VR (Vibration Reduction) - Binoculars
Binoculars with a large magnification factor (above 8-10) are difficult to hold still because the unavoidable movements of your hands and body are also magnified. A good quality tripod does wonders but it also restricts your movement and a good tripod is also (reasonably) heavy.
For these reasons, some binoculars are equipped with an electronic image stabilisation feature, known as Image Stabilising (IS). Another name for this is Vibration Reduction or (VR). The term used depends on the manufacturer.
The disadvantage of image stabilisation is that it usually requires batteries. This often means you lose a small quantity of light. Zeiss has produced a 20x60 pair of binoculars without this disadvantage. A cardanic suspension system does not require battery power to ensure image stabilisation. As in all cases, every advantage has a disadvantage: these binoculars are bulky, heavy and extremely costly.
