Canon 12x36 IS II

5.0 Nice binos

Light weight; Sharp images; Great focuser; Price

40mm objective would be nice.

Let me start by saying I own the Canon 10x30IS, 12x36 II IS, 10x42 IS and 15x50IS binoculars. So I feel I can compare the 12x36 with the others. The first thing about the 12x36 is the light weight which is a big plus. The images are sharp and bright. For example, last night was somewhat light polluted in my area. Seeing was a 6 out of 10 and I was able to make out 3 stars in the Orion Trapezium. That was shocking to me as I could not do this with the 10x42IS and with the 15x50, I could, but really no better than the 12x36. The 10x42 has brighter images with slightly better color correction, but not by much. A downside to the 10x42 is the weight. For me it is way too heavy for extended viewing. The 15x50IS is even heavier but the views make up for that. The 15x50IS gives great views of open clusters (very sharp), but flares on planets. The 12x36 is sharper on the planets, giving tighter disks. Overall the 12x36 seems to be the best combination for me of power, brightness and weight.

It's easy to use, less expensive than the 10x42 or the 15x50, and very compact as it uses the same body as the 10x30IS. If I would rate these in order for astronomy, I would say the 12x36 first followed by the 15x50, then the 10x42, then the 10x30, which also is pretty good. Some people would probably say the 10x42 should be higher on the list, but 10x power for astronomy just can't compare to the 12 or the 15. Thats my 2 cents.