tehri
Well-known member
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Nikon 12x25 Stabilised (2 Viewers)
- Thread starter PatR
- Start date
Ah my back up, singers!
Not even in the same ball park as those top blokes I have to say. Total respect.
seawatcher
Well-known member
Looking at the Binomania video on YouTube confirmed waht you observed with the battery cover hinge. It just looks naff. With the release catch so close to the focusing wheel I feel it might not be too diffficult to accidentally press the catch and the cover falling off, especially as I often use my thumb on the underside of the focus wheel to make adjustements to the focusing (I know this might sound like an odd technique , but it is true as I have intermittent problems with the joints in both index fingers, but not sure if the design of the Nikon IS models might prevent access to the focusing wheel from below). The photos showing the shoddy workmanship in the construction of the bridge also make me feel that these are El Cheapos that belong in the bargain aisle of a well-known German shop (that rhymes with widdle), and are not worthy of the Nikon name. I can see why that "Denco" wanted to sell these PDQ despite his claim of being "quite impressed". These binocs are no longer on my wish list.
(BTW, I always sweat a bit when watching the Binomania vids - he waves the binocular on review around so much that I expect them to fly out of his hand at any moment 😬).
SW
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My beloved often drags me down the ‘Aisle of Dreams’ dodging the great unwashed buying Parkside tools and Silvercrest electric items. Oh the shame.
It’s a fate worse than death until she utters those immortal words, “ Let’s pop in to Aldi on the way back”.🥵
On the bino’s, you can use the focus wheel from below as it is a single protrusion and you are right that said bino’s, despite being lauded as the finest IS ever, were in the classifieds faster than a hare with diarrhoea.
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Isthatascratch?
Well-known member
Argent. Don't let PatR review and comments dissuade you from trying the Nikon S. You have to realize that an IS binocular is never going to be as bulletproof as a conventional binocular because of the necessary electronics and components required for the IS. It has to have a battery door and switches, and sometimes plastic is the best choice to keep the weight down. I never felt any component on the Nikon IS was cheap or would easily break. PatR's negative comments are just his subjective opinions. He said the Nikon S is not sharp, but yet Binomania tested them with a resolution chart and the Nikon S resolved one line lower than a 10x42 binocular.
He said the Nikon S has poor CA control, but yet Binomania says they control CA just fine. The rest of the review is just his opinion based on comparing the Nikon S to a conventional LX 10x25 binocular. I doubt PatR has had many other IS binoculars to compare the Nikon S with. Regardless of what PatR says, the Nikon S is a fine IS binocular, and my worry is a lot of birders won't try one because of one person's opinion. If you are on the fence about the Nikon S binocular, read some other reviews and don't let PatR negative review stop you from trying them. Try them and let your own eyes decide.
Nikon Stabilized 12x25 S and 10x25 S binoculars review: can this pair of stabilized Nikon binos knock Canon off its perch
With the ‘S’ indicating both binoculars are stabilized, Nikon takes on arch-rival Canon. But is such a feature worth paying the premium asked?
Nikon Stabilized 12x25 S and 10x25 S binoculars review: can this pair of stabilized Nikon binos knock Canon off its perch
With the ‘S’ indicating both binoculars are stabilized, Nikon takes on arch-rival Canon. But is such a feature worth paying the premium asked?
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Isthatascratch?
Well-known member
He made reference to his wife’s Canon IS binocular!
"The stabilization is very effective but the optical quality, whilst not awful, is just not there. Compared to the veritable HGL (albeit 10x and not 12x), it is noticeably duller, has a reddish tinge and is nowhere near as sharp. Even with the stabilization on, it is less sharp, and the Swaro CL Pocket 10x25 really shows it up as a mid-tier optic."
This statement is incorrect. There is no way an IS binocular is less sharp than a conventional binocular with the IS on. IS increases resolution by at least 40% which was shown by Kimmo in his testing of IS binoculars. In Binomania's review, the Nikon 10x25 S with the IS on resolved one line lower on the resolution chart than a 10x42 binocular.
Canon 10x42 IS L Tripod vs hand-held vs IS testing
Today I had some time to start my part of the hand-held vs tripod-mounted vs Image-stabilized resolution testing. For the sake of clarity, I decided to start a new thread rather than post this into the existing 8x25 IS thread. David, maybe you could summarize your tests from that thread and post...
www.birdforum.net
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That in itself means little, the half-life of any Denco binoculars is what, 2 weeks?
I have the older 10x25 Stabilized and apart from the crackpot CR2 batteries and too easy to activate on-off switch, it’s a fine pair of binoculars as long as you can tolerate a limited FOV. That said it has a screw-on battery tube cap, not an easily broken catch.
All stabilized binoculars are fragile, and won’t meet the robustness of a former Para. Even the Swarovski 7x21 Curio has none-too-solid looking plastic panels. Only the Leica Ultravids x20/x25, Kowa x22 or the Nikon Mikrons inspire confidence in the miniature segment, and I suppose the Nikon HG-L but I’ve never held one.
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I own a fair number of optics, but until these little Nikon IS bins were brought to market, have never been even remotely tempted by any IS bins I've picked up and tested. Maybe it's psychological, maybe it's because they've all felt so god awful in the hands and clunky in operation.
I use binoculars a lot around buildings, looking closely at their architecture. I've always carried either my 8x20 or 10x25 UV's in cities, but sometimes I either can't get a view as close as I want, or I get close enough, but not steady enough, for my purposes. When these little Nikon IS bins came to market, I decided to bite the bullet and purchase a pair of the 12x25.
I haven't mentioned my purchase on here, because they are my first IS binocular, I have nothing to compare them to, and whilst they are an excellent tool in certain circumstances (they outreach my other pocket bins with great ease), I don't deploy them unless I really need to, and that sums them up for me. They are the right tool for the job in certain circumstances.
I'm not blown away by the optics, they look and feel cheap and nasty, I still have a psychological issue combining electronics with binoculars, which makes me singularly reluctant to deploy them, but they do permit me to access detail that my regular pocket bins cannot.
For me, their compact form factor and ability to provide me with detail I'd otherwise be unable to enjoy, justifies their purchase. I perceived they would serve a purpose, and I was correct.
I don't, however, disagree with any of the negative comments regarding their build and optical quality.
So that's my 2p on these. I'm happy with them, but my expectations were low to begin with, so I am not disappointed.
I use binoculars a lot around buildings, looking closely at their architecture. I've always carried either my 8x20 or 10x25 UV's in cities, but sometimes I either can't get a view as close as I want, or I get close enough, but not steady enough, for my purposes. When these little Nikon IS bins came to market, I decided to bite the bullet and purchase a pair of the 12x25.
I haven't mentioned my purchase on here, because they are my first IS binocular, I have nothing to compare them to, and whilst they are an excellent tool in certain circumstances (they outreach my other pocket bins with great ease), I don't deploy them unless I really need to, and that sums them up for me. They are the right tool for the job in certain circumstances.
I'm not blown away by the optics, they look and feel cheap and nasty, I still have a psychological issue combining electronics with binoculars, which makes me singularly reluctant to deploy them, but they do permit me to access detail that my regular pocket bins cannot.
For me, their compact form factor and ability to provide me with detail I'd otherwise be unable to enjoy, justifies their purchase. I perceived they would serve a purpose, and I was correct.
I don't, however, disagree with any of the negative comments regarding their build and optical quality.
So that's my 2p on these. I'm happy with them, but my expectations were low to begin with, so I am not disappointed.
crinklystarfish
Well-known member
As a 10x25 Stabilised S user I personally consider the review a little harsh.
For a start, the elephant in the room is that the the purely optical comparison is made between a 12x25 and a 10x25: and between binoculars with a vastly different emphasis when it comes to the quality of components forming the optical train.
I absolutely acknowledge the Stabilised S has shortcomings, but I also perceive many positives. My own impression appear here.
It might help to remember that an 'alpha' 10x25 from Zeiss or Swarovski currently retails at roughly the same as a Stabilised S notwithstanding they lack any of the fiendishly clever and altogether pretty competent stabilisation features.
It seems reasonable to assume that in the event Nikon were to improve on the purely mechanical aspects, and also introduce a genuinely high-end optical train, then the retail price of the Stabilised S would be significantly more.
Given that it also seems reasonable to assume Nikon have created and are marketing this bin mainly towards tourists and fairly casual users, then any such improvements would very probably see them price themselves out of that particular market.
It is what it is. It doesn't pretend to be an 'alpha' and doesn't pretend to be anything other than built to a budget.
I originally concluded that:
"Perceived shortcomings aside, I consider the Stabilized S 10x25 altogether pretty good, and I can see how when used for serious nature watching in high winds or from particularly unstable platforms (boats etc), they would come into their own. I can also see the appeal for much more relaxed casual / tourism use etc."
...and I see no reason to modify that opinion. I reiterate that every non-binocular geek that's had a peek through mine has been totally blown away.
I say Bravo to Nikon. It's decent kit and a good innovation.
For a start, the elephant in the room is that the the purely optical comparison is made between a 12x25 and a 10x25: and between binoculars with a vastly different emphasis when it comes to the quality of components forming the optical train.
I absolutely acknowledge the Stabilised S has shortcomings, but I also perceive many positives. My own impression appear here.
It might help to remember that an 'alpha' 10x25 from Zeiss or Swarovski currently retails at roughly the same as a Stabilised S notwithstanding they lack any of the fiendishly clever and altogether pretty competent stabilisation features.
It seems reasonable to assume that in the event Nikon were to improve on the purely mechanical aspects, and also introduce a genuinely high-end optical train, then the retail price of the Stabilised S would be significantly more.
Given that it also seems reasonable to assume Nikon have created and are marketing this bin mainly towards tourists and fairly casual users, then any such improvements would very probably see them price themselves out of that particular market.
It is what it is. It doesn't pretend to be an 'alpha' and doesn't pretend to be anything other than built to a budget.
I originally concluded that:
"Perceived shortcomings aside, I consider the Stabilized S 10x25 altogether pretty good, and I can see how when used for serious nature watching in high winds or from particularly unstable platforms (boats etc), they would come into their own. I can also see the appeal for much more relaxed casual / tourism use etc."
...and I see no reason to modify that opinion. I reiterate that every non-binocular geek that's had a peek through mine has been totally blown away.
I say Bravo to Nikon. It's decent kit and a good innovation.
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The older model was clearly marketed to an urban female audience:
Isthatascratch?
Well-known member
Obviously, to view music performers on stage whilst shaking a glow stick…having been to a recent concert of a Japanese performer I can attest to the glow sticks but didn’t see any binoculars, only mobile smart telephones to record the performance whilst simultaneously watching it.
@Bentley03 and @crinklystarfish
How refreshing to read your thoughts and opinions on the bino's which, whilst (mostly) different to mine, do not contain any of the vitriolic and scurrilous comments I have received from a certain poster.
Thank the Lord we all have different views, different perceptions and at the end of the day, different expectations. Your views and comments are most welcome and taken as given.
I cannot remember ever being accused of being fake, fraudulent or worse by a keyboard warrior in a far off land before so your replies have restored my faith in the forum with your reasoned and articulate responses.
Thank you.
How refreshing to read your thoughts and opinions on the bino's which, whilst (mostly) different to mine, do not contain any of the vitriolic and scurrilous comments I have received from a certain poster.
Thank the Lord we all have different views, different perceptions and at the end of the day, different expectations. Your views and comments are most welcome and taken as given.
I cannot remember ever being accused of being fake, fraudulent or worse by a keyboard warrior in a far off land before so your replies have restored my faith in the forum with your reasoned and articulate responses.
Thank you.
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forent
Well-known member
You might remember my comments on the 10x25S sister model (Updated Nikon 10x25S and 12x25S Stabilized binoculars). Ultimately, my impressions were rather similar, even if my conclusion was somewhat less critical. On the other hand, a suitable 12x25 is probably even more difficult to construct than a 10x25. Therefore, it could well be that the 12x25S is actually inferior to the 10x25S.
Montereyman
Well-known member
Judgement should take into account that these meet a very low price point for image stabilized binoculars at $650. My Sig Sauer 16x42 are excellent but I paid $1100 for them. If not, it is like comparing a Mazda roadster to a Porsche Carrera and ignoring that the Porsche costs 4 times as much.
My image stabilized binoculars take the place of my 65mm scope and its tripod and tilt head. They work exceptionally well in this regard. For very low light I would want 7x50 binoculars but for my needs they would be overkill.
Where image stabilization is helpful in allowing people to comfortably use binoculars with a higher level of magnification. Past 12x I cannot hand hold a standard binocular but I have no problems at all with hand holding my 16x image stabilized binoculars. As always there are going to be trade-offs and one needs to decide for themselves if this is worthwhile. For me a 8x binocular is too limiting for my old eyes and I have sold or given way all of mine.
My image stabilized binoculars take the place of my 65mm scope and its tripod and tilt head. They work exceptionally well in this regard. For very low light I would want 7x50 binoculars but for my needs they would be overkill.
Where image stabilization is helpful in allowing people to comfortably use binoculars with a higher level of magnification. Past 12x I cannot hand hold a standard binocular but I have no problems at all with hand holding my 16x image stabilized binoculars. As always there are going to be trade-offs and one needs to decide for themselves if this is worthwhile. For me a 8x binocular is too limiting for my old eyes and I have sold or given way all of mine.
Isthatascratch?
Well-known member
I find if I jiggle my head around ‘just right’ I can perform my own image stabilisation!
Hope you have a stahlhelm handy Hermann! Be warned of incoming..............
I had a good look through some Canon 12x36 iii's yesterday and they are a stunningly good pair of bino's. Not as compact as the Nikon's, but the tactile feel was so much nicer, the optics far superior and the build quality streets ahead. I didn't feel or notice any shudders or jumps with the stabilisation system, unlike the Nikon's.
I was very impressed with them but the magnification difference between them and my wife's 10x30 iii, whilst obviously there, was not enough for me to buy them. But they really are good.
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Have a look at
www.birdforum.net
Their TSX-1440 is great but incredibly heavy, I wonder how the optical quality of the TS-L compares.
The Sig-Sauer Zulu6 HDX are very good (I have the 20x42, which is the same weight as the 12x36 IS III) and quite light.
Have a look at the new Fujinons 16x40 and 20x40. About 30% heavier than the 12x36 IS III but of course much higher magnification.
New Fujinon TS-L 16x40 and TS-L 20x40 Image Stabilised Binoculars
Fijifilm has just announced two higher magnification x40 IS binoculars, per PetaPixel at: Fujifilm's New Binoculars Have Image Stabilized 16x and 20x Magnification The press release can be found at: Fujifilm launches FUJINON BINOCULAR TECHNO-STABI TS-L 1640 / FUJINON BINOCULAR TECHNO-STABI...
www.birdforum.net
The Sig-Sauer Zulu6 HDX are very good (I have the 20x42, which is the same weight as the 12x36 IS III) and quite light.
