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.
Reply With Quote
