binoculars

Sony, trying to bring digital technology to a market that's remained stubbornly analog, has upgraded its digital binocular with the announcement today of the $2,000 DEV-50V.

The binoculars, due to ship in June, are vastly more expensive than even high-end binoculars from rivals such as Canon and Nikon. But Sony's digital binoculars -- which capture a scene with image sensors then display it with small electronic viewfinder (EVF) -- can do something ordinary binoculars can't.

Namely, they'll help you remember what you saw by taking a video or photo. And, if you like, it'll … Read more

Here's another possible use of 8K technology besides TVs. Japanese national broadcaster NHK has developed a pair of 8K 3D binoculars, which feature a 4x zoom capability at full-HD resolution. It supposedly allows users to zoom in to images in 3D without any noticeable reduction in clarity. This is possible, thanks to the binoculars' amazingly high 7,680x4,320-pixel native resolution. … Read more

The digital revolution has swept film cameras almost completely out of the market, but so far it's been a very different story with binoculars.

Optics have improved, electronically-controlled image stabilization has arrived, and a few models with digital image sensors have appeared. But for the most part, binoculars remain the same basic product they were decades ago: a handheld stereo-vision telescope that relies on your brain to record what you see.

Sony hopes to change that with two new digital binoculars it plans to sell starting in November, the $1,400 DEV-3 and $2,000 DEV-5. Each has a … Read more

Sony may be late to the game in sport optics--competitors such as Canon, Nikon, and Pentax have been supplying stalkers for years--but it's entering with a splash. Its DEV-5 and DEV-3 models are basically full-featured camcorders crammed into a typical binocular design.

I couldn't believe that while digital camera binoculars have been around for years, no one had ever taken the next step and integrated video, but it looks like Sony really is the first. The two models incorporate a pair of 1/4-inch Exmor R BSI sensors (comparable to the one in the HDR-CX360V) and a pair … Read more

A new type of binoculars developed by DARPA not only penetrates heat haze, it uses the shimmering distortion to magnify distant objects behind it, significantly extending target recognition and identification.

The Super-Resolution Vision System (SRVS) exploits an "atmospheric turbulence-generated micro-lensing phenomena", which acts as a lens, sporadically generating a better view of what is going on behind the haze.

The one disadvantage is that since the technique relies on a combination of images, you can't see what's going on in real time. Best case viewing from the approximately 4 lbs., 14 inch prototype will be one … Read more

Whether it's because of too much caffeine or advancing age (both, most likely), it's become increasingly difficult for us to hold a steady shot these days with the usual point-and-shoot cameras. The same is true with our binoculars at the track, when we're watching yet another nag come in last and ruining the trifecta we so brilliantly calculated.

So we were initially happy to see what's billed as "the world's most powerful image-stabilizing binoculars," which has something called a "passive mechanical stabilizer" that's supposedly "designed to counteract the vibrations … Read more

There was a time when some of us at Crave frequented equestrian events (i.e., played the ponies) and spent far too much money on binoculars, let alone ill-advised trifecta bets at Santa Anita. Since then, technology and overseas manufacturing have drastically reduced the price of sporting lenses, and quality binoculars can be gotten today for a relative song.

But this is one pair that we might be worth stretching the budget for. The "Ferrari Visio" binoculars from William Optics have 8x magnification but, more importantly, are themselves a sight to behold. Gizmag says they also include Ferrari'… Read more

For some reason we seem to be given to nostalgic references today, so we beg your indulgence. This item, for example, reminds us of the 3D-slide "View-Master" we had when we were kids.

The "StereoVision 3D VuCam" is slightly more sophisticated than what Fisher-Price had to offer. This gadget combines binocular lenses with two 3.1-megapixel cameras to take 3D photos, according to Gearfuse. You can even magnify the image first, previewing it on a pop-up LCD screen before shooting.

Now comes the tricky part--actually viewing the pictures in 3D. To see them with the naked … Read more

Awhile back we ran an item on a pair of camera binoculars that generated a fair amount of interest. In particular, some eagle-eyed readers noticed discrepancies in the specs from Gadget Universe, which led to confusion over its claims that the device had a 5-megapixel camera. Now, the Discovery Channel Store has a similar gadget that also lists a 5-megapixel camera combined with a pair of high-performance binoculars.

There are some resemblances in the designs of the two devices, but we're not sure if they come from the same manufacturer. (How many variations can there be in camera-binocular combos, … Read more