Very good optics, camera technology in arrears

Very good optics, camera technology in arrears

ZEISS Digital Spotting Scope Victory PhotoScope 15-45x85mm T * FL (equipment)

Customer Review

GENERAL / PROS AND CONS
The Victory PhotoScope 15-45x85mm with integrated digital camera costs about two thousand more than the spotting scope with 20-75x 85mm diascop-zoom, adapter and camera, so individual components.
It has only one zoom eyepiece with max. 45x and a camera part, that the face of modest 7MP resolution and max. ISO 800, equivalent to a very inexpensive compact camera.
The PhotoScope will however come with an IR remote control.
In addition, the PhotoScope is not upgradeable, you can not even remove and replace the eyepiece the camera part.

Looking at the design drawing, it is found that prior to the Schmidt-Pechan prism another prism splits the light: A portion goes to the eyepiece, the other is diverted for the camera. Zeiss has thus already experience in my 45 mm Victory RF binoculars part of the light of a tube is diverted for the laser, with the result that the total light transmission is significantly downgraded. The PhotoScope I have not vergliechen directly with my two 85mm Diascope T * FL G and T * FL S, but my guess is it could be a little darker and the reason why it is only equipped with a 45x eyepiece, seems unfounded. In practice, and with the first observations in daylight and cloudy weather, the PhotoScope proves even at 45x as amazingly light.

So let's summarize:
PRO
- Complete solution with wireless remote control
- Compact
- Quickly operational
- Easy handling
CONTRAINDICATIONS
- Lower magnification than the 85mm Diascope with 20-60x- or 20-75x eyepiece
- More expensive than Eintelteil solution (85mm Diascope + camera + camera adapter)
- Not upgrade or Upgradable (both eyepiece and camera part)
So you can say that the PhotoScope roughly an integrated stereo system against one or corresponds with individual components a bridge camera against a DSR with interchangeable lenses. These non-expandability (in good German "Upgrade") and the limited power of the eyepiece and the camera part of course lead to the the PhotoScope it very hard has become established in the market. I have the numbers no idea, but the fact that the world - despite requests in the forums - are no tests or virtually no Erfahungsberichte, shows that the PhotoScope in the optical products is likely to be as exclusive as an Aston Martin Vantage road transport an remote province of Albania.

DELIVERY
The PhotoScope comes in a huge box with the traditional blue and white decor of the Victory series. It is larger than the packaging of a Victory 8x56 in about four times.
The package includes a Cordura suitcase, the the size is almost like my vacation luggage. I set a photo as a client image to illustrate with a 1 Euro coin to the size of a. The soft case measures 15x30x54cm.
In the second photo I have displayed the content. The scope of supply is substantial:
- PhotoScope 85mm objective lenses with fluorite, 15-45x zoom lens, 7MP camera (with video capability) sensitivity to ISO 800, snap-on lens and eyepiece.
- Remote Control (without type designation) and 2 Varta Industrial batteries AAA
- Ansmann Battery type A-Can PB511 10.4 Wh, Li-Ion 7.4V 1400 mAh
- Power supply for the battery charger (the battery is not charging in Photo Scope) 100-240V Output: 12V 750mA made in China, cable length 185 cm
- Charger Li-Ion Charger Model 5025122, input 12V DC 750mA, Output 7.4V DC 800mA, P / N: RCL008, made in China, for Canon PB511, BP512, BP522, BP535, with red / green charging indicator nightlights
- 2 travel adapter (UK, USA)
- Car Adapter Charger (cigarette lighter connector) 180 cm
- USB Mini-USB Verbindingskabel, 180 cm
- 1 GB SD card without specifying the speed class (and certainly not worth more than a few euros)
- Operating manual on CD and a few book
a long strap (shoulder strap) for the trunk is included.

Thus, the picture Scope lets worldwide operate with or without electricity and even in the car.
The quality of case and accessories is good to very good, only the SD card is not up to date in terms of capacity and speed.
All embedded in a solid foam.

Processing and handling

MECHANICS
The PhotoScope measures 46 cm long and fits in any standard photo suitcase pure. So you have to either drag along the Zeiss case with the whole shebang or find a more comfortable sports bag.
- The sun visor is actually easy, in the last quarter it is a bit heavier, tends to rub and tilt. Summarizing her gently and moved one gently is all right. - The two 1 mm thick-Peilrippen are a joke. Who wants to have a real sighting aid, it must build itself!
- The focus is the PhotoScope as the Swarovski ATM 80 with the very wide rubberised ring close to the lens. The operating range includes 2 3/4 turns. The ring is very quiet, almost no noise, evenly, without springs.
- Even with a small change of magnification must be refocused.
- The next ring in the direction of the eyepiece is the continuous zoom from 15x to 45x. He also runs just as well as the focusing ring with very soft grinding sound when new and practically perfect.
- Finally, at the third ring eyepiece for diopter, very schmall, only partially equipped with ribs and quite stiff. I must operate finger acrobatics to move it Weger of insufficient grip.
- The Eyecup moves out 3 steps. It runs so well that I want to use the term "Superb" purpose. I have not seen a better mechanism on one eyepiece: Absolutely not a game.
- The flap for the battery on the right is provided with a rubber seal. She only when open Lateralspiel, a perfect seal without clearance. It is possible to remove the seal in the cover to the AC adapter to connect directly. Zeiss has in this case the fact that the device is not approved for outdoor use.
- The flap on the left side houses the display. Here a seal is unnecessary because flap and housing are massively covered with rubber all around. Great material, rough and odorless, very narrow gaps, no play. Nothing squeaks or wobbles.
The materials are of the finest quality, the processing masterfully.

In summary, the mechanism is indeed designed some attention, but it is not disadvantageous. The build quality is impressive. For this purpose there is the top grade.

HANDLING
The PhotoScope weighs 2,887 grams is ready, well balanced, built to a focus precisely moreover threaded for removable disk of the stand.
If necessary you can put the unit without a tripod on the window sill and watch. Manual operation without support is of course excluded.
It can be operated normally without battery as a spotting scope. The battery needs at the first time about 1.5 hours to charge. He snapped clean in a PhotoScope.
The lens is protected Duch 1 snap-on plastic lid. The eyepiece is attached accurately and with a long thread to the device.

The eye relief is sensational. Even if the pupil is far from the optical axis, occur no Störschatten. The eye can make all sorts of antics to the entire field of view of the generously dimensioned ocular lens, the appearance is totally unaware and untouched the visual comfort.

The operation of the camera is carried out with the wireless remote control and is easily, the menus simple.
But what gives the eyepiece is neither respect nor Seefeld resolution what the camera captures.

Optical power
About the advantages of 85mm T * FL optics, which is also built into the Diascope spotting scopes G and S I must not tell you much. This can be seen in numerous articles of hunting and nature magazines and read for those who understand English, in the reviews of Diane and Michael Porter in Bird Watcher's Digest or elsewhere.
Brightness and contrast of PhotoScope are simply outstanding. Regarding sharpness, an acquaintance of mine who is also optic collector, puts it this way: "So you can watch the ... A fly in a 40 meter distance". That's a bit of an exaggeration, but only a little, because then you can actually watching fly in 75 m distance. In fact, I could see the threads of a spider in 75 m distance to the 85mm T * FL optics last summer.
My first observations with the PhotoScope were eg the hexagon bolts of a TV antenna in 75 meters and their rust stains, pine branches in 50-80 m etc. corresponding images I enclose. Edge sharpness and color fidelity are impeccable, no visible color fringing, reflections etc. The depth of field is approximately 5 m at 75 m and is at PhotoScope more comfortable than most scopes. The figure in the eyepiece is at PhotoScope a pleasure.

Camera performance
As mentioned earlier, the performance of the camera are on paper actually very modest.
In practice, experiment after a few hours, that's what the camera delivers not at all comparable with the figure in the eyepiece and the camera's performance is not the head of optics justice. My 128 GB and 64 GB SD cards are not recognized by the camera. Luckily I still have old SanDisk Ultra II 2GB.
- The screen is very small: I attach a diagonal of 7.4 cm. The resolution of the screen is absolutely modest, the number of pixels (for good reason) not mentioned, but the screen is capable of not assess the sharpness. While you can zoom, but because the display is not very sharp, which uses little.
- The field of view of the camera is horizontally and vertically in each case only half of the field of view of the eyepiece. Ie it captures only about 1/4 of the total figure
- Really disappointing it is when you look at the images on the screen: The noise is highly visible, the images with the automatic program are a bit pale, low contrast and need to be reviewed on a PC. Better results are obtained with the manual adjustment.
If I change the pictures of my old Nikon D40 look at me with 6 MP, it is hard to believe me at first that 7 MP are works on the Victory PhotoScope. The resolution sometimes reminds me of my first Olympus Camedia from the 20th century. In any case, the richness of detail in the automatic mode can not get images of my Sony Cybershot HX100V with 30x zoom zoom. For brightness and color fidelity are vastly superior. To achieve good results, you should definitely take advantage of the manual settings, although there are only 3 stops but countless Verchlußzeiten. The lowest ISO 50 is recommended because the noise is otherwise visible very quickly.

CONCLUSION
The scope section of PhotoScope is excellent, the built-in camera lags painfully behind.
Given the disappointing results of the camera part and the low future security (fixed built-in camera and eyepiece) I am very cautious in the overall assessment. Especially at the price I expected more. Nevertheless I forgive 4 stars, because the handling is quite good, the optics and processing outstanding, and with some effort, good results can be achieved. In assessing the value for money, however I would less awarded 1 star.
I've had my fun with the part and put it up for sale now.

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