When I read the experiences of my older fellow observer, I became a little more enthusiastic. The 10X30 Canon would only weigh 600 grams, 400 grams less than my standard 10X50 Jenoptem. His hand-held observations spoke for themselves. Jupiter as a sphere, Albireo easily handheld separated , the three Auriga clusters, double in Perseus, all very beautiful. Thanks to this instrument, he enjoyed the almost still images of his youth again.
When I read this report I was persuaded.
http://www.scopeviews.co.uk/Canon10x30IS.htm
I sold some older stuff, including an older digital camera and a vintage 8X30 Zeiss binoculars, had to save up for a few more months, but then I was there. No, it's not cheap.
On daytime objects, the difference is striking and surprising. Details that are normally lost in the trembling of the hands suddenly become visible. I can well imagine that from now on I will take him into the wild.
Last night some open patches of sky peeped through the high and low clouds. Jupiter becomes a sphere that hangs almost still in space, moons clearly visible next to it. I can see the same in a standard 10X50, but then everything dances through the field of view. No strange outliers of light from the Jupiter sphere.
On stars the difference is also clear. Without stabilization I saw some hints of individual stars in the triangle of Vega, with stabilization everything calmed down and suddenly several small stars became clearly visible. Like you can switch those little stars on and off. Albireo, who I had never seen separated while I was standing upright with hand held low magnification binos (too much dancing), was separated nicely. A tiny point of light that hung flat and calmly against the main tiny point. Impressive.
Because of the clouds I have not been able to use it on more difficult objects yet. For fainter deep sky objects the
Update: This evening it was better than yesterday. I could make out M13, M15, M27, M103. NGC457 showed the two main stars only. The limit was at magnitude 8.7 So M57 was not seen. The double cluster was beautiful, almost telescope- like. The big Perseus cluster, Mel 20, was breathtaking. A real telescope-like view, but with a 6 degree field. This calmness of the field of vision is definitely an added dimension. Serene.
I can't wait to see the Hyades and Pleiades!