New AX Visio 10x32 binocular (1 Viewer)

[MiddleRiver]

This has been discussed around here in the past and like it or not, I'm pretty certain it's the future - which has arrived. Some had speculated leica (with their camera experience) would be the first to pull it off but it looks like Swaro is diving-in headfirst.

It's funny... right now it has ZERO appeal to me. But I remember when I was still clinging to my film cameras and looking back, there's NO WAY i'd go back now that I'm using mirrorless 61MP and incredible software, stabilization, subject recognition, etc. I'm still nostalgic for the smell of darkroom chemicals and until very recently had held on to my 1935 vintage Leica RF camera, but realistically... I've moved on.

Will I be giving up my Retrovids in a couple of years? Dunno...

 

[sfphoto]

Here is a video explaining the features. The share function is cool, where you can store a point in the distance, hand the bino to someone else, and the bino will guide them to point at the same spot. I am still missing a "mountain mode" where it shows you the peak's name...

 

[dalat]

Interesting.

I don't believe that this will be the breakthrough yet (probably too limited image quality of the small cam and no stabilisation), but looks like a serious step towards a device that combines the advantages of binocular and camera.

I wonder how the "share function" works technically? How does it "store" the location?

 

[henry link]

Thank you so much Swarovski, for introducing a $5000+ binocular that doesn't tempt me even one little tiny bit.

 

[tehri]

Here is a video explaining the features. The share function is cool, where you can store a point in the distance, hand the bino to someone else, and the bino will guide them to point at the same spot. I am still missing a "mountain mode" where it shows you the peak's name...

Or look at a girl in the distance in the street, and with a 'chick mode', have her Instagram, or Tinder ID, etc. !!!! ahahaha !!!! 🤣

 

[Binocollector]

This piece of equipment seems to be similar for birders what smart-scopes are for astrophotographers.

 

[Maljunulo]

May I presume that it would be unspeakably vulgar to ask the price?

Did I miss it somewhere?

 

[exup]

@Binocollector

Yes, for Astro ....

Adding a £300 StarSense onto a £9000 Edge HD OTA seems like a viable option to get some useful additional functionality

 

[tehri]

May I presume that it would be unspeakably vulgar to ask the price?

Did I miss it somewhere?

What is 'vulgar' is not asking for the price !!! What is vulgar IS the price !!!!!.... more then 4000 € !!

 

[Mono]

The bird ID function is Merlin, it is not some new Swarovski product. One can use Merlin now with any camera one likes, the seamless integration is what is different about this product.

Manufacturers have been bolting cameras to binoculars since the 110 film days. We shall have to wait and see if the photographic results match the view through the binoculars, and if folk are willing to pay the price.

 

[Bill Atwood]

Sportoptics lists it at only $4,800 with free tax and shipping.

 

[wllmspd]

@Binocollector

Yes, for Astro ....

Adding a £300 StarSense onto a £9000 Edge HD OTA seems like a viable option to get some useful additional functionality

Celestron (just announced a $4k smart scope), Unistellar and Vaonis all have expensive smart scopes… what we need is the bino equivalent of the ZWO Seestar, $500 level cost that delivers a decent result at a price that makes it accessible… for experts to “have a play with” and newbies to get great image/ID from. If others could leverage Merlin then that would possibly own the door. Merging good optics/camera and IS…. Not going to be easy!

Peter

 

[Maljunulo]

Sportoptics lists it at only $4,800 with free tax and shipping.

Wow! What a deal!

 

[jafritten]

We shall have to wait and see if the photographic results match the view through the binoculars

The results will be nowhere near the view through the binoculars. That's for sure. Even the best camera sensors (and the best telephoto lenses) do not come close to what a human eye and a brain can make of visual input. Where a 20k Nikon combo produces results that do not come close to what I see through my binoculars, I doubt the new Swarovski device can do better. I guess, the photographic quality will be fine for record shots. If you want a wallhanger, use a quality telephoto and a good DSLR or DSLM. If you want the real thing, forget about the camera and just look through a pair of quality bins

 

[tehri]

Fortunately, I have absolutely no interest in this thing, lol !... if it was offered to me, I would take it, but to be on EBay the next day ! 😂

 

[dorubird]

Almost all tools are getting smarter and smarter, but we, the humans from the cities, are getting dumber and dumber...We no longer look out the window to see if it's raining, but we look first at the smart phone. If we are without electricity for a week, we don't even know what day of the week we are! And now, with smart binoculars, these things go further, and on top of that we pay $4800

 

[Binastro]

The Toko Cyclops binocular and camera was introduced in 1956 and uses 16m or 17.5mm film.

Many cameras exceed the resolution of a good human eye and the Canon 18x50 IS stabilized binocular, let alone an unstabilized hand held binocular.
Also at night the Sony A7S and some Nikon cameras show detail invisible to the unaided eyes, as do some expensive modern video cameras.

The problem is that cameras incorporated into binoculars have not been very good.

What is the usable highest ISO of this new Swarovski binocular/camera?
Also what is the maximum f number?

Regards,
B.

 

[Maljunulo]

Celestron (just announced a $4k smart scope), Unistellar and Vaonis all have expensive smart scopes… what we need is the bino equivalent of the ZWO Seestar, $500 level cost that delivers a decent result at a price that makes it accessible… for experts to “have a play with” and newbies to get great image/ID from. If others could leverage Merlin then that would possibly own the door. Merging good optics/camera and IS…. Not going to be easy!

Peter

Sort of like saying we need a £20,000 Bentley.

Some things are possible, and others are not. (with today’s technology, and the laws of physics permitting)

Nor would I ever pay $4,000 for anything with the Celestron name on it.

 

[wllmspd]

Still cheaper than the WX….. but probably more expensive per square degree field of view though.

Peter

 

[iseegeorgesstar]

Perhaps this binocular will be the slow march towards getting an IS version of their alphas. Looking forward to the next 5+ years of innovation.