Review on Fujinon Techno-Stabi TS12x28 Digital Image Stabilization Binocular – Enhanced SEO by Nicholas Erickson

Short version of this review - Remarkably compact for its performance, with long battery life due to its narrowness, slightly increased eye relief and exit pupil. Good for those of us who wear glasses, but only a little, leading to some nitpicks. Bigger brother Techno-Stabi was long thought to be great stabilized binoculars, but had two drawbacks that kept me from ever using them. . Not enough eye relief and it was a bit bulky - still compact given its stabilization, magnification and overall capabilities, but more than I like to travel or carry around. The Techo-Stabi Jr was never a great alternative - just as heavy, with terrible eye relief - maybe a little more compact, but not enough to really justify it when you could choose its much superior big brother. I have reserved. That's when I found out about them because I had high hopes based on the sheer amount of eye relief. Those high hopes have mostly been fulfilled, but there are a few criticisms here and there. In this package you get a very light stabilized binocular with acceptable eye relief that on paper is superior to any other compact stabilized binocular. There are many caveats here - first of all this is a compact binocular - and at the same time they carry all the caveats of a compact binocular in the sense that they are always a compromise. So first of all, some special features that Fuji didn't pay attention to. Note: - Actual field of view is 4.6 degrees. Calculating that is a bit tedious in general, but especially when it's expressed as "visibility in meters per 1000 yards" it's like asking someone how long it takes them to travel 5 kilometers at 35 miles per hour to put back. I'm picky, but still. The sealing is rated at a rather disappointing IPX-2, which protects against the ingress of 12.5mm objects (seriously, no typo), so you're well protected against most ball bearings, but most dust is in the rule lower. You can handle dripping water - upright. I have not tested this and do not recommend it. I really don't understand how 12x28 ends up with a 2.5mm exit pupil. The calculated answer is 2.33, I think they thought 2.5 was "close enough". More on that later. Close focus is around 8ft, which is great for this category. Eye relief is 17.5mm, but the lenses are recessed into the eyecups by a few mm even at the minimum setting, so it's actually closer to 15-15.5. This ranges from "good for people who wear glasses" to "good for people who wear glasses". In fact, they're pretty good for eyeglass wearers - I've spent a lot of time comparing them to others in my collection and they definitely top the list - so it's not an overly harsh criticism. - Lenses can be capped with a 30mm snap-on lens cap if required - Lens caps not included. They are recessed by a few mm and are therefore relatively well protected. I'd have no hesitation in throwing them in my bag, but if you're the type who MUST cover them, you'll need to order two 30mm clips. lens cap. The stabilization system is powered by CR2s - a little exotic for some of us, but you can order them here and they'll last a long time. That's probably part of what makes it so light - it's rated for 12 hours of use. I suspect it's upbeat, but not overly upbeat - and that's another key feature here. Most other systems are designed for 1-3 hours. Not everything is perfect - I'm not sure what the "2.5mm" or 2mm exit pupil is that the lenses are recessed in - but the "focal point" is small enough to be a nuisance, to stand in the queue. These are some of the fussiest binoculars I own in this regard - I have others that are true 2.5mm (and still have 15mm "manufacturing" eye relief) that aren't too difficult. Combined with the harsh effect on pupillary distance, finding an exact fit can be difficult. The good news is that it will stay there if you get it right, but you still have to be pretty precise about how you line it up when you get it in front of your face. I am also REALLY concerned about how they will perform in light rain/spray - it took a long time to find a waterproof rating for them, it was hidden in the manual. The final rating is IPX-2. It's more of a soft sneeze guard than any seal, and it's hard to sell at this price point. I'm not surprised that Fuji hid this particular specification in the manual. Also, there is no information on watertight seals/nitrogen purges, which tells me that this may not be a good signal for inclement weather or large temperature swings. Pretty much everything else along these lines (and even really high quality WR lenses/cameras of course) doesn't even bother with an IPX rating, but I imagine anything "WR" would work better. So I don't think I would take it in the most extreme conditions or even in the rain to be honest. I find it inexcusable that they aren't better sealed and nitrogen purged at this price - I'd love to see some real weather sealing on this one. It's possible that's a compromise that makes these small and light, so be careful, but I have a feeling it wouldn't take more than a couple of o-rings to make a big difference here. The glass is very good - it's razor sharp in the center and stays very sharp around the edges, at least on my specimen. Close focus is surprisingly good even at 12x - I would estimate it at 2.40m. I'm afraid a different specification that isn't officially listed. They might even be good for stargazing - probably not as flat a field as some of the higher-end binoculars, and yes, they're weak. But surprisingly user-friendly in a way they probably wouldn't be if they weren't stabilized. It's not SMALL, but they are VERY small - one of the smallest stabilized ones on the market, if not the SMALLEST - and a good size for 12x - they don't fold as tightly as many others but remain very compact in use - they are just under an inch and a half longer than my Nikon 10x25, presumably to cover the stabilization. They are also very light - on paper they are currently the lightest stabilized binoculars on the market and it really is a headline grabber. They're a very good size - there's no way you're going to shove them in your back pocket and forget they're there, but they certainly won't tire you out. They even fit easily in a jacket pocket. To me they really are close to perfect - I'm a compact binocular enthusiast so I can live with a lot of flaws if things are there at all. Despite the compromises you make in this class, there are a few things that I would almost take a star off of this binocular for. To be honest I'm a bit frustrated by the exaggeration in the eye relief/exit pupil specification, although in real life it seems normal. Just not quite "as advertised". The lack of weather protection at this price point definitely keeps it from being a 5. And not just weather protection - IPX2 is just really sad. Definitely check reviews online if you're not in the know, but there's a reason you never see anything specifically advertised as less than 5. Besides water issues, I'm really worried about dust intrusion. Time will tell, but they could very well be dust magnets. Let's hope it isn't. Of course, you won't see any mention of waterproofing on a similarly sized Canon (smaller IS, not the waterproof 10x42), so I suspect it's basically the same thing. So not exactly unusual for the price range, but still disappointing. Even with these shortcomings, I will reach for them before anyone else in almost any situation - the experience with them is not bad, and I can use them all day and take them anywhere without fatigue. With compact binoculars there is always a compromise. For the price I paid - I will mention it was less than what was listed - I would say they are good and fill a niche I have not seen from anyone else - very light weight stabilized binoculars , which mostly fit. for spectacle wearers. You won't get a full 17.5mm, but no other stabilized compact binoculars can match it in terms of eye relief, and few non-stabilized compact binoculars do it well. It doesn't compare at all to my Opticron Travelers - my other favorite - in that regard, but it's 6x32 and they have absurd eye relief too. I find the ease of use comparable to my Nikon 8x20s/10x25s, although the Fuii is a bit more picky about positioning. I'm not sure how much larger the whole system would be if it were say 12x36 - I personally would have liked to see a weatherproof 12x36 with "true" eye relief of 17.5mm, possibly powered by a CR123a (a little easier to find, more capacity, not much heavier, great rechargeable lithium-ion options) - until it comes this will be my go-to. That is, until it rains. All in all (which is a lot) - I have little reason to compare it to other stabilized binoculars. I also have a Canon 10x42 IS and I have to say that the Fuji system seems to be much better at higher magnifications and the 10x42s per se aren't bad. There's enough going on here to easily hold onto a 4, but those can only be compromises inherent in being compact. It might be worth seeing what other professional reviewers have to say about this, and I'd be curious to hear what those who have used other IS/VR/whatever systems think. It seems priced comparable to a similarly sized Canon, but these Canons weigh twice as much. From what I can tell, you pay more for a good image stabilization system in the most compact body, especially 12x - and if literally everything else is secondary or you can live with compromises in exchange for something small and light, then you've found your binoculars.- - REAL WORLD USE - Updated after a few days of use - I've taken them on a few walks/easy hikes for bird watching and it's good to use for that. They're really small enough to be unobtrusive and the clarity and stabilization were great to have on hand and I've never had to take my glasses off to use them effectively. It can sometimes be difficult to get the pupils perfectly aligned, but it's usually a bit annoying and doesn't detract from my overall experience. I wonder how my eyepieces are set. I'm not kidding when I say the real value of these eyepieces is how compact they are. I know it sounds weird when they say they're smaller than they look, but that's exactly how it feels. Because of this, I take them with me in situations where I would never take anything full size. They are great for all day use. The field of view is a bit small, but good enough for a 12x zoom - pretty good for a compact 12x zoom - and not so small that it's a problem for searching and tracking seabirds in flight. I've also used them minimally for looking at the night sky - like I said above I wouldn't use them at all, but they're also the best compacts I've used for that - ie they're amazingly comfortable, but don't expect them that you would get the same results with a 42mm or 50mm lens. That being said, they're a lot better than you'd expect - of course if you want to see the moon you won't be disappointed. What else do I have to do - and I'm so curious - to take these on the boat. As I understand it, the traditional Fuji system excelled here. Therefore, the lack of a better seal is inexplicable. Maybe in my future I will watch whales and if so they will come with me. Let's see if they can handle a splash or two of water. I'm very skeptical about that unless it's obvious.