Rating: 
Summary: Good but far from great
Review: I've owned my 18x50 binocs for two years now, and have used them mainly for astronomy. Perhaps my expectations were too high, but...(1) I found the image to be less stable than expected. It's certainly better than with no IS system at all, but not as solid as you'd get from using a good tripod. Of course, using a tripod near the zenith is a problem, but there are solutions for that, such as the Sky Window system (the binocs look downward, at a mirror). After an hour's observing, you'll definitely notice how heavy these binocs are. (2) I found a large amount of residual color on bright objects...red on one side, blue on the other. I attribute this to the prisms used in the IS system. (3) The maximum interocular distance is just barely wide enough for my eyes. The diopter adjustment has considerable stick and slip. I'd rather wear my glasses than mess with the diopter, but the eye relief isn't sufficient. (4) The binocs come without lens OG lens caps, which is strange, considering how expensive they are. I suggest you NOT buy this binocs online. Go to a store that will let you take them outside. Examine a star-like object, such as sun glint off a power line insulator. Check out the IS, the residual color, and the weight. See if the store will let you have them "on approval," and try them out at night. And don't forget, you can buy a pretty good apochromatic telescope for $2000. Roger Rensvold
Hong Kong
Rating: 
Summary: This will float your boat.
Review: My ten years with a $1,000 pair of Steiners was a long and happy relationship. Few things on a boat last that long or work so well. However......in pitching seas I never really mastered their use and when I needed them most, they served me the least. Along comes a nifty boat show demonstration of the new Canon Image Stabilizers (in an 18x50 setup....excellent for open water) and voila, the Steiners become below-decks backups and the Canons rise to the bridge. They are magnificent, with great optics, very good balance and of course the incredible advantage of image stabilization that actually works in 6 foot seas!
Rating:
Summary: Almost a hand-held telescope
Review: One of my co-workers got a pair of these from Amazon today. Wow! We stood at the window of our 24th floor office and read the menu of a hot-dog cart on a corner a block and a half away. What really clinches it (and made it possible to read the hot-dog cart menu) is the image stabilization. If you have a high magnification, any minor shake of your hand is magnified. Try it with a video camera with one of thos high digital zooms. When you're at 100x, even the electronic image stabilization can't compensate just for the average minor muscle twitches in your hand. The image stabilization on this is optical (i.e. analog), not digital, meaning there's no fuzzing of the image as a processor tries to adjust the image to compensate for vibration. Optical zoom and optical stabilization require more expensive mechanical components to implement, thus you'll see mid-range video cameras offering their digital counterparts to enhance or substitute for optical zooms and stabilizers. Given, these binoculars will set you back a pretty penny, but you could go to a ball game, sit in the nosebleeds and count the laces on the ball. Definitely a very cool thing for the gadget-oriented.
Rating: 
Summary: Stabalized image at high power worth the money
Review: The optics and general quality are what to expect for binoculars at one third the price. But image stabilization changes everything. At 18X power, conventional hand-held binoculars, even thousand dollar ones, require support; either tripod or at the very least, elbows carefully resting on a car roof or on both knees when sitting on the ground. (The latter two methods rule out skyward viewing or sweeping views). The base is threaded for tripod use, which serves as a reminder of what you would need if you forgot to put in the two AA batteries. The Image Stabilizer feature is fingertip selective, so that fully comparing the IS image with the non-stabilized image is easy in all situations. The stabilization is not perfect, as there is still some need to hold them steady. But the residual image-shake is less than for 6X power unstabilized binocs, and the effect at 18X is very pleasing, even startling -- binocular Image Stabilization is no gimmick. One-handed viewing is nearly as good as with a two handed grip, something out of the question for ordinary binoculars. A limitation of the IS feature is that when attempting sweeping views, or when following moving objects like airplanes, there occurs minor blurring as the system tends to misunderstand the user's deliberate movement as jerkiness. Thus it is necessary to follow objects smoothly. These binoculars came without lens caps for the objective lenses, a remarkable omission since the objective lenses are not well protected in the shallow recess of the encircling frame ridges. Presumably this is to keep bulk to a minimum. The eyepieces have somewhat oversized fold-back rubber cups. While these cups are not ergonomically shaped, as they could be -- bumping the eye brow while still admitting light at the sides -- they fold back for eyeglass wearers, and offer good incidental lense protection when extended. The soft, padded, lightweight nylon carrying case is adiquit, but could use a waist belt loop for easy carrying. (A premium quality hard case would be a nice accessary.) The carrying weight is not bad, feeling about the same as ordinary 50 mm porro prism binoculars.
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely the best binoculars I've used
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: Oh.....My.....God!
Review: These things are incredible! I received a pair of the Canon Image Stabilization Binoculars as a gift from a friend and was immediately blown away by how well they work. The fact that they don't shake makes it possible to read numbers and signs at great distances. I race on sailboats and the ability to read call letters and names on competitive boats is a real help. I also got the clearest view of the moon I have ever seen last night. The large lenses really capture a lot of light, so that you can see clearly at night as well. They are pricey, but you really get you money's worth with this product.
Rating:
Summary: It makes all the difference
Review: This is one of those purchases my family and I will enjoy for years. You can see the moons of Jupiter with these. You can enjoy a football game in a whole new way (Redskin, Army and Ohio State fans like me may want to wait a year!!). Great for bird watching or any trip into nature because you can see so many things wihout disturbing them - and they are exceptionally durable and weather-proof. I can't wait to get them to Jackson Hole to see the stars and planets away from city lights, plus elk and moose and the Tetons. To know why image stabilization is important with high power bino's, all you have to do is push the conveniant little button and it makes all the difference.
Rating:
Summary: Hi-tech solution for the gitters
Review: This is only the second pair of binoculars I've owned but I've used many pairs before from low end to relatively high end ones like Nikons and Leicas. I can say without hesitation that the Canon 18X50s have met all my expectations for clarity, build quality, and ease of use. They are still quite heavy so, you won't be holding them too long in one position but, the stabilization feature provides a stable, gitter free image. In my opinion, this feature makes up for optics that may not be in the same league with the high end stuff: the Canon 18X50s have more usable magnification for the money for non-tripod, hand held applications.
While this is not a scientific comparison, this is an example of the useability and magnification: I was at the beach looking at a parasailer in the distance - with the naked eye (20/20 for the record), I could see the chute pattern and a black speck below it; with my old Minolta 10X50s (jittering in my hands)I could make out shapes of heads and legs; with the Canon 18X50s, I could clearly see two people, a man and a child as well as the chute's cords - pretty impressive.
My only two gripes that have also been mentioned before are: no lense caps and the eye cups are stiff, fit poorly (to my face any way) and are uncomfortable. I find it better to fold the cups back for "eye glass" use even though I don't wear glasses. Other than that, I am very pleased with this purchase and would also highly recommend purchasing from Adorama Camera - they are quick, accommodating and responsive.
Rating:
Summary: Best technology and best price on the market
Review: To my knowledge there are only two image-stabilised binoculars on the market -- Canon's 18 x 50 or 15 x 50, and Zeiss' 20 x 60. In the UK the latter retail for just under 3,000 pounds. Having looked both at the Zeiss and the Canon, my (admittedly not very expert) judgement is that Canon has by far the better image stabilisation system. The Zeiss system is not battery powered but rather mechanical and does not eliminate as much wobble as the Canon system. On the other hand Zeiss are world leaders in producing crystal clear, bright images. The Zeiss binoculars are marginally better than Canon's in producing a bright image -- especially at sunrise and dusk. In the end, the Canon binoculars win because of the wonderful stabilising system -- and that fact that they are about 1/3 the cost of Zeiss. The Canon binoculars are ideal for bird watching and back-yard astronomy (looking at the moon through these binoculars is a truly wonderful experience). Although hardly low-cost they are a fantastic buy -- a marvel of modern technology and a source of lasting pleasure.
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