10x30 IS II Small Compact Lightweight Portable Travel Binoculars - 10x Magnification - Built-in Image Stabilizer - Rubber Eyecups, Fingertip Control- Ideal for travel, birdwatching, sports

Well I was a little skeptical about these. I wanted a pair of birding binoculars and I wasn't planning on spending this much. But I was slightly suckered in and watched a few videos on Youtube of people who loved the technology. Having had a chance to use them in a variety of settings, I would highly recommend these and I think the price is about right for them. They are a good quality pair of 8x30 binoculars. They have a nice flat field and a bright image. There is some chromatic abberation seen in high contrast targets with some coloured fringing but this is quite acceptable and you won't find many pairs that don't experience this without spending a lot more for APO glass. They are comfortable and have a pleasing weight. I find they fit my hands perfectly and my hands naturally rest on the focus and the button. Eye relief is good. Whilst I don't wear glasses, these would be good for people who do. And then we have the stabilisation. It's quite incredible. I have shaky hands and have never really got on with binoculars for birding. These are amazing. You hold the button and suddenly you can see twice the detail and your eyes naturaly relax. It's like looking at a photo instead of a shaky video. I was able to track a hobby all the way up to his perch in a quarry. A lovely view and would never have been able to spot him at that distance without the stabilisation. I also had a quick go for Astro use. Admittedly, they don't have the aperture for real astro work. But for scanning the craters of the moon or tracking the moons of Jupiter, they are adequate. The stabilisation puts them in the class as an instrument of much higher aperture and stability. You cannot resolve surface details of Jupiter, you can tell Saturn has rings but not really resolve details.They are limited but what do you expect at 30mm aperture? I cannot really fault these for what I use them for. They have changed my experience of nature and I will be using them for many years.

Pros: Very good optical quality with sharp images over at least 80-90% of the field. Unless you are able to hold standard binoculars very steady then the image stabilising is an amazing advance. Like having a tripod but without having to carry round / set up any extra kit. These binoculars are great for stargazing if you want something light and hand-held. At night, the image stabilising makes up for the relatively small lenses. 10x is a great magnification for birdwatching in the daytime also. The eye relief is OK for glasses - in fact personally I find it a little too long. Lightweight and easy to hold. Use standard AA batteries (unlike the cheaper Canon 8x25 IS which uses a more specialised battery) Cons: The exit pupil size is small - 3mm - which does make correct positioning of the eye pieces critical to get a clear view throughout the field. Trickier to use than eg a 10x50. Just old fashioned rubber caps to adjust eye positioning distance from the lenses - a lot of modern binoculars have a rotating mechanism which gives more adjustability, is easier to use and generally more durable. Probably not as waterproof / resistant to knocks and falls as non-image stabilised binos. No objective lens caps supplied. Have to hold down the button to keep the IS working. Relatively expensive.

Really good bins a little expensive but you get what you pay for. Amazon had them on offer so I bought. Very clear vision and the stabiliser works a treat. Ergo friendly, feels very nice in the hands. Very neat and tidy case to go with it. They're perfect for what I want.

Purchase for my wife. Lovely build quality, nice weight, good field of view and amazing stabilisation. Brilliant for bird watching but a pleasant surprise was how capable they were for star gazing. All of a sudden I could see thousands of stars previously out of our visual reach. AMAZING!

This is our first 'good' set of binoculars, previously only having relatively cheap, non-IS types, so I've nothing to directly compare them with. However, I'm pleased with the quality. The Image Stabilisation is excellent and they are reasonably light to take away on holiday etc. So far, I'm pleased with them. I did a lot of research before buying and it looks like this was worthwhile.

I wanted a new set of binoculars for horse racing. That means keeping it lightweight and compact as you are carrying it with you all day. You want them powerful enough for the mile+ races but not too powerful for when it gets closer. The 10x30 is great for about 1 mile 2 furlongs on the straight. For longer than that, 12x would be better. However, the Canon 12x36 (the other I tested) was better at long range but become unsuitable about a 2 furlongs out. The 10x30 hit the sweet spot needed. I don't have shaky hands but the image stabilisation is so good that I could not use a conventional binocular again. A simple button on top to press and hold whilst you want it is in a natural position for your fingers. it really is a game changer. The case is basic and straps are not great. Canon scrimped a bit there but you can buy plenty of decent third party cases and straps. I am considering an additional set of bins for greater magnification as we live rurally and have long distance views. 10x30 isn't enough for that (or astronomy) Those will also be from the Canon IS range as i like the IS so much. But the 10x30 is now my go to set for horse racing and general out and about.

You know when you just want something but struggle to justify a reason for spending a fair amount of money for fear of your partner finding out ? Luckily birthday money from the kids and an Amazon sale in July came to my rescue. I did much reading in advance on which 'bins' to buy, and, stating the obvious, it really does depend on what you intend using them for. Initially, I wanted to be Patrick Moore's replacement but the cost of Canon high powered variants for astronomy was very, very prohibitive and unfortunately my kids don't love me that much. Plus they are heavy, and I mean heavy, to the point of being a pain in the neck....literally. So after a quick reality check I decided my needs were for general purpose, above entry-level binoculars, reasonable in weight so can be taken anywhere, with image stabilization (IS). Oh and a little moon / star / satelite / Internation Space Station gazing thrown in for good measure. Well, what can I say. They are superb. IS is absolutely fantastic, and way exceeded my expectations. Even the wife was amazed staring at the moon. Mmm cunning plan...I give her these for Xmas and I go buy...... Worth every penny.

Bought for my husband whom likes bird watching, he has shaky hands, and these he says are fabulous to keep focus.