Home > Consumer Reviews > Canon 8x25 Image Stabilization Binoculars w/Case and Neck Strap

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 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.