#2 granddaughter had two Bengals, one got old & died.View attachment 1559539
The cats have been accepted by the AX
Mind you, it is a Bengal, they would not like the "housecat" sticker...
Close to 1100 grams? You must be jokingVisio users - how are you finding its weight in the field? How does it compare in weight to your regular birding binoculars? At close to 1100 grams it's almost the weight of a 10x56 SLC.
As Canip writes, it weighs in a good 1300+ grammes with all the trimmings, more than a "normal" bino, less than camera with tele, and not something that bothers me.Visio users - how are you finding its weight in the field? How does it compare in weight to your regular birding binoculars? At close to 1100 grams it's almost the weight of a 10x56 SLC.
Hi from north east England ,Swarovski has just announced a new binocular with integrated electronics
(thanks to Ome Arie who first noticed this, and Wasabrot for linking to the details,
see posts #76 and 87 at: New Swarovski product announcement in January 2024...? )
It incorporates various electronic technologies, including those used in the dG 8x25 monocular.
The AX designation indicates Augmented Experience.
See more on the Swarovski site at: AX Visio
View attachment 1552933
View attachment 1552934
The electronic capabilities and the optical specifications are included in the attached Fact Sheet below.
John
p.s. Today’s announcement coincides with the start of the annual CES in Las Vegas (the world's largest consumer electronics event),
and the AX Visio will be available from 1st February 2024, see the press release at: SWAROVSKI OPTIK launches world‘s first smart binoculars
It is basically a camera and bino combined with a computer, gps and communication (not voice), so the potential is there. And it is repairable, which means most electronic bits can be physically upgraded with time, as well as the AI. And it has open "slots" for third-party script.What I have not been able to work out yet is whether this new toy has any sort of AI going on to make it more useful as time goes on.
Get a good binocular (doesn't need to be the most expensive one like Swaro or Zeiss, but why not) and a book (Svensson). That's the minimum equipment you need.I am new to birding and was thinking of buying a pair of Swarovski NL binoculars or Zeiss maybe ,what would anyone recommend? Are there other ways to ID birds with phone or digiscoping ?
Thanks for reply ,great advice ,I used to be into photography sold all my equipment years ago now I’m thinking of getting back into it and I have a new subject Birds ,😁, so I was thinking a decent scope and good pair of binoculars and attach phone to scope or better still a camera to it or would I be better with camera and lens with x1.4 converter maybe ,these new Swarovski AX bins are very expensive and it’s just the price putting me off ,for same price you could get a decent scope or Nikon Z8 or something.Get a good binocular (doesn't need to be the most expensive one like Swaro or Zeiss, but why not) and a book (Svensson). That's the minimum equipment you need.
You can also get yourself a camera (for starters a bridge like Panasonic FZ300 or Nikon P900 is ok) and then try identifaction of pic by looking up your field guide, asking questions on birdforum and using the Merlin ID app on your phone. Digiscoping with a binocular is not very practical. It works fine on a scope though...
Thanks for reply ,great advice ,I used to be into photography sold all my equipment years ago now I’m thinking of getting back into it and I have a new subject Birds ,😁, so I was thinking a decent scope and good pair of binoculars and attach phone to scope or better still a camera to it or would I be better with camera and lens with x1.4 converter maybe ,these new Swarovski AX bins are very expensive and it’s just the price putting me off ,for same price you could get a decent scope or Nikon Z8 or something.
Sounds like a nice set up ,So say the Zeiss Harpia 95 ,you could actually attach a camera or phone to this optic and get decent images /video ?Z8 + decent scope + tripod + tripod head + digiscoping adapter for your Z8 + memory card + short lens etc might be the same price with single AX Visio
Sounds like a nice set up ,So say the Zeiss Harpia 95 ,you could actually attach a camera or phone to this optic and get decent images /video ?
That picture is pretty clear ,would like to see what this AX can do , not many people have a pair yet with being such a new product#2 granddaughter had two Bengals, one got old & died.
I never met them, but I gather they can be a challenge.
Grandson-in-law built them a nice outdoor “cat house” with an enclosed walkway into the house. They live in Virginia, so the climate is milder.
Yes, digiscoping (phone on scope) works fine for record shots of stationary far away birds (waders, ducks on a lake, perched raptor, etc.).Sounds like a nice set up ,So say the Zeiss Harpia 95 ,you could actually attach a camera or phone to this optic and get decent images /video ?
Splendid advice.Yes, digiscoping (phone on scope) works fine for record shots of stationary far away birds (waders, ducks on a lake, perched raptor, etc.).
Digiscoping is useless for moving birds, like passerines moving through vegetation or flying birds. For that you need a camera with fast autofocus and a long lens (cheapest usable option is a bridge camera). Or perhaps the Swaro Visio
Digiscoping is also not ideal if photography (getting beautiful fotos) is the focus. It's possible to get the occasional nice shot, but cameras are much better now for that, even at long distances.
So you need to make up your mind on what type of birding you want to do and what type of pictures you want to get. Either way, start out with a decent binocular.
Good question. My money is on OM Systems being first out.So how long is it going to be until Nikon, Canon, Olympus etc., incorporate Merlin or something similar into the software in their camera bodies?
Mate you don't need an AX to go birding, no more than you need the latest whizbang gigapixel Canon or Nikon to do photography. OK, if you want to photograph birds in flight, you'll need a decent setup. But bird photography is a bit different to actual birding, ie finding and observing birds. For that, all you need is a pair of binoculars. Once you are familiar with all the common species, you'll often notice when a bird is different/less common - if you remember distinctive things about their plumage (what the birders call "field marks") or behaviour, you can check them up in a field guide or on the internet. It's a bit old fashioned, but works, and £3000++ in savings lets you do a lot of trips to build your experience.I have a new subject Birds ,😁, so I was thinking a decent scope and good pair of binoculars and attach phone to scope or better still a camera to it or would I be better with camera and lens with x1.4 converter maybe ,these new Swarovski AX bins are very expensive and it’s just the price putting me off
Or less: i got a (not very) used Panasonic Lumix G9 with 100-400mm telezoom (micro 4/3 so equiv to 200-800mm in 35 mm) and a 14-140mm quite reasonably. An MM3 or MM4 scope at 60mm (or 50) with a zoom eyepiece is in my opinion a good starter, but there are lots of "views" on that matter in various threads. A good binocular is a must.Z8 + decent scope + tripod + tripod head + digiscoping adapter for your Z8 + memory card + short lens etc might be the same price with single AX Visio