DiscountDelight - Canon 18x50 Image Stabilization All-Weather Binoculars w/Case, Neck Strap & Batteries

List Price: $2,000.00
Our Price: $1,019.00
Your Save: $ 981.00 ( 49% )
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Manufacturer: Canon

Average Customer Rating:

Batteries Included: 0
Binding: Electronics
Brand: Canon
EAN: 0082966302152
Feature: 18x magnification
Label: Canon
Manufacturer: Canon
Model: 4624A002AB
Number Of Items: 1
Publisher: Canon
Special Features: Waterproof
Studio: Canon

Features
18x magnification Built-in optical image stabilization uses 2 AA batteries Wide, extra-bright field of view Lenses are multicoated for contrast, clarity, and color fidelity Shock- and water-resistant

Accessories
Kodak K600 C+2 Kodak Max Charger with 2 AA Ni-MH Kodak Max Rechargeable Digital Camera Batteries 2-Year Service Plan for Personal Electronics Bushnell Binocular Cleaning Kit 3-Year Service Plan for Personal Electronics Sima PLE Lens Pen

Related Items
Canon AE-B1 Anti-Fog Eyepiece for Canon 15x50 & 18x50 Image Stabilization Binoculars Nikon Lens Pen Cleaning System Tiffen 58mm UV Protection Filter Canon EOS 5D 12.8 MP Digital SLR Camera (Body Only) Canon 8x25 Image Stabilization Binoculars w/Case and Neck Strap

Spotlight customer reviews:

Customer Rating:

Summary: Great but has some design flaws costing another $350 in repair
Comment: Right out of the box, these binoculars, no doubt are one of the best pair of optics I have ever purchased. The Image Stabilization feature is what makes the bincoluars so attractive...and expensive.

They work great on the water or in situations that will reduce hand shakieness.

I own a pair of 10x30 Canon and wanted to upgrade having liked them.

With the 18x50 I got what I expected with the 10x30 model, but the weight of these bincolars is a bit of a draw back. At least they have a tripod hole for support if you need it.

The weight also creates another draw back.

**** Be aware, there appears to be a design flaw with the top eye peice portion. Due to the heavy weight of these 18 x 50 binoculars, one must be careful how you handle them.

These binoculars have a different method for their case carrying strap then the other Canon image stablization binoculars. Other models have a strap for the case and another neck strap for the binoculars themselves.

On the 18 x 50 model it uses the same neck strap, for both the bincoular and the case. Simply, the case has no strap and you place the binoculars in the case and pull neck stap out from the case, over the top case flap and use it as the case's carrying strap.

On first look, it seems like a better idea.

The neck strap attaches to the eye peice portion of the binoculars, while the other 'lighter' models have the neck strap attaching to the body itself. This causes the weight of the entire units to be supported on the eye piece portions.

Having only had these 18x50 IS binoculars less than three weeks from purchase, I pulled the binoculars out of the case when the top eye piece portion separated from the main body. This was with little pressure and being careful everytime I handled them.

I figured it was a simple fix, perhaps snapping pieces back in place. This was not the case. On closer inspection the fastening screws, which held the eye piece portion to the main body, were still in tack, but the screw holes, which kept the main body to the eye peice in place, appeared not to be strong enough to handle extra pressure.

The outer loop of the screw holes on two of the three screw holes broke away.

The screws are set too close to the outer part of the eye peice base for strong enough support and the material supporting the screw holes are too weak to support the existing body weight and pressure exerted on it over time.

This breakage came with little effort and pressure or from abuse.

I thought about repairing them myself, but figured it still was under warranty (only 3 weeks old) and the cost of $1,100 should be enough excuse to send them to Canon Repair for a quick fix.

BOY WAS I SADLY MISTAKEN. Canon Repair charged me another $350 to repair it and it's now over 4 weeks and I have not seen them yet. I've owned them less than 8 weeks and more than half of that time is in repair!

I just wonder if anyone else has had this problem as it certainly appears it's a design flaw because of the overall weight.

So to review them I would say great binoculars but becareful on how you handle these items, if you need a good pair of binoculars, I would say go with the lower models of the Canon IS series as they are more durable!

Customer Rating:

Summary: great binoculars for looking up at night
Comment: As a novice astronomer I really enjoy the sharp, steady view with these binoculars. The view is fairly steady even with the I.S. off - depending how stable you are of course. My binoculars cost more than my telescope !! And my telescope is a decent one too. But I think they are worth it. You see so much more in the night sky than what the naked eye can see - by far. They are of course great during the day too. Their weight is not much of an issue for me, although each person is different depending on their viewing habits. I think a hard carry case would have been the best but it's not a big deal for my use. I recommend this pair of binoculars to anyone who is serious about great quality and performance.

Customer Rating:

Summary: Holy gazookas!
Comment: I bought these for an upcoming alaskan cruise and boy and I glad I did. We had some other 10x25 binocs that I used for years and wanted an upgrade to something more substantial. These are amazing! They are so clear and the stabilization is the most impressing aspect of them. I have used them at least once a day since buying them for bird watching, astronomy (the moon looks amazing) and for watching a new housing development go in about 3 miles away. My parents are considering getting a pair for the cruise too, I plan to share but I don't think I'll want to be without these for long. Wonderful product that I plan to use for years to come.

Customer Rating:

Summary: Excellent Product
Comment: I needed a good set of binoculars for my wife & me. We are in excellent bear & deer country in Wisconsin and like to ride around watching the wildlife. I am a disabled Vietnam Vet and my hands shake a lot. Spotting scopes and high powered binoculars never worked well for me in the past. You touch them and everything goes out of focus. These image stabilizers work great! For the first time I can really zoom in and see clearly. They are a little heavy and you wouldn't want to carry them around your neck long. But overall I love them.

Customer Rating:

Summary: Absolutely the best binoculars I've used
Comment: The problem with high power binoculars is that humans can't hold them steady, and that jitter makes it impossible to really look at something without a tripod. The image stabilization in this pair solves that problem and holds things rock steady. This is an expensive product that clearly distingues itself, and one of those products that technology makes seem a little magic.

I have only two small complaints: First, for a product this expensive they should pre-install the neck strap for you -- not a big deal, but it would be nice for the customer. Second, I wish the lens cap covers were higher quality and attachable to the unit so they wouldn't get lost. Again, not a big deal.

These are without a doubt the best binoculars I've ever used.

More Reviews

Editorial Reviews:

Canon's 18x50 IS binoculars incorporate an optical image stabilizer for shake-free viewing and minimal eye fatigue. This technology was first developed for Canon video camcorders and is now available in many of Canon's binoculars. The system employs a Vari-Angle Prism, dual transparent plates, independent vertical and horizontal sensors, and a dedicated microprocessor to continuously adjust the prism to maintain a steady image.

The 18x50 IS binoculars feature a water-resistant, shock-resistant rubber coating for a nonslip grip and better durability. If you get caught in the rain and still want to view, you don't have to worry about the optics fogging up. These binoculars deliver high magnification and wide-field viewing. Controls for focusing and image stabilization are centrally located and accessible by both hands. These binoculars provide long eye relief for extra comfort.

Image Stabilization and More
With any high magnification binoculars, most users will experience frustrating image shake. Unless fixed to a tripod, image shake can render high magnification binoculars useless. Canon's IS technology is remarkably effective at eliminating this problem and is widely used by the television industry with Canon's professional broadcast quality video recording equipment. A special VAP (Vari-Angle Prism) corrective IS system sits between the objective lens group and the porro prism on each side of the binoculars. Within thousandths of a second of the binoculars being moved from their optical axis by vibrations, a detection system activates the IS mechanism. The VAP shape alters to refract or 'bend' the light path by precisely the right amount, thus fully compensating for the vibration. It is this essentially immediate response that effectively suppresses image shake.

Super Spectra Coating
A number of optical factors affect the brightness of an image, including the amount of incidental light that is reflected by the lens. An uncoated lens will refelect away as much as 8% of the incidentail light, significantly dimming the image. Canon's Super Spectra Coating prevents that reflection.

What do the numbers mean?
15x50? 8x25? The two numbers used to describe any pair of binoculars are their magnification — 8x, 12x, 15x and so on — and the diameter of their objective lenses — 25mm, 36mm, 50mm, and so on. The larger the first number is, the larger the object will appear to be in the objective lens. For instance, if you use a 10x lens and look at an object that is 100 yards away, it appears to be the same size as an object located just 10 yards away. The second number, the size of the objective lens, is important because the larger the objective lens, the more light it can admit for brighter, more detailed images, and the better suited they will be for lowlight situations.

A look inside