How are you integrating Image stabilized binoculars into your system?

[swavescatter]

Just a fair warning PSA... I got to use/try a pair during first season. Although awesome they made me motion sick after about 20 seconds of use. Tried multiple times on multiple days. I may be the only one that this will ever happen to but ya might wanna look through some before you drop major coin to find out you can't use em either.

My hunting buddy also suffers from PMS (pansy motion sickness) and gets dizzy from the motion stabilization. He also has to take meds and wear patches to ride the merry-go-round.

So yeah, it's a real thing. He sticks with his NL Pures/BTX off a tripod, and I'm always waiting for him to set up to glass a hillside after scanning it with my IS binos handheld.

For me, I use my 16x42's for nearly everything, unless in tight timber where I use the 10x30's. With my 16's I glass up elk and deer out to two miles out, no problem. I'm not an inch-counter and just need to know bull/buck from cow/doe and they work great for that. I've sold my spotter and my Maven 15's mostly stay in the truck unless I'm going to be sitting for an hour or so (rare for me).

I still need a RF, and don't like the handhelds so I'm stuck lugging around my Sig 10k's for rangefinding duties. If I pack a small tripod, these work perfectly fine on a tripod for low light work or more careful glassing.

For me, I'm waiting for someone to make a dual bino harness. If anyone has a handy way of carrying both binos for quick access let me know. I tried the Hill People Gear jumbo pouch and it's just not working...

 

[TitsMcGee]

Although awesome they made me motion sick after about 20 seconds of use. Tried multiple times on multiple days.

Cliff Gray has 2 videos explaining how to prevent that. Might be worth checking out. But if you got the 12x42’s are already committed to never using them again let me know!

 

[Wprinkle]

My hunting buddy also suffers from PMS (pansy motion sickness) and gets dizzy from the motion stabilization. He also has to take meds and wear patches to ride the merry-go-round.

So yeah, it's a real thing. He sticks with his NL Pures/BTX off a tripod, and I'm always waiting for him to set up to glass a hillside after scanning it with my IS binos handheld.

For me, I use my 16x42's for nearly everything, unless in tight timber where I use the 10x30's. With my 16's I glass up elk and deer out to two miles out, no problem. I'm not an inch-counter and just need to know bull/buck from cow/doe and they work great for that. I've sold my spotter and my Maven 15's mostly stay in the truck unless I'm going to be sitting for an hour or so (rare for me).

I still need a RF, and don't like the handhelds so I'm stuck lugging around my Sig 10k's for rangefinding duties. If I pack a small tripod, these work perfectly fine on a tripod for low light work or more careful glassing.

For me, I'm waiting for someone to make a dual bino harness. If anyone has a handy way of carrying both binos for quick access let me know. I tried the Hill People Gear jumbo pouch and it's just not working...

LMAO!! Its weird I can ride roller-coasters, skydive, offshore fish and nothin... IS binos and those f'n teacups at Disney kick my @ss!!! dnag PMS

 

[Wprinkle]

Cliff Gray has 2 videos explaining how to prevent that. Might be worth checking out. But if you got the 12x42’s are already committed to never using them again let me know!

These were loaners/ tester binos.. I didn't own em just allowed to use em.

 

[greyghostnw]

No integration here. Been using 10x and a spotter on a tripod for 25 years and have zero reason to switch. I'm not going to rely on batteries to make or break a hunt.

Do you use a range finder or purely reticle and calculator? Dont the binos still work when is is off?

 

[Pmiller45]

I have had the 16s for a few years now. They definitely have been useful for me in different situations. My favorite use has been from a vehicle but a few other situations like hiking and needing to look at a long distance without pulling out the tripod or when I’m out of breath from moving up a mountain as fast as possible. I seem to be able to identify animal size much better with the stabilized binos than hand holding any regular 10, 12, or 15 power binos.

What drives me crazy about them is the depth of focus. I am constantly running the focus back and forth to get a clear image at different distances. In low light trying to get a good focus is frustrating to me as well. I don’t have that problem on any of my other glass. Does anyone else seem to have issues with such narrow range of focus? While I enjoy the stabilization I’ve found myself leaving them in the truck and keeping my regular 10s on my chest.


Hope to get some IS offerings from some of the Alpha companies in the future see how they workout.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[alexnelon]

I went through my IS phase with Canons and Fujis a decade ago. The drawback I could never get over is the mechanical inability to finely focus the image (which is why the tech is dead and all the camera brands switched to sensor stabilization).

The novelty will wear off and most people will go back to wanting to see things more clearly.

 

[alexnelon]

What drives me crazy about them is the depth of focus. I am constantly running the focus back and forth to get a clear image at different distances. In low light trying to get a good focus is frustrating to me as well. I don’t have that problem on any of my other glass. Does anyone else seem to have issues with such narrow range of focus? While I enjoy the stabilization I’ve found myself leaving them in the truck and keeping my regular 10s on my chest.


Hope to get some IS offerings from some of the Alpha companies in the future see how they workout.

The quality of the glass isn't really the issue.

The inability to maintain (or even achieve in most cases) fine focus is simply a byproduct of the act of moving glass inside the optic. It's a mechanical limitation there's no way around it. That's why the camera industry stopped working on it 25+ years ago.

 

[cwitt]

I’m wondering how everyone is utilizing them? Have they taken over all roles, as a “one to rule them all” optic? Or are they still only a part of the system, and what goal does this equipment solve in that process?

I use them exponentially more than I planned. I originally bought the 16s to take with me to Mexico using out of the high rack. They were phenomenal for that. Then they became my go to truck bino. Then I started grabbing them for archery stalks because the ability to hold them with one hand is amazing. Then they started living on my chest for rifle hunts too.

To answer your question, they’re a part of my system but they are a big part. If I have the ability, which is a lot of the time, I use them in conjunction with my NL14s and tripod. Looking through them more than 5 minutes straight gives me a headache so they’re used during the hike in or on a stalk until I get to a place I can pull out the 14s. If I am doing a hunt where it isn’t feasible to bring both, I do grab my NL12s. But that just isn’t as often as I thought it would be. It is crazy to think that my 12s have essentially become a back-up bino but really they have.

 

[outdoorguyBP]

My dad has the 12x Sigs for 2 years now and they are a MASSIVE improvement for him because his hands have been shaky for 30+ years just like his older brother (so far I am without that trait thankfully) For that reason when we are hunting together he is obviously packing them and my use was very limited. But I had a couple hunts this year without him and took them for a ride.

On an ID archery elk hunt they were fantastic, no tripod or spotter carried and they are so easy to view while on the move/breathing and quick. I did spot deer at distance with them in the prime time hours but focus and a darker image was an issue in truly judging the animal (buck/doe?).

On a UT rifle deer hunt I packed my Leica 10x RF binos in my harness and tried to find a place to hold/rest the Sigs which mostly ended up in my hand. I wanted to see how they worked on the move which is were they shined. To me the focus seemed to work in this space. Prime time hours and extended glassing time was spent with the Leicas mounted to the tripod. I would swap between them looking at something down in a canyon or in the trees and that is where the Sigs weakness came out. Dark and lack of a crisp focus. In normal daylight (bright or overcast) I really didn’t notice the focus/light being much of an issue.

On a MT rifle deer hunt I packed the Sigs and a handheld RF with 15x Zeiss in my pack for glassing sessions. Oh how I hate a separate RF unit. But this setup did quite well, quality of glass for sitting down and glassing during those critical times and IS while on the move.

In both rifle hunts, I did find myself spot checking different/new areas quickly with the Sigs when taking a neck break from the tripod mounted glass. And I do feel animals were spotted faster or all together located instead of being missed while on the move.

I plan on using them again for sure and I would say I am leaning towards how I used them in MT for a rifle hunt because having 2 binos out/zon your chest was a real S-show most of them time in UT.

 

[Alpine4x4]

I went through my IS phase with Canons and Fujis a decade ago. The drawback I could never get over is the mechanical inability to finely focus the image (which is why the tech is dead and all the camera brands switched to sensor stabilization).

The novelty will wear off and most people will go back to wanting to see things more clearly.

What? The tech is not dead at all. Every high end camera lens produced uses in lens stabilization that floats the glass elements to counteract lens shake. Camera manufacturers have added IBIS (in body image stabilization via the sensor) to their bodies to add more stabilization, but it has not replaced in lens stabilization. IBIS shines with cheaper lenses that lack IS and further stabilizers IS lenses, up to 8 stops if using high end glass on the Canon side. Canon mirrorless cameras also only activate IBIS when the attached lens doesnt have IS or if the attached lens does have IS and the IS is on. You cant use IBIS standalone with an IS lens.

 

[Alpine4x4]

I currently keep SLC 10s on my chest and the Sig 16x42's in my pack. I dont even carry a spotting scope anymore, but they're not really required where I hunt. The IS of the Sigs is fantastic and I find myself using them more than my SLC's, so much so I have been toying with replacing my SLC's with the 10x30 Sigs, I just dont know if I can give up that clear alpha glass if using a tripod. One handed operation when bow hunting is a major win for the Sigs. Biggest downfall is the poor FOV and poor low light capability, but the IS makes up for it in most scenarios. My buddy is always stealing my Sigs now too if I put them down during a glassing session, hes sold.


Heres to hoping Swaro puts out a solid IS contender with a 10x42 size and a wide FOV, I'd sell an organ to get one.

 

[JGRaider]

Do you use a range finder or purely reticle and calculator? Dont the binos still work when is is off?

I use a bino/rf unit. If the battery fails I still have a usable bino to finish the hunt with. If those image stabilized units fail, you're left with a very narrow FOV, tunnel vision, below average optics, and very ergo unfriendly. I've personally never seen the need.

 

[alexnelon]

What? The tech is not dead at all. Every high end camera lens produced uses in lens stabilization that floats the glass elements to counteract lens shake. Camera manufacturers have added IBIS (in body image stabilization via the sensor) to their bodies to add more stabilization, but it has not replaced in lens stabilization. IBIS shines with cheaper lenses that lack IS and further stabilizers IS lenses, up to 8 stops if using high end glass on the Canon side. Canon mirrorless cameras also only activate IBIS when the attached lens doesnt have IS or if the attached lens does have IS and the IS is on. You cant use IBIS standalone with an IS lens.

I didn't mean they stopped using it, I mean that physical lens stabilization technology has not progressed in any real way since ~2010 when they switched from electron gyroscopes to magnetic position detection sensors.

Even Canon's current patent application which could be the biggest advancement in years is just a way to make the position detection sensors smaller but still allow the lens to focus. Which has no application to observation optics.

 

[Alpine4x4]

I didn't mean they stopped using it, I mean that physical lens stabilization technology has not progressed in any real way since ~2010 when they switched from electron gyroscopes to magnetic position detection sensors.

Even Canon's current patent application which could be the biggest advancement in years is just a way to make the position detection sensors smaller but still allow the lens to focus. Which has no application to observation optics.

That is definitely true, but there isnt an issue with finely focusing the image in camera lenses. The addition of IBIS is geared towards stacking stabilization with in lens stabilization to better allow the photographer to adjust ones settings in low light or to better utilize non stabilized lenses. Really has nothing to do with the inability of the lens to focus sharply. Its an odd comparison to make when talking about optics that as far as I'm aware arent using an image sensor like a camera.

I cant say I've noticed much of an issue getting my Sigs to focus finely, more so just noticing that they arent THAT sharp of glass as compared to higher tier optics. I have been curious about trying Canons IS L Binos, but their weight keeps me at bay.

 

[alexnelon]

That is definitely true, but there isnt an issue with finely focusing the image in camera lenses. The addition of IBIS is geared towards stacking stabilization with in lens stabilization to better allow the photographer to adjust ones settings in low light or to better utilize non stabilized lenses. Really has nothing to do with the inability of the lens to focus sharply. Its an odd comparison to make when talking about optics that as far as I'm aware arent using an image sensor like a camera.

I cant say I've noticed much of an issue getting my Sigs to focus finely, more so just noticing that they arent THAT sharp of glass as compared to higher tier optics. I have been curious about trying Canons IS L Binos, but their weight keeps me at bay.

First point is absolutely right, the two are not really analogous except in the fact that optical stabilization technology has only ever been driven by camera lenses and observation optics stabilization are simply derivative from that pursuit.

I would skip the Canons and try the Fuji TS-L 1640 if you can get hands on them. They're made in Japan with ED glass and Fuji's EBC multicoating and they're like 31 oz with batteries.

 

[Str8shooter]

I put the 16 zulus in a marsupial rig on my hip belt, and still run the 8x32 RFs in the chest. They really do shine quick scanning little openings/ridgelines/meadows while walking through new country and scouting new areas from the vehicle and particularly during the crepuscular periods when animals are on their feet. Glass quality isnt there to dig into the shadow realm for mid day bedded bucks but for checking off big swaths of antelope and elk country they are excellent.

 

[Alpine4x4]

I put the 16 zulus in a marsupial rig on my hip belt, and still run the 8x32 RFs in the chest. They really do shine quick scanning little openings/ridgelines/meadows while walking through new country and scouting new areas from the vehicle and particularly during the crepuscular periods when animals are on their feet. Glass quality isnt there to dig into the shadow realm for mid day bedded bucks but for checking off big swaths of antelope and elk country they are excellent.

What pack/belt are you running? That doesnt sound like a half bad idea to do with my Exo K4.