The Binocular Site
Image Stabilized Binoculars
Image stabilization is a relatively new technology originally developed for video cameras and military applications. If you’ve ever looked through high powered binoculars and had difficulty holding on an image, you know why people pay a premium for image stabilization.
How does image stabilization work?
There are two kinds of image stabilization: active and passive systems.
Active systems use a sensor. The sensor picks up shifts in the binoculars’ attitude and an aspect of the binocular system will effectively correct movement. This correction occurs most frequently in fluid in the prism - this is why image shifting is, in fact, more fluid. Most of these are battery operated, so the batteries will need to be replaced frequently.
Passive Systems use one of two methods. Some use gyroscope technology to stabilize the image. In other models, the prisms of the binocular may be disengaged from the housing inside the binocular. This disengagement works similar to a shock absorber that will give your eye a “smoother ride.” Any motion shifting is carried out fluidly.
A variable-angle prism system is currently the best combination of effectiveness and affordability in image stabilization systems.
The image stabilization tradeoff
With image stabilization, the most obvious disadvantage is you are likely to be getting a heavier pair of binoculars, and you will also be paying more. As well, you will not get comparable clarity. When the image is stabilized, you simply can not retain the same quality of magnification. Image stabilization in practice Image stabilized binoculars (and telescopes, too, for that matter) are excellent for use in astronomy. Note, of course, that you do not get maximal clarity, but if you are standing outside on a cool night, you’re likely to get dizzy trying to look through your binoculars that quiver as you shiver.
Some image stabilization binoculars
The Canon 12x36 IS or even the 10x30 are generally well received. As noted above, these are ideal for stargazing. Some other well liked, well reviewed image stabilization models are the Celestron 10x50 Ultima and the Orion 10x42 UltraView.
