Digital camera binoculars are binoculars with digital camera capabilities. In these, the digital binocular camera is situated on top and takes a photograph or a video of the view that is seen through the binoculars. There is an LCD screen, either flat or flip-up, which allows the users to frame the picture or video to be taken and review it afterward; the flip-up version is generally the more convenient one.
Given the differences between the human eye and the camera lens, it is necessary to keep in mind that the photographed or recorded view may not be exactly as the one seen through the digital camera binocular eye-piece. The photo and video quality depends on how basic or advanced the digital camera binoculars are, specifically on what the magnification is as well as the size of the lens. These two factors are indicated by the binocular numbers, for instance 8 by 42, where 8 is the magnification and 42 is the lens size. The larger the lens size, the better the image. In advanced digital camera binoculars, the binocular numbers are large and the photographs taken are good enough to be printed out.
Many binoculars with digital cameras only have limited storage space on their internal memory. Once this memory gets full, if the digital camera binoculars is to be used again, the photographs and videos taken have to be either deleted or transferred elsewhere. They can be downloaded onto a computer or stored on memory cards or on external memory drives. In some cases, they can even be directly emailed or sent to an online photo site.
Usually, all digital camera binoculars come with image manipulation software that allows users to re-size and adjust the downloaded photographs. Other general accessories can include AAA batteries, USB cable, neck strap and tripod mount. The last is particularly useful for avoiding the pitfalls of handheld tremors in photographs and videos. Some digital camera binoculars models have fold-down rubber eye-cups to make viewing easier for people who wear glasses.
Binoculars with digital camera are popular with hikers, bird-watchers, nature researchers and sports enthusiasts, among others. The basic, inexpensive digital camera binoculars, however, are not well-suited for any in-depth observation. For serious study, it is necessary to get the advanced digital camera binocular models that come with special close-focus and magnification capabilities. Bird-watchers can train such models on birds, zoom in, and capture specific bird behaviors instantly. Sports enthusiasts too can follow the action closely and preserve the memorable moments.