If you are a birder like me, and you are looking for a top of the line binoculars, do not buy anything before you try this one. In my opinion IS is going to revolutionize the whole field, so a costly pair of Swarovski or Zeiss, that normally could be considered as a good investment for life, will not be top of the line anymore in two or three years. In addition to the IS, the Canon has quite good optics, good field of view and is much smaller and lighter then most models you probably considered. This makes the Canon very close to the ideal birding binoculars: Highest resolution, less weight, and less money. I did not have the opportunity to test the larger Canon IS models, but I don't think I'd buy them even if I had the money, because they are twice as heavy and (very important for birding) has smaller field of view.

Note one general disadvantage of the Canon, however: They are not as tough as the top roof prism binoculars. They are water resistant but not water proof, and the IS requires batteries (a pair of NiMH for several hours of birding. This is the digital camera procedure: get a charger and at least one replacement set). While the binoculars feel sturdy, dropping them is not good for the IS mechanism, and this is probably why Canon gives only one year warranty. So the Canon are not the best pair to take for an expedition in Alaska, but for a Sunday birder like me, these are easily the best in their price range, and probably the best in any price.

3 Year Warranty (Rating: 5.00)
Review : I just received my 10x30IS, my first pair of high quality, made in Japan binoculars, and found out about the 3 year warranty provided by Canon USA. I bought it thinking it had just 1 year. This makes for a very sound investment in a marvelous technology.

It works great on regular AA rechargeables. No expensive proprietary li-ion packs or hard-to-find batteries to deal with here.

Excellence in Action (Rating: 5.00)
Review : I had my eye on these binoculars for months now. When I saw them on sale at Amazon, I jumped. Amazon was only about $150.00 cheaper than a store I was planning to buy at. When they came, I couldn't believe how well the Image Stabilizer works. I remember my Dad's Binoculars as a kid. Man! Did the image look shakey! With Canon's I.S. technology, with a push of a well located button, the image stabilizes perfectly! These are great for watching wild life, birds, boats or in your neighbor's window (just kidding). I like them so much, I am saving up money now to buy the next higher up magnification for more intense bird wathcing at greater distances. I would highly recommend these sturdy, well engineered binoculars to anyone. They are EASILY worth every penny.

Unbelievably Clear Optics (Rating: 5.00)
Review : My husband and I are amateur birdwatchers so I was a bit hesitant to spend close to [price] for a pair of binoculars, but on the recommendation of a bird expert, we did. Wow, what a difference! They're lightweight, but sturdy, and the stablizer feature effectively holds the image constant. We can clearly see the EYE MOVEMENT of the red-tailed hawks who nest on our property. We have a pair of 16 x 32 Bushnell binoculars ([price]) and the same image is fuzzy and indistinct. Even though the Bushnells have a higher magnification, the quality of the optics are poor--there is fuzziness around the outside of each of the lens, and it's impossible to focus to a sharp, clear image to eliminate this. On the other hand, the Canon binoculars are like looking through a freshly cleaned picture window in your living room. The one problem we have with the Canon binoculars is that we own only one pair!

Binoculars nice - Canon service and case not so good (Rating: 2.00)
Review : Got these binoculars for my wife at Christmas this year so they are about 3 months old. We went on around 5 short hikes when the stitching binding the strap to the case came completely out of one side dropping the case to the ground. I emailed Canon expecting an apology and a new case. I got the apology, but it was with an explanation that the cases have NO warranty and I was out of luck. After spending over $300 on this product by a well-known company with a high reputation and owning it only 3 months, I expected better. The binoculars are nice, but what happens when the strap on your unwarranted case breaks, drops and breaks your binoculars, and you call Canon? Very poor quality cases. Right now I cannot use the binoculars because I have no case and have to figure something else out. So what good are great binoculars you cannot use?

Binoculars - 5 stars; Case - 0 stars; Canon - 1 star