Image Stabilized Binoculars – Worth the Extra Money?
Image stabilized binoculars have been around for a good while, but in the grand scheme of binoculars they are new to the scene. For well over a hundred years people have been stabilizing their view through lenses the same way: as best as their hands can hold steady, or by setting, leaning, or attaching them to something solid. There are many situations where that is neither practical nor desirable, so some enterprising folks came up with a solution: image stabilization.
There are a couple different ways for stabilization to work. The most common is for an electronic system to monitor tiny movements in the binoculars (the lenses, really), and make adjustments in real time to make them appear to not be moving. In reality, movement is taking place on a constant basis, but to the observer the result is a rock-solid image unlike anything they’ve seen before. There are also some physical systems for achieving something similar, and even a few that do it digitally.
If you’ve never looked through a pair of image stabilized binoculars, you don’t know what you’re missing. It turns it into a wholly different experience, whether you’re using them for hunting, bird watching, or astronomy. You’ll probably find that you enjoy your hobbies even more than you used to once you’ve got a view with no jitter to speak of.
But it’s not all good; after all, there’s no such thing as a free lunch. The components needed to make the magic happen aren’t cheap, and the price tag will show it. Plus, binoculars with image stabilization weigh more than their unenhanced cousins. You’re arms will get a little tired a little faster than they used to.
They also need a power source for those nifty electronic gizmos to do their thing, generally batteries. So you need to make sure you have enough batteries on hand to get you through whatever plans you have, and you’ll always have the risk of running out. Plus you’re now paying for an activity that used to be free. Depending on your model, getting wet may also be an issue.
Disadvantages notwithstanding, it’s likely that once you’ve played around with a pair of image stabilized binoculars you’ll be going back to your budget to figure out how to free up a few more dollars to opt for the upgrade. Y our eyes and your head will thank you as they can relax and stop working so hard to deal with that jerky, moving image they’re used to.