and lightweight, the 8×25 IS introduces a new kind of Image Stabilization to the most popular size of binoculars.
Environmentally friendly lead-free glass.
- Amazon Sales Rank: #1136 in Camera & Photo
- Color: Black
- Brand: Canon
- Model: 7562a002
- Original language: English
- Dimensions: 3.20″ h x 5.60″ w x 7.10″ l, 2.00 pounds
Features
- 8x magnification with wide field of view
- Optical image stabilization system
- Multicoated for contrast, clarity, and color fidelity
- Doublet field flattener lens
- Rounded design for holding comfort
Customer Reviews:
You can’t pound tent pegs with them.
They are, and they aren’t, great binocs
What they are: as it says, the lightest and least expensive IS binoculars on the market (right now). The optics themselves are only merely very good, but - HAND HELD - with the IS activated, they allow me to read fine print about 20% closer than with my Leica 8×32 Ultras. On a rest, the Leicas are superior. It’s the elimination of the jiggles - the 8×25 Canons don’t give an image that’s as bright and contrasty as those high dollar Leicas, but the steadier image more than makes up for that.
What they aren’t: waterproof or armored. So have a care if you use them in conditions of rain or dust. They’re much more complicated than simple binocs, with electric circuits inside, and the matter of reliability does come into consideration - but in the first year, they’ve survived life in the tote bag ,bouncing along dirt roads without a hiccup. Two more things: besides armoring and ruggedizing, Canon had to compromise _somewhere_ to make them this small. So, while the IS deals well with rapid human shaking. it doesn’t seem to correct at all for slow motions. I imagine the engineers were forcd to leave off the sensors for slow motions, to fit everything else in. And, they use CR123 batteries, more expensive and harder to find in a pinch than AA batteries. Of course, if the batteries run dead, all your are left with is a functional set of very good, if a bit bulky, 8×25 binocs. What Canon has created is $300 binoculars that - hand held, with the IS active - outperform my high dollar Leica 8×32 Ultras. And, I imagine, the Nikon SE’s, too. No kidding.
A good binocular for light use
I bought these binoculars because I was just a bit frustrated with using regular binoculars. I already have a set of weatherproof Minolta binocs that cost about $200, but wasn’t finding it useful because the effort required to hold it steady enough to see detail just made it fatiguing to use for any length of time
Seeing as I’ve had great success with Image Stabilization in SLR lens, and my point and shoot, I thought I would give this Canon a try
I like it. It’s quite light for its size, and compact enough that I don’t feel burdened to bring this with me for any kind of event short of a long hike up a large mountain. It does take a CR123 battery which is kind of expensive if you buy them at a department store. You should try to find them online. Many high end flashlights use this type of battery, and they are available for around $2 online. Surefire (a top flashlight brand) batteries are what I recommend and use everywhere (in my flashlights and cameras). These kinds of batteries have a long shelf life so it’s no problem to buy a few extra
The main reason for this binocular is the stabilization. In reality, the Image Stabilization is actually quite subtle. You still have to do your best still to keep the binocs steady, but the stabilization adds a just bit extra steadiness to the image, enough to make a difference you can notice. You have to keep the button at the top of the device pressed with your finger…it turns off as soon as you let go of the button.
All in all, the IS works well for the natural minute shakiness of your hand but larger movements are not compensated for as you would expect. So don’t expect the image to be steady if you are trying to spot animals from inside a car. If you deliberately move the binoculars side to side, you can see the mechanism doing its work as it floats and then hits its limits.
The drawbacks…
- the eye relief is only 13.5 mm…so it’s not really suitable for eyeglass wearers. I find an eye relief of 16mm minimum to be very usable with eyeglasses.
- uses harder to find CR123A batteries.
- the device isn’t water resistant, so you have to keep this thing completely dry
- Image Stabilization effect is quite bit more sutble than you might expect, but it’s definitely effective enough to be noticeably more steady than a normal binocular
I think the future of binoculars is definitely IS. I see that Canon has a version 2 of their IS in a more expensive model, so maybe the action of the IS is improved and may be added to this model in the future. If you are a casual user who just wants an effective binocular, this is a great one to choose. Canon makes higher grades and higher magnifications for the more serious user.
Viewing Power per Dollar - Second to None!
I have to give these binoculars 5 stars, not because they are the finest optics money can buy, but because they give the clearest and steadiest handheld viewing you can get at anywhere near this price. Value for the money is the point, here. But, besides value, they actually are very good quality optics! They feel well made. Although they are mostly plastic, it’s good quality material, they don’t feel cheesy. No, they are not built like a Leica tank (intended to survive an atomic blast), but the image stabilization is so amazing, I am willing to be a little extra careful with them. You look through them and press that button, and, PRESTO, the view just stops jiggling! It’s just fantastic! The I.S. has greatly improved my stargazing pleasure. Maybe I have especially bad hand tremor, but I would bet anybody would notice a big difference. I really love them!!
Amazon.com Product Description
Whether you are sitting in the nosebleed seats of a stadium or an opera house, with Canon’s 8 x 25 IS binoculars you’ll get an outstanding close-up view of the action. The binoculars are designed to fit perfectly in your hands and have a rubber coating for nonslip grip and protection from damage. The focus dial is center-mounted and the image stabilizer controls are easily accessible from either hand. Canon’s optical image stabilization technology eliminates shake and reduces curvature of field. The image stabilizer operates with a CR123A Lithium battery. The lenses are coated with Super Spectra multicoating that improves image quality by maximizing contrast and minimizing color smear.
Image Stabilization and More
With any high magnification binoculars, most users will experience frustrating image shake. Unless fixed to a tripod, image shake can render high magnification binoculars useless. Canon’s IS technology is remarkably effective at eliminating this problem and is widely used by the television industry with Canon’s professional broadcast quality video recording equipment. A special VAP (Vari-Angle Prism) corrective IS system sits between the objective lens group and the porro prism on each side of the binoculars. Within thousandths of a second of the binoculars being moved from their optical axis by vibrations, a detection system activates the IS mechanism. The VAP shape alters to refract or ‘bend’ the light path by precisely the right amount, thus fully compensating for the vibration. It is this essentially immediate response that effectively suppresses image shake.
Super Spectra Coating
A number of optical factors affect the brightness of an image, including the amount of incidental light that is reflected by the lens. An uncoated lens will refelect away as much as 8% of the incidentail light, significantly dimming the image. Canon’s Super Spectra Coating prevents that reflection.
What do the numbers mean?
15×50? 8×25? The two numbers used to describe any pair of binoculars are their magnification — 8x, 12x, 15x and so on — and the diameter of their objective lenses — 25mm, 36mm, 50mm, and so on. The larger the first number is, the larger the object will appear to be in the objective lens. For instance, if you use a 10x lens and look at an object that is 100 yards away, it appears to be the same size as an object located just 10 yards away. The second number, the size of the objective lens, is important because the larger the objective lens, the more light it can admit for brighter, more detailed images, and the better suited they will be for lowlight situations.
A look inside
