222 replies to this topic

[MT4]

I haven't bought my Canon 50mm IS yet, pending a final test drive of the two 50mm models before making a final decision on which one to get.  I learned from ArsMachina in the following thread that a pair of Canon TC-DC52B might work well with the 15x50mm model.  I've ordered two Canon TC-DC52B teleconverters, from two difference sources as they are very hard to find nowadays.  ArsMachina said that it might take as many as 10 samples to find a "matching" pair.

 

https://www.cloudyni...lars-aka-greed/

 

One concern about the TC-DC58B teleconverter is that its outer diameter might be too big and so you might have a problem properly setting the IPD after putting a pair of such teleconverters on.  (I was originally interested in the OLYMPUS TCON-17X teleconverter which is much easier to find but I gave up since its outer diameter is a whopping 80.9mm and my IPD is about average at 64mm.)

[GeoffC47]

Great report, thank you very much! 

You're not short, so if you're comfortable with it, I could be comfortable with it too.

So it sounds like a good design, but I find it very expensive compared to my Zero-G camping chair ($ 40), and this one works well for now without rocking. 

If I may ask, why are you selling it? 

Glad to help out a bit…

 

I’m not selling it! Did you pick that up from my phrase, “Got it on sale at REI…”?  What I meant is that I purchased it there on one of their sales for that price.  Sorry for the confusion! 
 

it is pricey, and I was glad to get it for less than full price, and it is designed primarily as a camping chair as MT4 pointed out.  But is works well for stargazing. No buyers remorse here… 

Geoff

[MT4]

Glad to help out a bit…

 

I’m not selling it! Did you pick that up from my phrase, “Got it on sale at REI…”?  What I meant is that I purchased it there on one of their sales for that price.  Sorry for the confusion! 
 

it is pricey, and I was glad to get it for less than full price, and it is designed primarily as a camping chair as MT4 pointed out.  But is works well for stargazing. No buyers remorse here… 

Geoff

 

Come to think of it, what I'll be doing with this chair is like camping out in the park at night.  So it'd be fit for purpose 

 

I am very glad to hear about your positive experience with it.

[MT4]

Just took delivery of my Nemo Stargazing chair.  After sitting in the chair for 5 mins and looking at some targets through my Kowa 7x35, I am convinced that it's exactly what I was looking for.  I think my neck will thank me later, many times over.  My wallet may not though 

[stryker66]

I haven't bought my Canon 50mm IS yet, pending a final test drive of the two 50mm models before making a final decision on which one to get.  I learned from ArsMachina in the following thread that a pair of Canon TC-DC52B might work well with the 15x50mm model.  I've ordered two Canon TC-DC52B teleconverters, from two difference sources as they are very hard to find nowadays.  ArsMachina said that it might take as many as 10 samples to find a "matching" pair.

 

https://www.cloudyni...lars-aka-greed/

 

One concern about the TC-DC58B teleconverter is that its outer diameter might be too big and so you might have a problem properly setting the IPD after putting a pair of such teleconverters on.  (I was originally interested in the OLYMPUS TCON-17X teleconverter which is much easier to find but I gave up since its outer diameter is a whopping 80.9mm and my IPD is about average at 64mm.)

According to canon specification, it actually very small difference except the thread 52mm vs 58mm, this could mean it will help with aperture.

https://support.usa....d=1626406359967
TC-DC58B
58 mm standard filter thread (no stepdown ring required)
Diameter: 72.0 mm (2.8 in.)


https://support.usa....d=1626406359967
TC-DC52B
52 mm standard filter thread (stepdown ring required)
Diameter: 69.6 mm (2.7 in.)
 

[ECP M42]

you might have a problem properly setting the IPD after putting a pair of such teleconverters on. 

... its outer diameter is a whopping 80.9mm and my IPD is about average at 64mm.

Canon's IPD adjustment does not change the distance of the lenses, only that of the eyepieces.

I don't know what the useful distance between the objectives is, but it is fixed. 

 

 

I’m not selling it! .... But is works well for stargazing. No buyers remorse here… 

All good that ends well, Geoff. I misread. 

[MT4]

Canon's IPD adjustment does not change the distance of the lenses, only that of the eyepieces.

I don't know what the useful distance between the objectives is, but it is fixed. 

 

 

Ah that's a good point.   I had forgotten the way to adjust IPD in Canon IS models is totally different from how it's done in other handheld binoculars.

[MT4]

According to canon specification, it actually very small difference except the thread 52mm vs 58mm, this could mean it will help with aperture.

https://support.usa....d=1626406359967
TC-DC58B
58 mm standard filter thread (no stepdown ring required)
Diameter: 72.0 mm (2.8 in.)


https://support.usa....d=1626406359967
TC-DC52B
52 mm standard filter thread (stepdown ring required)
Diameter: 69.6 mm (2.7 in.)
 

 

ECP correctly pointed out that setting IPD on Canon IS binoculars doesn't involve changing the distance between the objectives.  Given the small difference in outer diameter between the two models, I'd say give the TC-DC58B a try and let us know if it works for you . 

 

TC-DC52B teleconverters are exceptionally hard to find nowadays.  I managed to find two, and those are the only two I could find in Japan after watching various sites for a couple of weeks.  I have no idea whether they'd work together, given ArsMachina's experience.

[stryker66]

ECP correctly pointed out that setting IPD on Canon IS binoculars doesn't involve changing the distance between the objectives.  Given the small difference in outer diameter between the two models, I'd say give the TC-DC58B a try and let us know if it works for you . 

 

TC-DC52B teleconverters are exceptionally hard to find nowadays.  I managed to find two, and those are the only two I could find in Japan after watching various sites for a couple of weeks.  I have no idea whether they'd work together, given ArsMachina's experience.

I ordered two in ebay at around $65 each, these are 1.5X vs the 1.6X on the TC-DC52B, I will try to review and post result here

[MT4]

I got the 15x50 from B&H and it was packaged well, since the objective has no cover I added a UV filter and a hood with cover. I also wondering if canon TC-DC58B 1.5X will fit with stepdown rings. I am eager to try.

 

The hood with cover look nice.   What's the brand?

 

With the hood and cover in place, may I know why you still need a UI filter?  Wouldn't that add another layer of glass which would reduce overall transmission?  (I've read on a Canon IS thread that ArsMachina's removed a layer of glass from the objective end of his Canon 15x50 IS in order to maximize light transmission.)

 

Thank you.

[ECP M42]

I had forgotten the way to adjust IPD in Canon IS models is totally different from how it's done in other handheld binoculars.

you just tried both Canon 15x and 18x in the shop two or three days ago ... how can you have already forgotten? 

 

 

[stryker66]

The hood with cover look nice.   What's the brand?

 

With the hood and cover in place, may I know why you still need a UI filter?  Wouldn't that add another layer of glass which would reduce overall transmission?  (I've read on a Canon IS thread that ArsMachina's removed a layer of glass from the objective end of his Canon 15x50 IS in order to maximize light transmission.)

 

Thank you.

The hood is from amazon
https://www.amazon.c...2?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

The UV filter per HOYA is 99%+  transmission..So I dont think it is an issue
https://www.amazon.c...1?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

 

[MT4]

you just tried both Canon 15x and 18x in the shop two or three days ago ... how can you have already forgotten? 

 

 

 

I don't know how I could have forgotten.  You could say that I got lost in the magic of the IS button.  It was truly some dark magic 

[MT4]

The hood is from amazon
https://www.amazon.c...2?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

The UV filter per HOYA is 99%+  transmission..So I dont think it is an issue
https://www.amazon.c...1?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

Thanks a lot, stryker66.

[MT4]

My new Thousand Oaks 58mm solar filters arrived earlier today.  They were meant for my upcoming Canon 50mm IS.

 

But since I don't yet have the Canon, I decided to put the 58mm solar filters on my Maven B5 15x56.  The sun was resolved into a crisp, yellow-orange ball.  I saw some clouds moving swiftly across the surface of the sun.  It felt like I was looking at the full moon, but in broad daylight.  My impromptu solar observing session was tragically cut short a minute later as the sun was completely enveloped by the clouds.

 

So in the past two days, I've observed the first-quarter moon (plus a few stars) and the sun.   That's gotta be an accomplishment, right?  Don't laugh, you'd be as happy as I am after suffering through a whole month of nothingness in the sky, day or night 

[ECP M42]

My impromptu solar observing session was tragically cut short a minute later as the sun was completely enveloped by the clouds.

 

Don't laugh, you'd be as happy as I am after suffering through a whole month of nothingness in the sky, day or night 

So, would you be more successful looking at the beautiful neighbor? 

 

MT4 (if I may call you that), I still don't understand how life is regulated in Tokyo: if it rains you can't go down to the store to try the Canons, for some reason related to COVID, nuclear power plant radiation or other?   

 

[MT4]

MT4 (if I may call you that), I still don't understand how life is regulated in Tokyo: if it rains you can't go down to the store to try the Canons, for some reason related to COVID, nuclear power plant radiation or other?  

 

 

Oh it's simple.   I work from home during the week so can't just take the train to a camera store to check out Canon IS models on weekdays.  Working from home doesn't preclude checking out CN from time to time 

[ECP M42]

OK! I got it. In Italy office work ends around 5pm and shops stay open until around 7.30pm, so there is time to go and try on new shoes!    

 

Also last night I went out for a few minutes with 18x50 and among various clouds (there are also clouds here) I observed a little bit of the starry sky.

I am very happy with the 18x50 format, in the polluted sky it works much better than the 10x25, 10x35 or 10x50.

I can't wait to finish the projects and drawings of the tubes, to take them to the turner. I assumed a final weight of less than 1 kg, about 980g + / _ 10g (34-35oz). You would like it!  

Have you then tried to mask the Nikon 18x70?

Edited by ECP M42, 16 July 2021 - 09:36 AM.

[MT4]

Yes, I've done aperture masking experiments with my Nikon 18x70 and Maven B5 15x56.  Check out this thread:
https://www.cloudyni...ight-pollution/

 

Having done those aperture masking experiments, I now see very clearly a Canon 18x50 IS in my near-term future .

[MT4]

I went to another camera store today to test drive the two Canon 50mm IS models again.  This time I was able to take the binoculars outside for a "live" test drive.   Looking at some targets between 50m and 200m (I literally pulled those numbers out of thin air since I am pretty poor at judging distances,) I detected some sort of an issue that's been mentioned before:  the tendency for the IS electronics to "hunt" for focus thus leading to the view sometimes going in and out of focus.  This tends to happen a bit more with the 18x compared to the 15x.  Note that I was standing during my live test drive, sadly with nothing to lean against.

 

I've read that sometimes pressing the IS button a second time may help the IS electronics lock in its targets.  Too bad I only remember this now, and didn't remember it while doing a live evaluation.

 

What I'll do next is to watch an auction site for a good deal on a used 50mm IS to cut my teeth on IS binoculars.  A part of me is still holding out hope that Canon may refresh their 50mm models in the near/medium term.

[FlanaganV]

That focus shifts are the reasong I had to sell my 15x50. I tried two units, so it seems to be the normal operation of the device. I would like to buy the 18x50 but I always suspected that as you pointed, that effect should actually be worse in the 18x.

 

Recently I purchased also the 10x42, and although the effect is also there, it's so minimal that don't bothers me. Since the arrival of the the 10x42 the rest of my binoculars (including Leica, Swarovski) are in the shelf, they are that good.

 

Just another comment, I have also the old 8x25, and the IS on these (different technology of its bigger siblings) is absolutely perfect. Not any blur or artifact that I can detect.

[ArsMachina]

I never had this focus shift with my 15x50 IS but it is a very early one built before 2000

 

Jochen

[Rich V.]

 

Recently I purchased also the 10x42, and although the effect is also there, it's so minimal that don't bothers me. Since the arrival of the the 10x42 the rest of my binoculars (including Leica, Swarovski) are in the shelf, they are that good.

 

Just another comment, I have also the old 8x25, and the IS on these (different technology of its bigger siblings) is absolutely perfect. Not any blur or artifact that I can detect.

I've seen no connection between IS and focus shifts with my 10x42Ls; they seem unrelated as I would have hoped.  Sure, after turning on the IS, it's easier to fine focus the stabilized image rather than the shakier one, but I've seen no relationship between the two. Once focused on an object at any distance, they seem to stay there for me.

 

Rich

[MT4]

I've read on CN that the focus shifting issue with Canon 50mm IS binoculars could be solved by storing the binoculars horizontally.   The two camera stores that I've visited recently have ALL their binoculars, IS or not, in the vertical position.  Maybe they don't know this Canon IS trick ...

[ihf]

I have not observed the effect myself, so I don't know how much this one weird trick really helps!