Digital Binoculars: Any Suggestions?

[Jason Dunn]

http://www.digitalmediathoughts.com/images/simmons822223_1.jpg

I'm interested in picking up a pair of binoculars that have an integrated digital camera, something like this pair (http://binoculars.com/products/simmons-8x30-capture-view-3-2-megapixels-with-lcd-waterproof-34214.html). There have been several special events/concerts over the past year where I've wished I could take a picture of what I was seeing through the binoculars. I'm having a hard time finding products reviews on Web sites though to narrow the field. So I thought I'd turn to you, the community. Does anyone have a pair of binoculars with an integrated digital camera, and if so, what do you think of it? Any suggestions for brand/model?

[Lee Yuan Sheng]

They all suck. That's all I have to say.

Ok, I think I should elaborate. :P

1. Poor optics. Take the above pair. 8x30 is on the crummy end of binoculars. Once you've tried something like 7x50 or 8x50 you don't want to go back to anything smaller. The optics for the camera is likely to be similar, ie. poor.

2. Poor electronics. They all tend to have some kind of crummy sensor, processing algortihms, or both.

3. One of the unavoidable rules of photography will come into play here, and that is, the longer your focal length or magnification, the more less likely you'll be able to handhold it or freeze motion. With a stated FoV of 7.9 degrees, it is more than 300mm in 35mm terms. It'll be close to impossible to use it in low-light.

In conclusion:

There is a reason why low-light event photography is normally done with very expensive fast lenses, with the photographer getting as close as possible to the action, and if allowed, a really damn huge flash. Short cuts like these, well, just don't cut it. :P

[priesmeyer]

http://www.digitalmediathoughts.com/images/simmons822223_1.jpg

I'm having a hard time finding products reviews on Web sites...

My rule of thumb is that if it were any good people would be raving about them. In this day and age, hearing nothing about a product usually means that it's not worth mentioning.

I've had a similar discussion about the electronic tablets which capture everything you write and put it onto your computer. Sure, there are products out there that do this, but if they were any good, major corporations would be supplying their employees with them. However, I've never seen anyone use one.

[Jason Dunn]

They all suck. That's all I have to say.

Damn. Well, that's what I was afraid of. :-( What would be nice though is something with a decent sensor and some killer image stabilization...

[Mexico]

They all suck. That's all I have to say.

Damn. Well, that's what I was afraid of. :-( What would be nice though is something with a decent sensor and some killer image stabilization...

Good luck (you're gonna need it). I own a pair of 2MP binoculars. Daylight pictures turn out pretty decent. Lowlight pics are hard to take. If there's too low light, it won't even take the picture. Also (at least in my case), the camera's magnification doesn't always match the binoculars. Mine are 8x25, and the camera part of it is 10x. Hey, go get yourself a pair at a sports store (i.e. Cabella's or Scheels). They're usually great regarding return policies. =) Play with them for a while. You never know...

M

[steveapp]

This sort of thing is bargain basement rubbish - it would satisfy almost no-one - ive wanted something like this for a while then realised something, my camera - a Nikon d70 has a lens that isnt much shorter at 70mm on full zoom, and that means 135mm in real terms - im guessing that a pair of 8x binoculars such as these are equiv of about 200mm but then again the d70 is a higher rez device too so it gets closer, and the quality is stunning.

Whats more you can set the ISO higher - a lot higher - and therefore take better concert shots with a bit of noise, but it does work. Then i remmebered i have a second lens - a 70 to 300 zoom lens that gets in an awful lot closer still and i realised i didnt want the binoculars like that

Now if Nilon came out with a set of high end binoculars - the sort they sell for getting on for a grand - and put a good sensor in it that used the binocular optics properly I would be tempted!

Oh yes I know both of these would / are realy not cheap - my camera is getting on for £800 which is a lot - but i also have a great little Panasonic TZ1 that cost about £200 and has a 10x lens, and takes shots not far off the nikon, and has a good movie mode - much better option and closer to the binocular price.

Just my 2 cents :-)

Stephen

[Jason Dunn]

Whats more you can set the ISO higher - a lot higher - and therefore take better concert shots with a bit of noise, but it does work.

Sure, my camera with my 18-200 lens would be great, but quite often you're not allowed to take cameras into events where you can take binoculars. That's why I wanted something like this...

[steveapp]

Sadly your going to be dissapointed with all the current offerings im afraid. Typical with me i got caried away with the biggest and best possibilty - without thinking of your application - oops sorry dude..

My suggestion would be go for something like the one you specified - then take shots and see if you can live with them, if you cant - send it back straight away.

It reminds me of the cheap 5mp cameras you can buy everywhere - $100 - and you get what you pay for.

I noticed on Flickr you can see what camera was used to take a shot (surprised me as i seem to have had as many different cameras as some people have pictures) and i thought you might try and search flickr for shots taken with the binocular cam and see what they look like, not sure how that would work but might be owrth a shot.

Good luck

Stephen

[Phoenix]

I have to agree with the sentiments here. I've had first hand experience with these things myself, and they are indeed rubbish.

[mjmccoy64]

I have also tried several brands of these and have not been impressed at all. The pictures never match what you see. They have no extra zoom to them and are usually poor quality also.

[pd4]

guys, think about the camera in these binoculars the same way as you think about most cameras in regular (not really high end) cell phones.
I have tried a ton of digital cameras in cell phones and they all suck IMHO.

also remember what you pay for them.
most digital camera binoculars on the market are well below $200.
http://www.opticsplanet.net/digital-camera-binoculars.html
A good binocular WITHOUT a camera is normally well above that price range (Swarovski binoculars that I think are the best are above $1500).
Digital camera binocualrs are a great gadget with nice functionality the same way as an MP3 or digital camera in your cell phone.
You can take a Bushnell, Meade or Simmons binoculars with a camera on a trip and not worry much if you will break it or loose it - they cheap, compact, and many waterproof now and have an LCD and an SD memory slot. Yes, the pictures are not super great, but with 2MP they are fine to put on your blog, etc.
You want better pictures, I have played with this baby
http://www.opticsplanet.net/kowa-td1-digital-camera-spotting-scope.html
The weight and feel in your hand is amazing and pictures are great.
You want the real deal, it will cost you!
Get a Swarovski HD-ATS80 HD High Definition 80 mm spotting scope and a good digital SLR camera, and a nice Swarovski tripod (no, I dont work for Swarovski ;-) and you can send you pictures to National Geographic.
http://www.opticsplanet.net/swarovski-digiscoping.html
i hope it helps ;-)

[cjmorganga]

There's a full report on digital camera binoculars at ConsumerSearch.com. It's almost a year old, but covers the main models. Based on an analysis fo reviews, the report recommends the Bushnell 8x32 Instant Replay 18-0833 as the best for most people, but talks about some other models that have advantages for certain purposes - videos, for example.

Here's a link to the report:
http://www.consumersearch.com/www/sports_and_leisure/digital-camera-binoculars/index.html