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Celestron VistaPix 8x30SD Digital Camera Binoculars with Memory Capability by Celestron
Digital Photo Product DetailsManufacturer: Celestron Model: 11061 Product features: - See upclose with 8x binocular
- Click and save with built-in digital camera
- Connect to your PC with supplied USB cable
- View on your TV with supplied video cable (model 72202 only) or download images on your PC
- Digitally enlarge images up to 72x with supplied software
Accessories:
Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Celestron VistaPix 8x30SD Digital Camera Binoculars with Memory CapabilityCustomer Review: Nice binoculars with the added bonus of a camera Summary: 4 Stars
First off, these are a quality pair of binoculars. They fold up nice and small and fit into the included nylon pouch along with the USB cable and neck strap. They swing open to adjust for interpupilary distance, and then are focused using the barrel adjustment on the top of the unit. There is a diopter adjustment that would come in handy if your vision is different in each eye. Looking through the lenses shows nice full circles of light, belying the quality prisms within. The digital camera features seem to be a bit of an afterthought; 1.3 mega pix is a bit wimpy for a main camera by today's standards, but that said photos can come out pretty nice with some practice and understanding of the limitations. It is difficult to hold the binoculars steady enough to take a sharp photo over long distances, so you will have to brace yourself or lean on something. There is a screw adaptor on the base of the unit to accept any common camera tripod. The controls are very simple, and after a few minutes it is easy to learn to operate them without looking so you shouldn't have to fiddle with the camera while trying to focus on your subject. The camera will not pick up enough light to take good photos at night; that is to say that the resulting photo will not look as good as what you saw with your dark-adjusted eye. These should be perfect for daytime terrestrial photography however. The SD card and camera are mass-storage compliant, and came up without a hitch on Mac OS X, Win XP, and Redhat 9. The camera includes a timer feature and a video capture feature, and a simple editor that will allow you to delete the last photo taken or format the memory card. There is no facility for previewing photos through the binocular unit itself. There are a few annoying things about this unit. There is a 90 second timeout, after which it will beep and shut off power in order to save batteries (2-AAA's). These do seem to chew up batteries more than you would expect them to. Also they will beep for confirmation every time you turn them on, take a photo, or switch menus. It would be nice if it was possible to disable the beeping or at least turn down the volume. The camera does not seem to photograph at the same magnification as the main objective. There is a slightly larger field of view on the camera image, it seems more like 8x25 than 8x30. Overall a nice set of binoculars for nature or daytime terrestrial viewing, with the added gimmick of a rudimentary digital camera for impressing your geek friends and photographing birds / celebrities / neighbors for future recall. Hours of fun and entertainment. :)
Description of Celestron VistaPix 8x30SD Digital Camera Binoculars with Memory CapabilityNo ordinary binoculars, the 8x30 SD VistaPix lets you take digital pictures of what you see, then download them into your computer. The 8x30 SD VistaPix represents the latest in outdoor optical technology, combining high-quality compact binoculars with a state-of-the-art digital camera. It's so easy and fun to use. You simply aim and focus the binocular, then press a button, and the digital camera automatically records the image into its internal memory. Once you download and save your images to your personal computer (Windows) via the supplied USB cable, you can edit them using the included Photo Manager software and store, print, or email them to friends and family. Cool! The 8x30 SD VistaPix is perfect for all kinds of activities including sightseeing, sporting events, family outings, concerts, hiking, and birding to name a few.
Binoculars
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