Customer Reviews

Canon 15x50 Image Stabilization All Weather Binoculars w/Case, Neck Strap & Batteries

5 star:		(25)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

These binoculars are spectacular. Point them at Jupiter and you see a bright dot wandering around in the field of view. Press the image stabilization switch and the planet and its moons instantly become visible. While they can't subtract all movement they do get rid of the little shakes that make hand held viewing so difficult. 15x is enough magnification that Saturn is obviously not round.

A complaint about earier versions of the Canon IS line was that your finger went to sleep holding the IS switch down. Now you can press it briefly to turn on the IS circuitry which will automatically shut off in 5 minutes. If you press and hold the switch it shuts off as soon as you release it.

I haven't had my pair long enough to comment on battery life but do see a problem changing them when they are mounted on a tripod. Unlike most binoculars where the tripod mounting is at the objective end where the two barrels rotate on the Canons it is at the bottom of the binocular near the center of the tubes which don't rotate. And the battery compartment is just in front of it so you can't get to it if the binoculars are on a tripod of have a quick release plate attached.

Since the lens barrels don't rotate intra-ocular distance is adjusted by actually moving the oculars. They are kind of stiff but that is good because they stay in place once you get them set.

The tripod mount is lower than the highest part of the lens barrels so if you have a big quick release plate like that of the Manfrotto (Bogen) 410 geared head (highly recommended) it presses against the bottom of the barrels and not the flat between them.

For some reason Canon doesn't seem to fell that the objective lenses need any protection as they don't ship lens covers for them. They do provide lens covers for the oculars but they pop off a lot because the eye cups are so soft. It looks like you need something like 69mm lens caps. They don't tell you in the manual but Canon sales says they are threaded to accept 58mm filters so you can buy solar filters for them.

I can use the binoculars with my glasses on due to the 15 mm eye relief but it is really easier to use them without the glasses.

They are heavy, ~2,5#, but if you support them on the heels of your hands very stable.

I've had these binocs (Canon 15x50 IS) for two weeks now and am regretting my purchase . . . . regretting that I didn't buy them years ago, that is!

So far I have put them to work for aircraft spotting, watching hawks soar high overhead, looking at the moon, and general observation of distant terrain. These are by far the best optical instrument I've ever had the pleasure to use. The Image Stabilizer feature is truly outstanding. It allows you to really reach in on astounding views, and enjoy them with rock solid stability.

For example, to focus in on a Boeing 747 that is still 5 miles out on final appoach, and clearly watch it extend its landing gear in all its glory of doors opening, wheels articulating, and doors closing . . . then enjoy watching it float through the air until WHOOOOOOSH it's upon you, is awe-inspiring! And fun!

Another pleasant surprise. The binocs came with two years of extended warranty from Canon free -- three years in total. I wasn't expecting that, but it was in the box when it arrived. Cheers to them!

Prior to buying, I compared the Nikon 14x40 Stabileyes and Canon 15x50 and 18x50 IS binocs and tried them extensively, back to back to back, indoors and out. The Canon's seemed a bit brighter than the Nikon's (as they should be at 15x50 vs. 14x40), sharper, they are more compact although perhaps a bit less robust, and thanks to more heavy discounting and the rebates, they cost about $350 less. The Canons are more highly regarded in the various enthusiast sites as well (both the birders and the astroheads love 'em). The Canon 18's cost $200 more than the 15's, and seemed just a bit "jitteryier" (is that a word?). I am planning to use these for daytime aircraft spotting as well as the night sky, so the 18's just seemed a "bit much" for my needs. The 15's seemed perfect.

Great price from Amazon . . . . $799, before a $100 mail in Canon rebate and a free $50 Amazon gift card. Net cost of $650 is a great deal -- enough so that I justified overnight shipping!

Cheers to Canon for a job well done!

I bought these binoculars (along with "The Backyard Astronomer's Guide", "Touring the Universe Through Binoculars," and Starry Night software) to learn some basic astronomy. This has turned out to be a winning combination.

While these binoculars weigh 2.6 pounds, they have a very natural, comfortable fit in the hands and are easy to handle.

The image stabilization is amazing and really improves my ability to resolve stellar objects and surface details of the moon.

It does seem a little odd that Canon did not include front lens caps. However the 15x50s are threaded for 58 mm filters, so one can easily purchase standard lens caps. I bought a pair of 58 mm Canon lens caps which fit, although the heavy rubber armor leaves minimal clearance to operate the lens cap release buttons. With filters installed the lens caps fit exactly as they would on a camera lens with plenty of clearance to remove, even if wearing gloves.

Most of the reviews I see for IS binoculars are by and for plane spotters and other non-birders, so I wanted to add the wildlife viewing perspective to the mix.

I have owned 2 different pairs of the 12x Cannon IS Binoculars, one pair of the 15x Cannon IS binos and I have tested the 10x42 L series (high-end, geared towards birders). I will cross-post these comments for all three. For any of you birders out there trying to decide which is the right choice for you, here are my observations.

First, general comments that apply to all three:
1) Image stabilization is great! There is nothing not to love about it. Why all birders on earth don't use these things is a mystery to me. For the money, I would prefer to spend an extra $200 on image stabilization vs spending an extra $1000 for a comparable improvement in optics quality.
2) These binoculars are heavy and bulky. The grip, the feel and the ease of use are different than those of "normal" high-end binoculars. The human factors of the engineering range from acceptable (12x) to incomprehensibly bad (10x). I suspect that experienced birders may pick them up for the first time and not like them because they "don't feel right." Here's my thought: it is worth the 1-2 hours it takes to get used to them, because it will change the way you bird. For example: YOU DO NOT NEED TO CARRY A SCOPE in many circumstances, which is huge. They may be slightly heavy for binos, but they are much lighter than binos plus a scope and tripod!
3) it is easy to underestimate the benefit and power of IS until you have used it for a while in the field. For example, when you are looking for a bird that is mostly hidden in leaves, and occassionally pops into view, these guys are great. The slight vibration in your hand means that you need to see an image longer for the brain to decipher the image. When it is stabilized, you can see it in a flash. You will be able to scan a flock of shorebirds at distance in a fraction of the time it takes someone with a scope. You can see details on a bird moving 100ft above in the canopy that are utterly impossible with normal binoculars.
4) THink of them as ELECTRONICS, not optics. These will not be passed on to your grandchildren. They will last 3-5 years depending on how hard you use them. Don't bother trying to get them fixed because it is uneconomical outside of the warranty period. Don't buy them if you are uncomfortable with the cost because you may need to replace them in the not-to-distant future. That said, reliability has been okay for mine. I have dropped them, gotten them throughly wet for hours, taken them to high altitudes, and exposed them to a wide range of temperatures without any issues. One 12x pair developed a rattle and subsequently a hiccup in the IS. When I openned them up (not recommended) I found that a couple of screws fell out. I don't know where the screws came from and don't really care because now they work fine again.

Here is a comparison of the various models:

12x: the normal "rule of thumb" for birders with conventional binoculars is that 8-10x is about right in terms of image stability, weight, field of view and magnification. With IS binoculars, the equation is a little different. You can have image stability at any magnification, so it comes down to weight, field of view and magnification. For me, the winner is the 12x. You will have a little extra trouble finding a fast-moving bird, especially at close range due to the smaller field of view vs typical 10x. However, it is strong enough to allow me to leave my scope at home for most purposes -- it is equivalent to about a 15-18x conventional scope. The eyepieces are comfortable and the field of view is acceptable. My primary compaint is that the close limit of focus is too far for comfortable use in close quarters like dense rainforest. These binos seem rugged and reliable.

15x: optimal for pelagic birding, gulls and shorebirding, but the field of view and range of focus don't work well for normal birding. On a boat, nobody else will be able to see the stuff you see, period. It is like having a scope when everyone else is using 8x bins. In these circumstances the relatively limited field of view is not an issue and the extra magnification is great. These are much larger and heavier than the 12x and you wouldn't want to carry these on a 10 mile hike (although it would beat hiking 10 miles with a scope!). My main complaint -- and it is a big one -- is that the eyepieces are attrociously uncomfortable for my eyes. Presumably they must be comfortable for someone, like the engineer who designed them, but not for me. I had to replace them with eyepieces of my own because they are intollerable.

10x: These are fantastic. Pros: smaller, lighter than the 12x. Wider field of view and better close focus. Cons: 1) very expensive; 2) eyepieces that are as bad or worse than those on the 15x, which is why I don't own a pair. I think perhaps Cannon made these because they found in their market surveys that birders want 10x binos. I suspect they haven't sold many at the $1,100 price point given the Human factors issues. I personally would advise birds to not buy these unless they are willing to replace the eyepieces -- and better yet just get the 12x. Hopefully the next version will address these issues, because the IS technology and the optics are great.

This is one of the finest optical instruments i ever bought. The Image Stabilizer works so fantastic and flawless you just don't wanna let this bino out of your hand. It even works while you watch from a driving car. You can make out license plate numbers from about 400 ft away. I also bought protective lenses which I use during daytime. When stargazing I realized some mirror effects from the protective lens - so just let those off during nightime. This is the most useful and inexpensive tool for stargazing. Even better than some telescopes for the same price. The AA at 2100 mAh last for about 3-4 hrs. Even with the IS shut off the optics are awesome - but with the IS engaged it is breathtaking. It is definitely worth to spend the extra money to get this system over any other w/o IS.

the earlier reviews for this item were dead-on - optics are great, the binoculars themselves are a little heavy, but not so much that they are cumbersome, and the lens caps are flimsy and more than a little disappointing.

I got these binoculars for Christmas, and have been pointing them everywhere I see. The 5-minute timer for the IS system is much better than the earlier version on my father's set of Canon IS binoculars. This is my first set of "real" binoculars, as I don't count the el-cheapo set I've had for football games. I was very impressed with the amount of light these allow in, making the image very clear. The amount of detail you can see with the IS system truly is amazing - I'm not sure that going back to regular binoculars is a possibiliy now.

The only cons I can think of are the lenscaps - for $900, you'd think that Canon could figure a way to make a more substantial cap that clips on the body - I am going to try to find an aftermarket solution, because these just don't cut it.

A great set of binoculars for hunting, bird-watching, backyard astronomy, wildlife, etc.

My main interest is in astronomy. I have had the Canon 10X30 IS Binocs for awhile and have been very happy. So I decided to take the (substantially more expensive) plunge and get either the 15x50 or 18x50 IS. After reviewing some info on various forums I decided on the 15x50 version.

They are outstanding! Sharp, clear optics. Of course the IS sytem works extremely well. As with all such systems, they eliminate the "jiggle" that ruins the view with binocs of about 10x or greater, but there is still some residual, slow "wander" because of larger scale movements that the user makes, but they stop everything more than enough to give a beautiful view. This "wander" is no more noticeable than with the 10x30s.

I don't want to overstate the "wander" business. If you have used IS optics you know what I am talking about. It's just that the IS system can't compensate for major movements. You wouldn't want it to try because you move the binocs to frame the subject. They completely eliminate the "shakes" though.

I recommend them highly.

This is my first image-stabilized product, and I'm very favorably impressed. Canon has long enjoyed a reputation for top-quality consumer optics, and this binocular certainly performs up to that standard. The image stabilization makes magnification over 10x practical for handheld viewing, and is very intuitive in use: one push of the IS button to activate, another to deactivate. I was somewhat skeptical that the 15x50 would perform well at night for stargazing. The 3.33mm exit pupil seemed to be too small for astronomy, but I didn't need to be concerned. The large 50mm objective lenses gather plenty of light. This, combined with the 15x magnification and very effective stabilization system, makes it a wonderful astronomy instrument. My backyard telescope has remained under wraps for months, because the Canon is so much handier to use, with zero set-up time.

For daytime use, the images are bright, well defined, with no discernable chromatic aberration. For bird watchers, this bino may be a bit too bulky and heavy for comfort when hiking through the back country. I found that a larger padded neck strap goes a long way towards relieving that problem, though.

Without the IS system, I can only look through these things for a few minutes before my trembling hands have me nauseous. But the IS allows me to look through these as long as I can support them. Like another reviewer, I find I have to fold down the eye cups for a better view.

I fail to understand why Canon can't include a cover for the objective lenses, particularly at this price tag. Aside from that, the only complaint worth mentioning is that they are rather heavy, and you won't be pointing these at the sky for too long without a tripod or something supporting your elbows.

If you can afford them and don't mind a little weight, you will be pleased.

The Canon 15x50 IS binoculars are the best choice for high power handheld use because it has a wide 67.5° AFOV that is sharp to the edge of the wide 4.5° FOV. I also have the Canon 8x25 IS, 10x42L IS WP and 12x36 IS II's that are all the best in their class. The 15x50 IS is at the limit of the Canon IS system because the 18x50 with ±0.7° correction angle would make it alot harder to stay within that amount for the average person IMHO. I could track planes very easy with my 10x42L's but my 12x36's and 15x50's are too hard to stay within the correction angle while panning but for everything else they are great. For half the price of premium 15x binoculars the 15x50 IS's are a bargain and have wider FOV with a steady view to see detail that could not be seen in 15x non IS premium binoculars handheld.