Customer Reviews

Canon 8x25 Image Stabilization Binoculars w/Case and Neck Strap

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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 8x32 Ultras. On a rest, the Leicas are superior. It's the elimination of the jiggles - the 8x25 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, 8x25 binocs. What Canon has created is $300 binoculars that - hand held, with the IS active - outperform my high dollar Leica 8x32 Ultras. And, I imagine, the Nikon SE's, too. No kidding.

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.

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!!

I own a Canon 10x30 IS binocular, which I LOVE. My wife wanted a lighter binocular, so I ordered the 8x25 IS. I am dissappointed in the Image Stabilization in the 8x25. I get a more stable image in the 10x30 despite the greater magnification. The 8x25 stabilization leaves a noticable shake in the image and for about the first second of activation, the image drifts slowly as the system "warms up"(?) I tried replacing the battery and even returned the first set, but the second binocs have the same behavior. If I had never seen the larger binoculars, I would probably be satisfied (barely) with the 8x25, but after experiencing the immediate response and rock-steady image of the 10x30, the 8x25 stabilization was a definite let down. Otherwise the optics are great.

I used these binocs extensively for several days on African safari to view animals and birds. The night skies were clear so I tried it on a few astronomical objects. As an experienced telescope user I can say the optics are a bit disappointing. There is noticeable chromatic and other aberrations. Of course, an astronomical test is pretty severe compared to a landscape type of view. In daytime viewing most people probably wouldn't notice the deficiencies. Focusing is easy.

The image stabilizing feature is amazingly effective. After initially being a bit underwhelmed, I can say the IS technology makes these binocs hugely more useful than an improvement in the optics would. For stationary or moving objects, it works to near perfection. I used my left hand to focus, right hand to hold the IS button, and both functions were comfortably reachable.

Other good facts--the battery life seems very long. Not sure exactly how many hours but I'm on the first battery still and it's been several months of intermittent (and more recently, heavy) usage.

And they really are lightweight. That makes them superior to larger, better, heavier binocs that you don't use as often because they're not as convenient. You will take these around with you frequently.

Eye relief is fine. For eyeglass wearers, you can fold back the rubber eyecups and put the lens right up to touching your glasses, and you can get a full field of view.

And at around $240, excellent value.

I just received my Canon 8x25 IS binoculars and they are just as sharp, bright and contrasty as my Pentax DCF WP 8x42 binoculars but show more detail when using image stabilization. They weigh only 16 oz so they are perfect for hanging from your neck for extended birding, sightseeing etc. You will not find better optics in their price range that includes a $50 Canon rebate until July 15. I also have the Canon 10x42L IS WP and 12x36 IS II binoculars but they are much larger and can get heavy when hanging from your neck for extended periods.

I couldn't help myself buying these after reading the reviews (all magnifications). I got it for $170 A/R.

When I took it out case and look through, I was a little bit dissapointed. The IS effect was not so obvious. But after a while I got used to it. I think it is not bad.

The binoculars are nice themselves without IS. The IS effect is not so big becasue I think this is only 8 times magnification.
This is the only reason that I am giving it a 4 star ranking instead of 5.

But don't get me wrong, the IS effect is there. I can read smaller words with IS on. So I suggest buying higher powers if you can afford them and you are OK with their sizes and weights. The higher power the better IS effet.

Now about those whines,
1. Battery.
It is said one cr123a can be used for 6 hours. It is OK and it's not expensive if you buy them online ($1.5 each).

2. Object lens caps.
I put eye lens caps on object lens, they fit well.

3. Durability.
It's a fine product. What do you wanna do with a fine optical product other than using it with care?

I recently bought two new pairs of binoculars from Amazon: (1) Pentax Papilio 6.5 X 21 and (2) Canon 8 X 25 IS. I have a separate review on the Papilio, which I rate at 5 stars. I give a few comparisons in this review on the Canon because both units share a common limitation that requires design workarounds. Pentax got it right, Canon didn't. Note that the Papilio has no image stabilization and is relatively inexpensive (~$95).

First the good news about the Canon. The image stabilizer works great. I have a tremor which makes it difficult for me to use binoculars at 8X and up. One push of the on button, and the image locks in place. There is no noticeable delay for initial lock-in and no noticeable delay when changing view. That's what you get for the extra ~$160 over the Papilio. Image stabilizer performance is solid.

As other reviewers have noted, two negs for the image stabilizer. (1) It uses a CR 123 lithium battery instead of more common and lower cost AA batteries (which are used in the more expensive Canon IS models). (2) The on/off button is momentary on. Press and hold down to operate the image stabilizer. I bought these for a concert. Holding it down with a single finger for more than 5 min gets tiring. I needed to lock one finger on top of another for extended viewing; gets annoying in the course of an hour. A bit tricky getting the fingers positioned right to hold the button down while focussing. A full on/off switch would be great for extended viewing. On the plus side, the button is slightly recessed. It won't accidently turn on if you lay the unit down on a table with the button on the bottom.

In all other respects, optically and mechanically, the Papilio is superior.

I. Optical

The Pentax has good optical quality edge-to-edge. Flat field, no noticeable vignetting or color fringes. Edges of lenses smoothly ground. Internal surfaces of lens barrel properly dulled, no stray reflections.

The Canon is disappointing. Flat field, no noticeable color fringes but noticeable vignetting around the edges of the field. The internal surfaces of the lens barrel are shiny. Stray reflections are noticeable; mainly when viewing against the sky. Edges of lenses have minute chips; mainly noticeable when viewing against the sky. In optics in this price range, I would the expect the edges of the lenses to be smoothly ground and blackened, and internal surfaces of the lens barrel to be properly dulled.


II. Mechanical

(A) Shape

Pentax has a comfortable ergonomic shape. Rubber coating gives the right amount of grip, no goopy or tacky feel like some other rubber coatings. Canon is poorly shaped and uncomfortable to hold. Hard plastic body and smooth surface leads to a slippery grip when held with sweaty hands.

(B) Interpupillary Adjustment

In most binocular designs, there are separate right and left barrels joined together with a center hinge (like a door hinge). Each barrel houses an objective lens and an eyepiece. Interpupillary adjustment (distance between left and right eyes) is performed by flexing the two barrels about the center hinge.

In both the Pentax and the Canon, the objective lenses are held in a fixed housing to accommodate their special features (close focus for the Pentax and image stabilization for the Canon). Consequently, there is no center hinge. The eyepieces pivot about the fixed housing. You need to pivot both eyepieces in unison. In the Pentax, the eyepieces are ergonomically shaped and the pivots are smooth, with just the right amount of friction to hold the final position. In contrast, the eyepieces in the Canon are awkwardly shaped and the pivots are stiff; you need to wrestle them into position.

(C) Focus

Both units have a center focus. The focus knob on the Pentax turns much smoother than the one on the Canon.

(D) Eyecups

The Pentax has helically mounted eyecups. You adjust the height by twisting them. There are click stops (three positions). The Canon has the el-cheapo roll-up/roll-down rubber eyecups.

(E) Lens Covers

Neither the Pentax nor the Canon have covers for the objective lenses. The Pentax has a two eyepiece covers held together by a plastic strap. There is a plastic loop so you can tie them to the neckstrap. The Canon has individual eyepiece covers (no loops), easy to lose. You need to unroll the eyecups to put on the eyepiece covers. So if you normally wear glasses and use the eyecups in the rolled down position, you need to unroll them to put on the eyepiece covers.

Summary: Canon has a great image stabilizer. To maintain a low price point, they compromised on the optical and mechanical design. The Pentax, however, shows that, given the limitation of a fixed objective lens housing, proper optical and mechanical design is feasible at a low price point. If Canon could combine the Pentax design with its image stabilizer at a price point of ~$250, they would have a #1 hit.

Note that the touted list price of $410 is well above that listed on the Canon website (just under $300).

It is funny to see one reviewer compare it to the 8X32 Leica. because I am about to do the same thing. I just happen to own a Leica 8X32 also. Actually I agree 100% with the comparison from other reviewer. The IS function works so well that the Canon 8X25 IS and Leica 8X32 are comparable on hand held application, except the Canon is slightly dimmer than the Leica. There is no doubt that Leica will beat the Canon on a tripod, due to the better optic of the Leica.. For 5X the price it should. Also for 5X the price it also buy you the water proof and rubber armor. The Leica is more than twice as heavy as the Canon. You might call that Canon has the upper hand on Leica.
As for reliability, that is a different story. My Leica 8X32 has served me more than 15 years and still good as new. The IS function of the Canon 8X25 ISfailed after 15 months. Fortunately for the reason we can guest, this is the only product that Canon carries a 3 year warranty ( even the DSLRs from Canon carries only 1 year warranty). However it take at least 4 phone calls from me and from Canon USA to convince the repair department to fix it under warranty instead of charging me $450 to fix a $175 binocular.
A friendly advice: make sure that it comes with a 3 year warranty before you buy it. Or you can pay extra to buy the extended warranty.

My husband and I love these binoculars. I was concerned about paying extra for the image stabilization and I really don't understand how it works, but I think it's great. You really pick up detail that you would otherwise miss due to you hands shaking. I would highly recommend these binoculars.