Now that the holiday season is upon us, Manufacturing Digital is revisiting some of 2011's most popular stories. So sit back and enjoy reading the past year's biggest news.
Even if you aren't an avid bird watcher or train spotter, you are still likely to be fascinated by Sony's latest release. The consumer electronics giant has unveiled the world's first ever pair of digital binoculars capable of HD video recording, zoom, autofocus and SteadyShot image stabilisation.
The two models of binoculars, the DEV-3 and DEV-5, are also capable of recording 3D stereoscopic video footage for use on most 3D HDTVs without the need for special glasses.
“Now consumers can watch birds, wildlife, sports action and more in steady, sharply-focused close-up views, while capturing their subjects in crisp Full HD,” said Andy Bubala, Director of the Camcorder Business at Sony Electronics. “These new models add entirely new levels of flexibility and convenience to viewing, recording and enjoying your favourite images and scenes.”
Both models feature twin 10X-optical-zoom Sony G lenses (F1.9 to F3.4), a pair of backside-illuminated CMOS sensors as well as storage card slots for SD/SDHC/SDXC cards and Sony's own Memory Stick format.
In still-image mode, the binoculars can take 7.1-megapixel pictures in 4:3 or 5.3-megapixel photos in 16:9 aspect ratio. An on-board GPS receiver automatically geo-tags photos and video clips.
Released in November 2011, the digital binoculars are available for $1400 and $2000 respectively.
Our magazine is now available on the iPad. Click here to download it!
