My wife and I use the Canon image stabilization binocs - we have the  
10x30s and the 12x36s.  The twelves are good and steady with awesome  
reach for ducking, shorebirding, etc.  Not very good for warblering.   
The 10s are a great all-purpose and relatively inexpensive binocular.

I had the opportunity to take a look through Barry Cooper's nice new  
Canon IS L 10x42s and I was blown away by them.  The L series lenses  
put out by Canon are unbeliveable, the IS works very well (though the  
IS button on the less expensive 10x30s is easier to use).    You can't  
even compare the crisp and bright image of the new 10x42s with the  
uninspiring image of the 10x30s - but that is what an extra $1,000  
gets you.   The 10x30s are smaller and lighter (in weight) than the  
10x42s, so that should be a consideration.  One serious negative of  
the 10x30s and the 12x36s is that they fog up horribly when it is  
raining.  Meaning, they fog on the inside of the lenses and quickly  
become unusable.  I bring my mini-Leica's to use in bad weather.

All that being said, for $400 or so, the older 10x30s are great if you  
need image stabilization.  However, if you have $1,500 to spend and  
can handle a bit bigger size and heavier weight, I wouldn't hesitate  
to buy the 10x42s.

Cheers,
Steve Hersey
Washington, DC