Thank goodness I [paid less], although I don't like throwing away any amount of money. Oh Capture View, how do I dislike thee? Let me count the ways:p1. Binocs cannot be adjusted for someone like me with fairly close eye spacing--camera is in the way, so I cannot fuse left/right images. Duh!!p2. The on/off/shutter buttons are prominent and thus easy to accidentally press...of course this is why the [people] who designed this thing have it automatically shut off after 10 seconds of idling (unbelievable!!). This latter attractive behavior is not (that I could find) mentioned in the instructions.p3. The quality of the pics at "hi-res" is terrible---the product is just [not good] in this regard. Even resting on a support to prevent motion the pics are of such lousy clarity that they are practically useless. My regular digicam at 640/480 produces vastly better images. In fact, holding my digicam up against the eyepiece of my regular binocs and shooting thru the binocs gives much better pics than the Meade pics. This is my big disappointment with the device...I had hoped to get nice hawk pics, but I see it is virtually useless for a subject with any detail at all.p4. The need to reboot the computer after disconnecting the camera, before re-connecting it. Huh?? This makes the USB hot-swap feature useless.pOh well...whaddaya want for [money]?? My sincerest condolences to those who wasted [more than] that.pShame on Meade for putting their name on this piece of... And shame on them for absurdly hyping it in their ad copy.

We bought the Meade Capture View today at Radio Shack for $119. We plan to return it. Out of a dozen test pictures, two were excellent, the rest mediocre. Pictures in bright sunlight and medium distance were better than the rest. The software and hookup to the computer worked well. We got some neat pictures of some wild turkeys passing through our yard.pThe unsurmountable problem is in the design. You have to keep the two AAA batteries installed to take pictures and to preserve what's in the memory. But if you leave the batteries in, as warned in the instructions, the batteries will run down and you will lose the pictures! So between uses, aand after transfering the pictures to a computer, it's best to disable the batteries. We did it with a piece of tape on the plus terminal.pSo, you can't take the dealy on a vacation, unless you have access to a computer to download the images, or you risk the photos disappearing as the battery runs down, or you run out of room in the small. volatile memory to store images. We think this is a serious restriction.pThe optical quality of the binocular part was good considering the price. (The camera uses separate optics.)

Okay, I've read the other reviews. Luckily, I just got one from my wife for Christmas BEFORE I read the reviews, or I'd have been skeptical. However, I really like it. The optics are better than my Bushnell 8x22; clearer and brighter. And, the photos are pretty good for a low-cost digital camera. But, since it's essentially an 8 power lens (equivalent to 400mm), if the unit is not properly braced, the photos will (quite naturally) be blurry. Heck, my 35mm with a 300 telephoto would yield pretty lousy shots if not properly braced! Actually, my only complaint is that Meade did not include a camera mount adapter. The use of a small tripod would eliminate the blur caused by an unsteady grip. This can be corrected - as I have already done - by sticking a small square of velcro on the underside of the binoculars (actually the battery compartment door), and sicking the other piece of velcro on the camera mount (such as my pocket-size tripod/car window mount). Problem of blur solved!If you want better optics in a compact binocular, or a better quality digital camera, expect to pay a good deal more than the cost of the Meade Capture View. But for a good, lightweight (7.1 oz) pocket-size (4.5 x 3.5 x 2.2") binocular with the very cool feature of being able to take a snapshot at the touch of a button, it's a good deal.Recommended close focus is a minimum 16', and at this distance, I got a acceptably sharp portrait of my cat. At 150' (with tripod!) I got a surprizingly good shot of a cardinal. In high-resolution mode, the camera's 8MB can store up to 45 640x480 photos. The 10 second timer is also a nice feature. Images can be downloaded via included USB cable (CD with installation and image editing software included). Individual images or the entire bank can be cleared with the touch of a button.Overall, I'm very happy with my Capture View. It'll be in my pocket every time we go hiking or fishing come summer!

This camera has suitable optics when used as binoculars. Perhaps that's the only redeeming quality of this product.The camera, controls, and software are horrendous. The camera in "high-resolution" mode is only 640x480 and produces extremely poor quality pictures. Since there are no settings or options for controlling picture quality, you get what the camera decides to give you.The software was horrendous, too. It uses twain drivers for downloading pictures through USB even on Windows XP. There are no options for directly accessing or copying pictures from the camera. By the way, the driver shipped with this product for Windows XP doesn't work -- you must download the driver from the website in order to make it work half-way well under XP. The plug-n-play installation ran three times to install the driver correctly, which is ludicrous.It's a neat idea, but save your money. This product is a loser and you will be terribly disappointed if you buy it. I can't even imagine why Meade would keep the product alive, except to drain the stock room.

This is binocular melded with a very low end submegapixel digital camera. pI can't even rate the optical portion high, because it was very uncomfortable to use. The spacing and spacing adjustments between the barrels are awkward. My nose has to rest on the USB port entry to be able to see into the lenses. pThe camera automatically shuts off in less than 60 seconds, sometimes not enough time to line up a shot. When the shutter engages, it beeps once, but it beeps twice more before shut off, forcing me to look at the camera to ensure I didn't hit the shutter again. pThe worst part, is my 10X digital camera opticals gets a tighter closeup than the binocular.

The binoculars are actually pretty good, but the digital camera is the worst I've ever seen. I can't believe they would put such a lousy camera in a name brand product.

I recieved this item as a gift, but soon returned it. The camera part of the binoculars is too close to the eye pieces. I was not able to get the eye pieces close enough to my eyes because the camera was so close. (I have a rather ordinary nose.) I had to raise the binoculars higher on my nose bridge and this obstructed my view, not allowing me to properly focus the lenses in order to capture pictures. Don't waste your money on this item.

This is binocular melded with a very low end submegapixel digital camera. I can't even rate the optical portion high, because it was very uncomfortable to use. The spacing and spacing adjustments between the barrels are awkward. My nose has to rest on the USB port entry to be able to see into the lenses. The camera automatically shuts off in less than 60 seconds, sometimes not enough time to line up a shot. When the shutter engages, it beeps once, but it beeps twice more before shut off, forcing me to look at the camera to ensure I didn't hit the shutter again. The worst part, is my 10X digital camera opticals gets a tighter closeup than the binocular.

This is a very good pair of binoculars with a very lousy digital camera attached.

This is a very good pair of binoculars with a very lousy digital camera attached.

This is a really clever combination, and a really noble attempt at a product, but seriously, anyone who uses binoculars for more than a peep at some popstar's midrift is a person interested in seeing what they are looking at, and 640x480 resolution is, frankly, not enough resolution for anything more than webpage icons (don't forget that most photos end up being cropped). Having the name Meade attached is a draw, but I expect this is one more item in their new line of made-in-China products (the telescope is ok, but scrap the tripod!). Maybe ok for a toy for your 10-year-old, but if it costs more than [$$$], you're better off with a JamCam.

This product looks cheap, the material quality is not good. It was made in China, however, Meade did not control the production quality as expect. That's why the finished product is sub-quality, especially the battery compartment cover is difficult to open and can not close it perfectly. Although the price is attractive, but this binocular view is sub-standard and the picture quality from its digital camera function is unexpected.

I bought the capture view very recently. I can't get my computer to recognize the camera. I have an extremely high speed/high end new Dell computer. I use my Dell all the time to download and edit photos from my digital cameras with no problems at all. I'm also pretty computer literate. The Meade Capture View would not work out of the box. I went online, but no info there helped my situation. I attempted multiple fixes, including driver updates, reinstallations, and every combination you can imagine. I have called Meade over and over, but get no answer! The Capture View requires more effort than its worth. I imagine I purchased an inoperative camera or have a bad cable. However, I can't solve the issue because I can't get through to Meade.

Considering that 8x22 binoculars cost $20-$30 you are paying $70 for a digital camera. That's about what you get. A good deal of light is required and the 640x480 is not enough resolution for serious pictures. Unlike other USB cameras, the software provided must be used to download pictures. The PhotoExpress software that ships with the binocularss is very good. For $100 the technology just isn't quite there yet.

I just bought the captureview binoculars. While downloadind the supplied cd my cd rom drive my d:\ drive would not read this disc. I put my disc drive to a test and put another disc in my d:\ slot and this disc was read by my system so evidently I have been able to determine the problem is not of my system, but a bad disc supplied by meade. I then tried to find a download on the world wide web for my captureview binoculars. Where I could only find a download for windows xp which is not compatible for windows 98. I have nearly spent 8 hours trying to have my system read the capture view device. I am assuming that the disc supplied by meade is bad. Being a 100 mile round trip to the store where I purchased the captureview binoculars and your tech support is only available during the work week I have been dimayed by your service. I am a land surveyor with some experience with software down loades. I was excited to find a product that would do what these binoculars are suppose to do. To bad this process is this dificult.

This camera crashed my computer 4 times and the one time I did get it to work the pictures were blurred,unfocused and dark. I even got on their website to download a new driver compatible with wiindows xp and it still crashed my computer. I almost lost all my files and my system has not been the same since I may have to get a repair person in to reset everything! I would NOT recomend this camera.

I got one for Christmas (my friend saw the ads on Discovery Channel). The binoculars actually do work well (I was skeptical) and picture quality does leave something to be desired, but again I was skeptical, so I wasn't surprised. A little tweaking in my photo editor, and everything was fine.The battery drain problem is very annoying - and for this one reason alone I may still opt to return it and save my $$ for something better.

I bought this camera from Radio Shack and it has serious software problems with newer computers. I COULD NOT DOWNLOAD A SINGLE PICTURE AND HAD TO RETURN THE UNIT !

I enjoyed this camera exactly for what it was intended to be. A simple inexpensive way to take distance shots linked to a binoc. When used with the bundled software it becomes a very good camera. Yes, there are some limitations but remember you paid under $100 not $1000.br brThe things I like are:brSmall size, lightweight.brGood viewing via the binocular.brA high number of shots per its 8 Meg of storage when on LO. .brI would rather take this with me hiking than my professional digital equipment. brIf lose it down a mountain slope, I'm not in trouble with my business partner (wife).brWhen I get home I sit down with the computer and off load the stills and do what enhancing is needed. brMy kids can use the provided software on their PC to enhance images. pTo insure you get good shots each time, here are several things you should watch out for. brShoot in good light.brWatch the battery icon, If it gets close to ¾ white change batteries. The manual says that if you do this within 90 seconds you will not lose images. I have never had a problem as I always put fresh batteries in just as I leave the trailhead. brBrace yourself well for each shot. brDo the above, download the files; pick the ones you want, enhance them and you'll be good to go.pI like this camera, It's fun!

I enjoyed this camera exactly for what it was intended to be. A simple inexpensive way to take distance shots linked to a binoc. When used with the bundled software it becomes a very good camera. Yes, there are some limitations but remember you paid under $100 not $1000. The things I like are:Small size, lightweight.Good viewing via the binocular.A high number of shots per its 8 Meg of storage when on LO. .I would rather take this with me hiking than my professional digital equipment. If lose it down a mountain slope, I'm not in trouble with my business partner (wife).When I get home I sit down with the computer and off load the stills and do what enhancing is needed. My kids can use the provided software on their PC to enhance images. To insure you get good shots each time, here are several things you should watch out for. Shoot in good light.Watch the battery icon, If it gets close to ¾ white change batteries. The manual says that if you do this within 90 seconds you will not lose images. I have never had a problem as I always put fresh batteries in just as I leave the trailhead. Brace yourself well for each shot. Do the above, download the files; pick the ones you want, enhance them and you'll be good to go.I like this camera, It's fun!

Received as a gift, tried first time at a full daylight baseball game. Camera auto-shutoff between pitches makes it impossible to get quick action shots. Difficult to retrieve the photos, due to the poor driver software that locks up your PC, requires disconnecting other USB devices. Defective photos: images have jagged horizontal lines in neon colors bisecting the middle (where the interesting part of the photo should be). The (partial) images below the jagged horizontal lines have incorrect colors - baseball fields are not deep purple! I'm sorry I wasted my time with it.

Good binoculars, so-so camera. Decent setup, but takes practice getting the shots you want. Requires experimenting in different light levels. Not for shots closer than 30 feet. Steadiness must be maintained for all pictures. Most shots I take are later processed with PhotoShop. Not the camera I grab for photos but when using binoculars is a nice accessory to have camera ready.

I opened the box and installed (or tried to install) the software for this piece of equipment, and found that the software loaded ok, the driver installed properly, but the Tutorial WOULD NOT RUN. I am VERY disappointed in the documentation (instructions for the software and technical info for the camera/binocs)! As another reviewer stated, the thing shuts off after 10 seconds of non-use - a pain in the neck when you are out 'birding' and trying to catch the perfect shot - and that is NOT DOCUMENTED anywhere! I will keep trying with this...I have a trip coming up and plan to take my REAL camera, too. I am sure the technology on these things will get better. I hope to contact Meade and let them know how disappointed I am.

I hate this camera. The pictures always come out blurry, and you can't even tell what the picture looks like. I think that it is a piece of junk. If you keep the batteries in then it will erase the pictures and if you take the batteries out then it will erase the pictures also...if it were up to me I would never buy it. If you want your pictures to turn out well, you have to have the room really, really bright, and it has to be so focused that the camera can't even focus that much...so in other words your pictures won't turn out!! The only thing good about this camera is that the binoculars work!!

Internal timer with no controls? No 'OFF' switch. Turn it and take pics...great. As long as you keep taking pics all is well.If you loose track of the 2 minute window..it turns off! RATS No way to extend the 2 minutes? Looking thru binocs you have no hint (is the camera on or off?) brPROBLEMS:br1) Internal timer-that can be fixed with a firmware download but if you extend the timer to 30 minutes..ya can't turn it off.Well you can by removing the battery cover. And that's another problem.br2) plastic battery cover.A toy .Not long for this worldbr3)no cover for memory slot or USB port or lens covers (5)br4) Beeper? What beeper? I can't hear any beeper.br5) Battery labels? + and - are confusing for first timepJust turned it on,took one picture..it turned off. Turn it on, take another picture,set it on the counter..it turned off??????brGrrrrrrrrr

This camera is excellent for birdwatching catching those great shots. The perfect picture is about 16 feet from you- I have taken some prize winning photos with mine.
It is fixed focus and takes some time to learn to perfect your technique- but by and all I am pleased with the price and the product. My boyfriend also bought one and we enjoy taking pictures together and comparing.
A good product- a good price.

Purchased meade Capture-View two weeks ago. Haven't had great deal of time to devote to it. For the price, the quality is there.brAs it states in manual.What you see(optics)is NOT what you get. The camera lens are seperate from the optics used for viewing . There is a range that the focus of camera seems to be right on with setting of camera lens.Appears to me to be about 100 yds. Give or take few yards. Pictures look clear and with good color.br Going now to PC..When the disc is inserted in pc, it has the driver recognition of "Scope Cam" When you go to programs like IRFRANView,or ADOBE PHOTO DELUX. IT COMES WITH "ULEAD PHOTO EXPRESS".(I didn't load it because I Have other programs)Open chosen program. Go to "FILE" at Tool bar,(TOP OF SCREEN). Select "TWAIN SOURCE" THEN, SCOPE CAM.It will then have screen to download 1 or all pics taken. The Capture View binoc/camera would be a nice extra to take along on an outing. Bringing back rememberances of your trip without taking along your camera. The CaptureView is all you need..BUT DON'T FORGET THE BATTERIES. 2-AA's.

Received Binoculars/Camera as a Christmas gift. The Binoculars seem to work fine. However; the digital camera leaves a lot to be desired. Do not expect to get a Sharpe picture on distant objects!! I have taken at least 60 different shots and the only fair ones are from 50 to 200 feet. I am using the Nikon Colpix 5000(5Mega Pixils)!! The difference is like night and day!! Do not expect the Meade camera to even come close to the quality of our Nikon 5000! We Plan to use the Binocular portion mainly on hiking trips and to take an occasional picture at about 200 feet out. This would be OK for someone new to digital photography and wants a entry level camera. A nice toy, but not a quality camera!!