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Image Stabilizing Binoculars Pros and Cons

One of the latest technologies to be used for binoculars is image stabilization. It is the same type of technology used in digital cameras, SLRs and camcorders. It will compensate for shake, vibration and movement of the binoculars. Movement can come from the user shaking slightly, or from the vibration and movement of an occupant in a vehicle, such as a car or boat. This creates blurring of the image. Normal binoculars can make it hard to see when movement is occurring. The image stabilized binocular will compensate for this and make the scene you are looking at crystal clear, and give you less eye fatigue.

The main makers of image stabilized binoculars are Canon (#1) and Sony (#2). Both brands require a battery to power the image stabilizing technology. And you must press a button on the binoculars to activate the image stabilizing. When not pressed, the binoculars act as regular binoculars. Most regular binoculars are 8x power or under. The main reason for this is that anything above that is subject to more motion blur. A little movement or shaking can make high power binoculars hard to control. For best results many use a tripod with high power binoculars. The image stabilized binoculars will solve this problem without using a tripod. They come with as high as 18x power. Image stabilized binoculars are also know as IS binoculars.

PROS - Image stabilized (IS) binoculars make viewing much clearer with less blur than normal binoculars under many conditions. Some reviews of these binoculars have commented that they look as good as high end binoculars many times the price. These binoculars can even be used for astronomy, where any movement can make stars look blurry. Birders (those that observe birds in their natural surroundings) have commented that these binoculars are almost as good for observing birds as a costly pair of Swarovski or Zeiss binoculars.

CONS - There are a couple of cons to most image stabilized {IS) binoculars. Most are water resistant, but not waterproof. An exception is the Sony StabilEyes line which is waterproof. You need batteries with all IS binoculars. Batteries will run the IS for several hours. (Many use rechargeable NIMH AA batteries). You also need to press a button when you want to activate the IS technology. They may be more susceptible to damage if dropped (due to the electronics). IS binoculars are a little more bulky than normal binoculars.

The Technology- Binoculars with IS technology use vertical and horizontal gyroscopes to detect motion in any direction. The amount of shake or vibration is determined by a microcomputer and compensated for by moving a set of prisms within the binoculars. This makes the image rock steady so that no blur is detected. IS has its limitations and cannot compensate for very large movements. But normal shake and vibration are easily taken care of.

The best selling image stabilizing binoculars are the Canon 10x30 which are under $400 as of the writing of this article.

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