Customer Rating: 
Summary: stable view makes binocs worth using
Comment: I go to an occasional football or other sports game, and would like to get closer to the action. Or I'd like to look at the stars, or at a bird in a tree, or to see what that stick is that is resting on my roof, or whatever. The image stabilizing thing is great. It's not a marketing hype, something that sounds nice but is so-so when using. The I/S feature really is great--it removes all the hand-holding shaking from the view, and keeps things really really focused on what you are looking at. You can get some drift, which means the thing you are looking at can gradually move out of the field of vision, cuz of your hands/arms are gradually moving away from it. But you can get it right back in. I think how this thing works is that when you click the I/S button (on top of the binocs, easy to find), there is a built-in feed back that takes part of the image and keeps it at the same spot no matter what slight movements you make--thus compensating for your shakes that no one can avoid, by slightly moving some of the prisms inside to keep the image the same, regardless of your small movements in holding the binocs. With the image kept at the same spot, your eyes can pick up more of it, see more detail (examples--moon, planets, stars)because your eye isn't chasing the image around as the binocs inevitably move around. It's not cheap to get this feature in the binocs, but these are my favorite for college football, seeing the stars, and so on. I also have their big brother, the 15x50, but those are heavier. When you press the stabilize button, you can feel a slight clunk in the unit (this is a good feature, cuz you can feel/hear it's turned on, sorta like feedback from a keyboard when you press a key, not a problem) and it does its magic. For a football game, take along extra batteries cuz you'll use the I/S button a lot, and you'll get mad if it runs out of power (due to prior use, etc.)--because you will have seen (no pun intended) how much you like the I/S feature! BTW, in a football game, you will get set on the quarterback or whoever else you are following, then click on the turn-on-I/S button, follow the play for 10 seconds, then let off the button saving the batteries. Then repeat half a minute or so later, etc.
BTW, 15/50 Canon review would read about the same, except 10x30 are a lot less in cost, and the 15/50 are probably three times as heavy, but they work as well on holding a stable image. My 20x70 regular binocs don't get used much anymore, cuz one can't hold them as still without a tripod, but it's an issue of money as to if you want to pay for the I/S feature--probably triple the price of a non-I/S binoc. I'm glad I paid for it. I'm not a birder but I'm sure a birder would go ape (uh, mixed animals here) about the ability to stabilize an image--would also damp out small movements of a canoe you were sitting in, as well as normal arm/hand shakes. Good for a going to a big football game.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Worth the Money
Comment: I purchased these binoculars for a cruise this May to Alaska. I wanted a good set for viewing from the ship and while on hikes for my wife. I recently used them at Fontana Raceway and they are GREAT! I was able to track the cars clearly on the large 2 mile track with no vibration in the image. I am in my late forties, and the ability to take out the small shakes is wonderful. The large eye pieces also give you a great field of view, even while using with glasses. This is a great item to purchase. I would have loved to purchased the higher powered versions, but the price started to get too high.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Great product!
Comment: I've had the Canon 10x30 I.S. binocs for about a week now. The Canon optics by themselves are very good. Bright, clear, and sharp. When you add the I.S. feature, they are a no-brainer.
I compared these to other high-end glass. While the European glass is slightly brighter and clearer when they are compared on a FIXED mount, once you have to hold them in your hands for viewing the Canon's allow you to see more detail with the I.S. feature. If you have a chance to preview these binocs, try reading license plates at distance- like a couple of blocks away. Try doing that with other non-I.S. binocs and then try the Canons. The Canons with the I.S. engaged allowed me see the detail and read the plates MUCH easier than any other 10X non-I.S. binocs no matter what the price. So if your viewing is mostly done with hand-held binocs, these are fabulous.
A note of caution- these are not the smallest or lightest binocs. But when comparing them with other 10x binocs (other than compacts) they are within reason.
They aren't waterproof, but for my uses I did not require that feature. I can't comment on overall durability since I've only had them for a week. And I don't know what the battery life will be since they are new. Here's my minor nitpicks. I would like to have a "timed-on" feature of the I.S. so you don't have to continuosly hold down the button, or a switch for "constant-on".
Overall, I'm very happy with them so far. It makes me want to try the newer Canon 10x42 I.S. with even better optics! But as they are, I feel the 10x30's is the best $300+ dollars I've ever spent on binos. For the price you can't go wrong.
Customer Rating:
Summary: An outstanding set of binoculars!!
Comment: Just returned from a month in Africa and I can say that the these Canon 10x30 IS Binoculars performed flawlessly and proved to be simply exceptional for viewing everything from the smallest birds to the largest elephants. After being run all over creation in a range rover these lived up to their billing! I'd urge you to try these out before you spend more $$$ for a product without the stabilization feature...Going back to Africa early next year will try out 18x50 IS unit...
Customer Rating:
Summary: Pricey, but image stabilization makes a difference
Comment: These binoculars are light and compact. The image stabilization works as advertised. Just press the button that's in front of the focus adjustment and the jiggle is gone.
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