Bokkie
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Reged: 04/04/2008
Posts: 162
Loc: Craptown (Crawley) UK.
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One of the main problems with most binos (binoculars) approaching 10x magnification is that of shake and can make the main point of focus difficult to observe. Of course it must be argued that you could use a tripod to hold them steady but most people who use binos do so because they are portable. Once you start to factor in weight and having to hold them high up above the threshold of arm comfort it's easy to appreciate that weight is a potential problem. The larger the front objectives are, the heavier they become but to be honest most of us choose magnification as the main buying decision. Once we start to scale the upper limit where shake becomes noticeable and distracting then roughly 10x magnification is the threshold. There are some binos that way exceed 10x but I suspect they become less usable and as a consequence, less used.
This is where VR (Vibration Reduction) binos attempted to take magnification to a new level. There are three main players in the VR bino market: Canon, Fujinon, and Nikon. I can't say anything about the Canon binos as I've never seen them. What is interesting is that some anecdotal comments say the Nikon binos are a simply a rebadged Fujinon. There may be some concept of shared technology but I think it's unlikely that Nikon have agreed with Fujinon to use patent transfer but who knows? In much the same way that most cars have four wheels and a steering wheel it's in the engine where significant differences are to be found. Nikon's binos are different. I don't think it's because they dress them differently but more that under the skin they are different. I'll say it as a snob upfront but I think the Nikon binos look better than the Fujinon do.
What exactly are these binos and what do Nikon offer? They have three models in their Stabileyes range: 12x32, 16x32 and 14x40. The ones I have are the 16x32 and apart from some differences to the 14x40 the 12x and 16x look mostly the same. Make no mistake, these are heavy puppies. The 12x and 16x weigh about 1.2Kg with batteries. Yes, they use batteries to power the direct drive motor and that's where these binos differ to conventional models. The bulk of the binos is taken up by the gimbal assembly, direct drive motor and the batteries. Light entering the front objectives is passed through to the prism assemblies mounted on the gimbal. The gimbal uses two positions sensors: one is the gyro stabilisation sensor which effectively keeps the gimbal steady; the other is the position sensor which compensates for vertical and horizontal motion. The sensors do the calculations needed to 'steer' the gimbal using the direct drive motor. Remarkably, it does an excellent job of stabilising the image. To do that the binos need some user controls.
Under the right eyepiece is the power button. It contains a LED which flashes for about five seconds during the power up sequence. During this time the binos are performing a number of checks. When the LED stays on the binos can be set to enable or disable the VR action using the lever under the left eyepiece. The power button LED changes colour depending on the health of the batteries and whether VR stabilisation is enabled or in standby. If enabled, the VR continuously checks and adjusts the gimbal. Given typical use, the two AA batteries should last six hours but expect it not to make that consistently. Of course you can still use the binos when the VR is off or if the main power button off. The batteries are located in the handgrip and a short external cable goes from the handgrip to the inside of the body. On the 14x model the batteries (four of them) are in the body of the binos.
Given the 16x magnification you'll soon appreciate that using VR is often a necessity. On top is the VR pause button (left index finger position). You'd use this when you want to switch from one viewed object to another or if you want to follow a fast moving object but it's a matter of choice if you want to use it or not.
In the center of the eyepieces is the focus control knob which is typically placed where you'd expect to find it. All things considered, there are just two control buttons and a VR stabilisation on/off lever so it's not exactly rocket science to get familiar with.
The angular viewing angle of each model varies slightly and on the 16x it is 3.8 degrees. An object viewed at 1000 meters will have a field of view of about 62 meters on the 16x; 83 meters on the 12x and 71 meters on the 14x. The level of brightness varies among the three models and on the 16x its stated brightness is 4 but I really don't know if that's actually good or not. Not surprisingly, the big 40mm front objectives of the 14x will be brighter than the 12x and 16x which have 32mm front objectives.
The eyepieces rotate. This means you can adjust the eye to rear objective distance. If you wear glasses turn the eyepiece rings in. If you want to use the binos without glasses rotate the eyepiece rings out putting more distance between your eye and the rear objective. The maximum rotation distance is about 15mm so it gives you a lot of room to suit your own eyes.
Setting the binos up is no great shakes. The interpupillary distance can be adjusted from about 56mm to 72mm so even the broadest-brow flattest-headed Neanderthal should find them adjustable. Again, it's not rocket science. You close your right eye and focus with your left. You then close your left. You can see where this is heading as you must now open your right eye. Looking at the same object you rotate the diopter ring that's forward of the right eyepiece and adjust it so that the eyepiece gives a sharp image. You simply adjust the focus to make sure both eyes are synchronised and that's it. You don't need to adjust it again.
The rear eyepieces come with protective lens covers. For some reason there is no such protection for the front objectives and it's not possible to protect them anyway. The case surrounding them does not let you fit after-market lens covers as it's hexagonally moulded. I think this is a surprising oversight as the front objectives are, by definition of their size alone, more likely to be at risk to potential damage than the rear objectives. To be sure, the front objectives are recessed in quite a way so maybe the body will protect them to some extent.
The binos come with an excellent manual and a really decent case and the strap is top drawer as well. The body is a sort of rubberised black and it's claimed they are waterproof and will float on water. They'd hardly boast about it if they sank, would they? This leaves only one question unanswered and that is: how well do they work? I saved the best till last.
These stabilising binos are superb. I've had the chance to use them for a few days in normal daylight to later evening conditions. At 16x magnification you can see detail that you'd be hard-pressed to see consistently with normal binos. The VR cannot totally eliminate all vibration and shake but the effect is significantly reduced. I went to an NT property and was able to study birds and squirrels in excellent detail. The use of VR is very restful on the eyes so you are able to hold your focus for much longer which means you see more detail. In VR mode the viewed object moves around a little but it's never intrusive and the image is bright, really very, very good indeed. Once you've tried a pair of VR binos I think you'll find you are hooked first-time. If you view complex objects where your point of focus is partially obscured you'll soon lock onto it and track it and I don't think you can do that with conventional binos of 10x magnification or greater. So are they everyone's cup of tea? The answer of course, is no, they are not.
The main obstruction is the cost. Expect little change from £900 for the 16x binos and even the 14x binos are tipping over £1000 in some places. There are some people who'd not pay £50 for a pair of binos regardless of how good they are. There are some people who get by using a point-and-click cheap camera and there are those who use nothing but the best body and lenses. The Nikon Stabileyes are classified as specialised binoculars on Nikon's website and that's where you have to position them. The optics are typical of Nikon and so is the overall product. There is something about them that oozes quality. For sure, there will be critics who'll look for bad points and I guess there are some things that can be improved but for out of the box usability and quality I think the Nikon binos are up there with the very best. That puts a fair distance between them and other manufacturers but like all things, it's a personal choice and one that I am very glad to have made. You could take these binos on to the dance floor and you'd 'pull' all night long because they just look so cool.
They are serious contenders though. They are not a gimmick. They work exceptionally well. They have excellent optics and brightness. They have excellent stabilisation. They are assembled to a very high standard. They are in short, Nikon.
Edited by huwevans (10/05/2008 14:26)
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Nod
Carpal \'Tunnel
Reged: 08/04/2006
Posts: 4311
Loc: Devon, UK.
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How good are they in low light situations? I only ask since I generally try to keep the mag x objective ratio to about 5 (ie 10 x 50 or 8 x 40) to allow plenty of light in and the 16 x 32s would give a ratio of 2 - possibly a bit dark.
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MATWSIJ.....
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Bokkie
member
Reged: 04/04/2008
Posts: 162
Loc: Craptown (Crawley) UK.
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Nod,
I see what you have in mind. I'd be better able to answer that if you could give me a time in the evening that you'd rate as low light conditions. Reason I ask, is that it's nearly 8pm here in the south east so I think it's after sunset but light enough not to be a problem perhaps? In an hours time it might be dark enough to tie in with the conditions you'd like me to comment on. I'll be happy to try the binos at the same time you'd like me to try them and hopefully it'll give you a better indication.
In the manual, Nikon say the lenses are specially coated to improve the response of the lens but that's old hat as just about every manufacturer does the same? The binos either have some nitrogen in them or are assembled in the presence of nitrogen to prevent fogging and condensation.
Anyway, let me know what kind of time you'd like me to have a look through them and I'll report back as best as I can.
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Peter. As nice a guy you'll meet anywhere.
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Nod
Carpal \'Tunnel
Reged: 08/04/2006
Posts: 4311
Loc: Devon, UK.
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Dawn and dusk really.
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MATWSIJ.....
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Malcolm_Stewart
Carpal \'Tunnel
Reged: 11/07/2005
Posts: 2548
Loc: Milton Keynes, UK
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Looks like an interesting and useful review.
Have you thought of posting your comments in the "Reviews" section of Birdforum? Birdforum Reviews. I've recently posted my comments about my 30D and it's a good place for binos and birding telescopes etc.
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Malcolm Stewart
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Bokkie
member
Reged: 04/04/2008
Posts: 162
Loc: Craptown (Crawley) UK.
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Malcolm, I never really thought of that. I'll take a look there later. I'm interested in taking up birding again. I used to do that quite a bit back in SA and I got the binos as part of the essential gear. Thanks for the heads-up on the birding forum.
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Peter. As nice a guy you'll meet anywhere.
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huwevans
Old Hand
Reged: 05/08/2000
Posts: 15413
Loc: Dorset, UK
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A useful review - thanks for putting in the time on that. Could I suggest some icing on the cake though with a couple of pictures? It would be nice to get an idea of how much bulk the stabilization adds, and maybe some detail shots of the controls - that sort of thing. If you'd care to do that I'd happily edit in the links for you. PM me if you're interested in doing it.
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Huw Evans.
  
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Bokkie
member
Reged: 04/04/2008
Posts: 162
Loc: Craptown (Crawley) UK.
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Huw, I've PM'd you for some advice about piccies. I guess you'll know that when you next look so delete this reply if you want.
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Peter. As nice a guy you'll meet anywhere.
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Bokkie
member
Reged: 04/04/2008
Posts: 162
Loc: Craptown (Crawley) UK.
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Quote:
Dawn and dusk really.
Nod, I've had a chance to try and assess it but it's not going to be very objective I'm afraid. Take the evening light (relatively cloudless and dry) at 20:00 and let that be as you see it without the binos. Try to compare that with the light at 20:20 and let that be the light as you see it through the binos. That's about the best I can describe it. During the day and early evening I can't really see much of a difference but later in the evening the binos are darker but even last night at about 20:45 I could still clearly distinguish shapes viewed through trees. I think that in part is due to the VR's assistance. I'd have no problem using these binos even now that it's 20:30. Not very scientific I admit but that's the best I can describe it.
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Peter. As nice a guy you'll meet anywhere.
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Nod
Carpal \'Tunnel
Reged: 08/04/2006
Posts: 4311
Loc: Devon, UK.
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Thanks for that.
How much (if any) of a problem is all that weight?
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MATWSIJ.....
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Bokkie
member
Reged: 04/04/2008
Posts: 162
Loc: Craptown (Crawley) UK.
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Nod, I think I read somewhere that VR binos are roughly 50% heavier than their non-VR counterparts. Are they heavy? I find them suprisingly 'light' in the sense that they are well balanced. The neck strap is quite broad and well padded so I've not experienced any pressure point carrying them.
Here is a link to a photo of the neckstrap that I posted on the photobucket website. The AA battery in the photo is for scale. I hope it works as it's my first unassisted photo post on the forum!
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Peter. As nice a guy you'll meet anywhere.
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Nod
Carpal \'Tunnel
Reged: 08/04/2006
Posts: 4311
Loc: Devon, UK.
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Bokkie, I use a D200, often with a Sigma 12-24 attached, so round-the-neck weight isn't a problem! (Especially with a neoprene, wide strap like that). It's more the held-to-the-eye weight that could be a pain in the arms.
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MATWSIJ.....
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Bokkie
member
Reged: 04/04/2008
Posts: 162
Loc: Craptown (Crawley) UK.
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Nod, from my view on the left field I've really not found held-to-the-eye to be a problem. The binos fit the paws just right and the weight of them is well balanced. The nice thing with the VR 'on' is that you sort of 'relax' your hold to an extent rather than trying to hold them solidly and tightly to minimise vibration, if that makes sense. What I'm trying to say is that rather than 'holding' the binos up I find I tend to 'support' them. For sure the weight is there and you are aware of it initially but I find I very quickly get used to it.
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Peter. As nice a guy you'll meet anywhere.
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huwevans
Old Hand
Reged: 05/08/2000
Posts: 15413
Loc: Dorset, UK
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A slightly off-topic observation, but I notice that the neck-strap supplied with a £1000 (in round figures) pair of binoculars looks to be several orders of magnitude nicer and more luxurious than the ones they supply with their £3000 pro-level DSLRs. 
Maybe it's an indication of the relative profit margins on the main kit.
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Huw Evans.
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Bokkie
member
Reged: 04/04/2008
Posts: 162
Loc: Craptown (Crawley) UK.
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All the more reason to sell your D3's and buy the binos instead. 
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Peter. As nice a guy you'll meet anywhere.
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huwevans
Old Hand
Reged: 05/08/2000
Posts: 15413
Loc: Dorset, UK
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If only I had the D3s to sell! I don't think I'd part with them for love nor money though. One day, maybe. :-)
I do have a nice pair of Leica bins though, so they'll probably see me out. I do keep thinking about buying a more compact pair at some point though - something small enough to live permanently in a pack or camera bag, or even a pocket - hence my interest. They'll have to be smaller than those stabilised ones though. but still, it's good to know what's available.
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Huw Evans.
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huwevans
Old Hand
Reged: 05/08/2000
Posts: 15413
Loc: Dorset, UK
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Moderator: Thread 'bumped' because of the addition of pictures.
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Huw Evans.
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Bokkie
member
Reged: 04/04/2008
Posts: 162
Loc: Craptown (Crawley) UK.
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Huw, many thanks for adding the photos.
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Peter. As nice a guy you'll meet anywhere.
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Burgy
Grateful not to have one
Reged: 13/04/2001
Posts: 5200
Loc: This far, from beating 7 shade...
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I rate Image stabilsation with binos, but I have to say that I prefer Canons idea, batteries in the binos, and the IS activation button falls right where your finger sits, no need to pause, you just take your finger off the button. Start up from pushing the button takes less than .25 of a second.
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Cheers
Burgy BSRIPN, BSc, DSO and Bar (now open 24/7).
it's not what you've got, its who you do it to
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Bokkie
member
Reged: 04/04/2008
Posts: 162
Loc: Craptown (Crawley) UK.
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I used the Stabileyes a lot in South Africa the last couple of weeks. In every case, they performed exceptionally well. They were widely admired by everyone who tried them. The ranger at the bush lodge we stayed at was awestruck by how effective VR binos are. He uses a pair of 10x50s as his regular equipment. As he told me, 10x is about as far as he can go in the bush as that's his threshold where shake becomes a problem. Once he used my VR binos and saw how effective they are he saw things that ordinarily he'd not have noticed.
From his experience he said his 10x50s were definately brighter in low light conditions, something I could confirm by using his. He said that with VR enabled, he could more than compensate for the loss of light simply because the image was 'clearer'. It was his first use of VR binos and he will be getting some just as soon as he can get the money for them.
I think though that most people who tried them were impressed because it was their first encounter with VR bino technology and that's probably because the concept is not widely known to the wider public audience.
One of the other rangers tried them too and he said in fairness that a fixed pair of 8x or 10x were better for him as there is nothing to go wrong and weight is something he likes to keep under good regulation when he goes on bush walks and I can appreciate his view. As I said in my review they are not for everyone and I stand by that. But once you've tried them they grow on you.
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Peter. As nice a guy you'll meet anywhere.
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