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

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.

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.

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.

Just recieved this pair of binocular. Replaced my 10x30 Canon IS that grew legs and walked.

The bino's are a bit heavy. Unless proped up, there is some fatigue during long viewing sessions. The IS works great. A bit more jittery than the 10x30's but still a major improvement over regular 10x50's. There is just a hint on lateral color compared to the 10x30IS.

The interpupilary distance is a bit lacking. When set to almost minimum, they tend to bite into the nose bridge due to the fact that the eye cups are larger than necessary. If you have narrowly set eyes, I would not recommend these. Also, the eye relieve could be better. To get a full field of view, the eye cups have to be folded down.. I would rate 'em better, but having to fold down the eyecups all the time is a bit
annoying.. Especially since I use them without eyeglasses.

Was it a good purchase?? I would say yes, with some reservations.