I have a pair of the Fujinon 1232 IS along with Minolta 7x50's for normal viewing. You can really read things and identify scenes with the IS version. They are significantly less expensive than the 1440s but provide similar excellent performance at the lower magnification-waterproof, fogproof, etc. I don't feel they are that fragile but certainly wouldn't toss them around like the yellow armored Minoltas used for casual viewing. I agree you should stick to Fujinon IS unless there is some overwhelming reason for another choice.