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Considering my 20X80 LW cost just $150 and the Bogen 3221WN/501 head another $300 it's hard for me to get excited about spending $800-$1000 for a 15/18X 50mm IS. I'd be more inclined to spend $850 for the Nikon 12X50 Superior E for the no compromise optics.....

Well I have a pair of the 20x80LW's and a pair of Canon IS 18x50's, and I have to say that while "aperture rules" is a common mantra, there is nothing that will compare with the "grab&go" convenience of the 18x50's. They are probably my most used astronomical instrument. I can pick up the 18x50's, go outside and in less than five seconds locate the Crab Nebula or the Blue snowball - just hand-holding them. So the key here on the Canon IS units is just how much value there is to you in being able to hand-hold the binos. You can not use any other non-IS 15-20x binocular without a tripod (well you can, but you just won't see much). And even a tripod gets unusable near the Zenith, while hand-holding, I can just lean back in my chair and easily view directly overhead.

For me the spontaneity and ability to sweep the sky is just unparalleled. Yes, they are expensive, although if you hunt around you can find a good deal - I got my 18x50's for $999 with a $100 rebate and feel that at a total of $899 they were a really good value (less so if you end up paying $1,300 or $1,400 for them of course!). I also have a pair of Oberwerks 25x100 IF's and while they provide great viewing, the effort in setting them up is substantially greater. Obviously the IF's have substantially more light gathering power, but I have to say it's not THAT often that I run into an object that I can pick up in the Oberwerks that I can't also find in my Canons. There are just many evenings where I look outside and the viewing looks marginal - not encouraging enough to set up equipment, but more than good enough to just run outside for a few minutes with the IS binoculars, and that's where they really shine....

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