Sony DEV-5 Digital Recording Binoculars, Black

Interestingly, the Sony site doesn't advertise what the manual does;there's 3 variations;-

DEV-3

DEV-5 with greater magnification than the DEV-3 and also with GPS (when selected in the menu), carry case, lens cover, eye cups and eye cap

DEV-5K same as the DEV 5, but includes the optional external battery charger, larger battery and a couple of extra (but unnecessary) cables

To get up and recording you will need an SD card, but it's not an unusual extra purchase and you can use the binoculars without one.

The accessories included with DEV-5K would come in handy, but with normal use they're not essential.

The only significant other option would be the external monitor the CLM-V55, which makes videoing much easier when using the binoculars at any height other than eye height. BE WARNED though... the CLM-V55 is going to set you back somewhere around $400 and DOES NOT come with Sony batteries (or charger for the batteries) required to power it (why? is beyond belief).

Performance (down to the nitty gritty)

2D

The last time I used a video recorder was when it was um... video. I have to say the difference is breath taking. I plugged the binoculars directly into my Panasonic HDTV and was more than impressed with both colour and clarity. In daylight the performance is outstanding and I was more than happy with low light performance too. Zoom was easy to use. Image stabilisation worked well.

3D

I was a little concerned the lenses were too close together to get effective 3D. In some respects I was right, but in others, quite wrong as 3D when the camera was operated properly was amazing. Let me explain; In order to get a good 3D effect you will need to practice and find a balance between the distance from your subject, size of the subject and magnification (zoom). It's not hard to get accustomed to, it just needs a little practice. Don't purchase the binoculars with expectations of getting 3D from subjects far, far away such as long off landscapes, that's not their purpose. Equally though, the colour and clarity was as described in 2D, and when the 3D effect diminished, the 2D effect was still excellent and the 3D effect wasn't lost altogether. When I hooked up the binoculars to my Panasonic 3D TV with a mini to standard HDMI cable (the cable is again an extra purchase), it recognised it straight away as 3D content and played it without any hassles whatsoever (kudos to Panasonic).

ONE MAJOR DISSAPOINTMENT

You can take 2D photos, but not 3D photos. I mean, come on fellas, it's a standard MPO file that even my 3DTV recognises. Why Sony left this feature out, I have no idea, BUT IT NEEDS A REMEDY!!!

SOUND

I have no complaints about the sound... it was very clear and crisp. The mic does suffer from wind noise when outside, as does any other camera mic, but you can hook up an external mic and add a wind muff and there's a flash hotshoe you can attach it to.

The strap issue: OK, the case doesn't come with a neck strap, but the binoculars do. To me, it's not a big issue... the case has strap holders; either use the binoculars strap in lieu of attaching them to the binoculars or buy a strap. It would be logical to have the extra strap (and courteous by the way Sony), but it's not a deal breaker.

CONCLUSION:

PRO'S

Convenient to use

Useful magnification (relatively standard for binoculars)

Ability to zoom (standard binoculars do not)

Excellent video and audio

3D is amazing (with a little practice)

Can be optioned up with batteries, viewer, audio recorder

CONS:

Cost, especially if you add the options

NO 3D PHOTOS. If I'd known this before I bought the binoculars, I would have waited until it was remedied, and it's not even mentioned until you get to page 30 of the manual (that's very naughty of you Sony and it prevents you from getting 5 out of 5 for an otherwise excellent product).

I have to agree with Mary, as far as how poor Sony are when it comes to value for money with this product. My DEV 5, also purchased via Amazon, arrived on December 24th after i'd missed the previous days delivery; and I was so happy that I did a little dance in front of Mr UPS!

I actually knew that the DEV 5 didn't include a memory stick as there was no mention of one in any of the sales literature, but it was initially of minor concern to me as I already had a couple of 16 gig Produo sticks that I used with my Sony camcorder. Having given the matter further thought, it has to be said that Sony's failure to include a memory stick is a huge failure especially in light of the fact that the item costs $2,000 and has no internal memory! You would expect these things to be good to go right out of the box, without having to buy any further accessories (Part of the reason that I went for the DEV 5 over the DEV 3, although i'm sure (if they were available) that i'd be able to purchase the extra equipment that comes with the DEV 5 for less than $700, which is the difference in recommended retail price between the 2 versions). I have purchased Sony cameras at a third of the price and they have always been packaged with a memory card if the equipment had no internal memory, albeit of low capacity (4 Gig). I should probably be thankful that the DEV 5 came with a battery!

The same thing can be said of the binoculars case which has no strap. The binoculars actually come with a good quality sony branded neck strap, however once they're hanging around your neck or being held in your hands, you might encounter 'What do I do with the case?' problems when you are out and about. I actually used the strap from my camcorder case, but this doesn't change the fact that Sony have been very sloppy when it comes to the accessories associated with the DEV 5.

Anyway, gripes aside, I like the actual binoculars a lot and was impressed by the fact that they are actually quite light. The ability to record what you see is excellent and I used them in conjunction with my camcorder for those occasions when I wanted to get up close and personal with my subject as opposed to using my camcorder's 2.5 inch LCD screen. I took them with me on various excursions around Miami and the Bahamas and found the GPS/Map feature to be extremely useful; especially when viewing footage/photos at home on the included PMB software. I will probably invest in a high capacity battery and a 32 Gig Produo stick, as the case doesn't even have storage areas for a spare battery of memory stick.

If you have the money to spend, I think they are a worthwhile purchase, even if it does mean that I won't be buying expensive lunches at work for a while!

Buy Sony DEV-5 Digital Recording Binoculars, Black Now

a pricey vid cam, but it has 26X optical and 3D movie capability. The only thing is that this is a heavy mutha and you'll get tired fast without a tripod, or in my case, a monopod. I use it to film surfers from the shoreline.

Read Best Reviews of Sony DEV-5 Digital Recording Binoculars, Black Here

Sure you need to buy an sd card, but this thing is nice. It is fun to shoot videos at sporting events.

Want Sony DEV-5 Digital Recording Binoculars, Black Discount?

EXCELLENT PRODUCT I AM STILL VERY HAPPY WITH MY PURCHASE. THE SONY DEV-5 MEETS ALL MY EXPECTATIONS I HAVE ALREADY RECOMMENDED IT TO A FEW OF MY FRIENDS.