Image stabilsing binocuars

What are image stabilising binoculars?

Image stabilised binoculars use a combination of a mechanical system and some clever electronics* to remove the vibrations and movements that are caused when binoculars are being held in your hands.  

Why do I need image stabilising binoculars?

Modern, high quality binoculars usually have a wide field of views and are designed to be held fairly steady for medium distance views and for following fast moving objects. For example,  8x or 10x magnification are ideally suit to bird watching or sports, and for most people, shakes and vibrations are not going to be too noticeable with these types of binoculars 

One of the advantages of higher powered binoculars is that you get in "closer" for more detailed views. However, these higher powers not only increase the magnifications but also emphasis any movements while holding binoculars themselves. 

With higher magnifications, say 12x or 14x and over, it can become hard to hold them still, especially when observing far away objects or for long periods.  This starts to be more apparent in binoculars with larger main front lenses that collect more light and have wide views.  They'll also naturally be heavier making them a touch harder to hold still.  

These movements make the image less steady and hard to properly focus on what you want to observe. Apart the difficulty of holding views steady, your mind concentrates on the centre of the field of view, meaning you don't perceive as much side to side. 

When are they best at?

If you want high powered views of distant objects, then image stabilised binoculars might be worth considering.  Here's a couple of examples.

Vixen Atera 12x30 Image Stabliser Binoculars

Compact, 12x magnification stabilised binoculars for comfortable extended observations

Fujinon TS-L2040 TECHNO-STABI Series 20x40 Binoculars 

Binoculars with a high, 20x magnification are much easier to hold steady if they have image stabilisation. 

You can see the full range of BINTEL's image stabilisation binoculars from Fujinon, Kite and ZEISS here.

How do they work?

There's a variety of mechanisms used by image stabilising binoculars. Some employed a gyroscope type device to resist any quick movements. Other feature a fast reacting gimble style gizmo that subtlety changes the optic path to counter movements it detects. 

The electronic gyro stabilizing system for Fujinon binoculars

The response time we see with modern image stabilised binoculars is quite rapid. There's virtually no delay in corrections to the images.  

On the water

Image stabilising binoculars are quite popular with those heading out on the water on pelagic bird watching trips. With more than 200 of the world's approx. 350 seabird species found in Australian waters, image stabilising binoculars can help with steady views for not just for any hand movements but also assist to counter any unsteadiness on your boat on the water. 

My hands are pretty shaky. Would these sorts of binoculars help?

Absolutely! Everyone's hands shake a little and it can be become as nuisance as we age.  This makes enjoying time spent observing nature frustrating. Image stabilising binoculars can certainly minimise the frustrations you're experiencing.  

Increasing the field of view

One fascinating effect when using image stabilising binoculars is that you'll often suddenly see a wider field side to side when they're switched on.  This is because we need to concentrate on what we see straight ahead if views are wobbly or shaky. Once the view is steady, our mind is free to explore the entire view presented to it by our eyesight.

Can they remove all the shaking and movement?

No. There are limits to what this type of technology can achieve in certain situations. However, if you've experienced shaky views through normal binoculars and find this annoying, image stabilised optics will dramatically improve the steadiness of the scene you're looking at. 

What happens if the battery goes flat?

These are low powered devices meaning that you'll get many, many hours of viewing through a set of batteries or a single charge. If for some reason your battery goes flat or you're unable to find some AA batteries as used by models of Kite APC models, you'll still be able to use your binoculars. The batteries only power the image stabilised system. You still be able to use the binoculars like a normal pair. You also don't need to the stabilising switched on all the time. There might be situations where you simply don't need to turn it on. 

What are the downsides?

As image stabilised binoculars are more complex and have additional components, they are more expensive. These extra parts also add weight, which might a consideration for travelling. They will need power. The battery life does last quite a while and you're unlikely run out when you're in the field. 

Our customers, especially bird watchers, have reported good reliability of image stabilised binos in the field. 

How does this all work in practice?

You can compare image stabilised binocular models oline, check out YouTube videos and see what people are saying on social media. We think they are worth checking out in person. Pop into our Sydney store and we'll be more than happy to show you how distant views can become smooth and steady when you simply slide the power button to "on". 

Cheers,

Earl White

BINTEL 

20th October 2025

* There is one model we sell, the exquisite and ultra-high end Carl Zeiss 20x60 T*S Image Stabilised Binocular, that uses mechanical only image stabilisation with no electronics.  These are used by astronaut onboard the ISS (International Space Station).