Canon 10x42 L IS WP Image Stabilized Binoculars

Very clear viewing and the IS works great. However, compared to the Canon 10x30 IS I also own they are much larger and considerably more heavy. I wouldn't want to lug them around very long. Optically they are comparable. However, the 10x42 have a larger aperture thus better with less light, and, they are waterproof which isn't huge for my viewing conditions.

A fantastic product for both birding and astronomy. Details of the bird feathers, the bark of the tree it was sitting in, or of the moon's craters are seen with great clarity and without chromatic aberration. This performance is in sharp contrast to unstabilized binoculars. The padded case is a tight fit, no room for lens hoods; it also has an internal pocket for holding two AA batteries. This is a nice touch; but in frigid conditions two may not be enough. The ocular covers are awkward but do the job. I added two Hoya 52mm UV and two screw-in Sensei lens covers to better protect the coated viewing glass which attracts dust. A pricey product, but well worth it.

As a long time Canon guy, I am no stranger to their image stabilized (IS) lenses. So I was wondering how it would perform on this bino. Until you actually get one in your hands, it is really different in a good way. A great way. An incredible way! More on IS in a bit. Ergonomics: A bit bulky I suppose. After using them for a few hours I did wish they had a better feel to them. But certainly not bad enough to not want to use them. Then after a week of use, they seemed to fit my hands better. They are on the heavy side so I am using the included Vortex harness. Using the neck strap would be too heavy for my injured neck. Objective caps: Lots of complaints from users but, they snap in to the threaded rings in a certain way. It takes a few times to get it right and they stay in place just fine. I did purchase 52mm aluminum lens hoods for added protection for the objectives. I highly recommend added protection for the objectives. Focus: Incredibly smooth and precise. I can't imaging a smoother focusing dial. The slightest movement with the focuser gets you in perfect focus every time. This is the best focuser I have used on any optic I have had. Optics: They are Canon's L glass in a bino! The red ring on the objectives does mean something. Simply outstanding clarity edge to edge, great contrast and no CA. Super bright and bold! Simply the best views I have ever seen in a bino! The image is the sharpest, and cleanest I have ever observed through a bino even without IS engaged. Color rendition is also 2nd to none! Simply outstanding! Coating: We have high humidity here and a rain storm happened so it became very steamy and hot after the storm. Perfect chance to go out and check the anti-fogging optics. Well they did what they were supposed to. Zero fogging taking them from an AC environment right into the heat and back into the house AC. These are also water-proof, not just water resistant. IS : Trying to compare the IS in these to a Canon lens is on par with the sound and engagement of the lens IS. A bit more pronounced in the bino but nothing harsh at all. Panning had no rolling effect as I read from some reviews, and the IS stayed on when using the 5 minute operation with no interruption. I do find holding down the IS button my least favorite way of engagement. At times it disengaged but, that was my fault as my finger seemed to move off the center of the button. For me, I like to engage the IS button for the whole 5 minute session. These bino's went way beyond what I was expecting in quality and IS. After a short session watching some birds from an open window, I put the unit down for a late lunch. I just had to pick them up again and use them again before I finished putting my sandwich together!! They are really addictive because of the quality of the views it gives. That is how addictive these things are. Really! While viewing objects at the very short minimum distance just over 8 feet, (another big selling point for me), or a mile away, I used the words Amazing, and WOW all day! It is a very different viewing experience. With a camera, we see our intended object, pan to it, engage the IS, and take the picture. This is usually a quick process especially with birds and wildlife. With the IS bino's, I find myself studying the target for a very long time, soaking in all the detail that simply cannot be seen with a non-IS bino. For instance, I was going back and forth to compare views from my Nikon and the new binos. I was seeing things that I missed or my brain dismissed without the Canon IS. I could see ants crawling up a bird feeder that I missed with the Nikon, and detail in a patch of rust that the shaky view of the Nikon refused to give up. This is a game changer! I got a chance to view the Super Moon on August 1-2023 and the views were spectacular. Big bright and bold, great contrast and no CA to speak of. Details could be seen with the IS engaged that you only get with a tripod. I have not yet tried to do any other astro-viewing because of horrible weather here. Cloudy all the time except, when a Full Moon occurs. I can hold the Nikons very steady. But there is absolutely no comparison between the two. I found myself holding my breath with the Nikon and that takes a lot out of me. With the Canon, I also was holding my breath, out of habit. I soon learned to not do so, and breath normally. This makes the session even more enjoyable right! I found that normal breathing would still not effect the IS but the whole FOV would kind of move with me. Sort of. In a good way! I was following a Dragonfly and it was doing its abrupt dodging back and forth. I then engaged the IS and then I could really keep the Dragonfly in the center of the FOV so much easier. It actually seemd like I was viewing a clip from Nat Geo! So fluid and responsive! Amazing! I have no regrets on this purchase. For me, this is a new and exciting way to look at the world around me! Complete freedom to walk around with an optic that does not require a tripod, holding your breath, or having shaky hands. It is hands down one of the best optical purchases I have ever made.

Primary use is terrestrial viewing, wildlife watching, plane spotting and astronomy. I was skeptical about the IS feature and spent many months in analysis paralysis until I finally pulled the trigger and purchased these. I knew the red line Canon optics would be perfect in all aspects ( clarity, CA and field flatness -- and they are) but it was the IS I was skeptical of. Hindsight I wasted much time worrying over this as the IS feature basically turns a jittery view into a static picture where you can discern details you never knew were there, whether it be a open star cluster, the letters on the side of a aircraft at altitude or the fine details of a small warbler high up in a tree. Think of it like this, if you were viewing through regular binoculars and wanted a better detailed view you would rest them on something solid or mount them on a tripod, with the Canon IS, you simply click the button and wala the view is stunningly steady and details you never knew were there pop out. To say IS is a game changer would be an accurate statement. So, as askes, are there Things that aren't so great about it ? Well most every one gripes about the lense caps, and they aren't that great, but there are solutions easily implemented if they bother you, me personally I remove them to view, then when finished I replace then and put the binoculars back in the case, mine seem to stay on just fine but the objective covers can be a bit fiddly. Thats it in my opinion. Bottom line, if you're looking for a great set of binoculars stop looking and get these, 10x42L IS and you wont be dissapointed or have any buyers remorse.

There are lots of reviews of the image quality and stabilization of these binoculars. Those parts are really great. But I feel like the engineers who designed them never actually used them. The lens caps for the objective lenses are simply terrible. I can put them on, set the binoculars down on my desk, pick them up and the caps fall off. Put them in the case, walk around for a few minutes and the caps will have come loose in the case. These front lenses are exposed and important and need to be protected. As well, the ease that the caps are taken off and put back on is a big part of the user experience. As with other brands there should be the option for some type of tether so when you take them off they don't fall. Reading other reviews folks buy hoods and lens caps and tether straps to fix this, but then the binoculars don't fit in the supplied case, so you'll need to buy a new case as well. None of the lens caps fall off my Canon camera lenses - this just isn't that hard of a problem, but here I feel they've really dropped the ball.

I've used the binoculars several times already and I'm very impressed with them. They are very well-built and have an adequate field of view which I did not get in my previous image stabilized binoculars made by a different company. The IS feature works pretty well but it does seem as though it takes a second or two for it to stabilize once it is activated. The better field of view that I have with these binoculars is far superior to previous ones so that is not a big deal. One minor issue that I have is that the objective lens covers don't fit very tightly. I'm going to be looking for an alternate set of covers.