Home > Consumer Reviews > Bushnell Instant Replay 8x32 Digital Binocular

Some frustration, some useful pictures.

Unlike the previous reviewer, I had no trouble opening the battery compartment or putting the card in right-side-up (it's true that the instruction manual could be more complete, but the card is mostly printed on the top). I have a Windows 2000 computer, so I didn't have to install any software. I did take a while to figure out that there were *three* straps, and trying to put the neck strap for the case onto the binoculars doesn't work. (There's also a strap for your right hand, which I don't find that valuable.)

As pure binoculars they're decent. I'm not an "opticophile", but I do notice some chromatic aberration around small objects, say a falcon soaring high against a bright sky.

Two problems were that the magnification also magnifies any shakiness of your hands and that the camera just doesn't have enough resolution. Every picture I got is too "pixelated" and a lot were useless. You can see two of my best bird pictures, both enlarged 4x, at and . A more skillful and luckier photographer using a monopod in cooler weather would get sharper pictures, but between the 2.1 megapixels and the close focus all the way out at 17 feet, you're not going to get Christmas-card pictures, especially of anything small. The new model, with 3.2 megapixels, will be able to do a bit better.

Another problem is that the camera takes about 2 seconds to power up, and then the shutter waits a noticeable fraction of a second after you hit the button. You can miss a lot of wildlife or sports pictures during those delays, especially if you don't keep the power on (and keeping it on drains the batteries fairly quickly).

For birdwatchers: the camera might be useful in documenting rarities and even in some after-the-fact identifications, but you won't get anything to send to a magazine. The best feature is that you can get pictures while carrying around only one instrument.

I first used this combo binoculars/digital camera on a recent vacation to Kenya. The quality exceeded my expectations. I expecially liked that we could also take mini videos (up to 30 secs) of the animals as well as stills.
Negative: The battery compartment is not well designed and inserting batteries is sometimes frustrating.
Overall, I am really glad I purchased this product.
It is a alot of fun to use.

I was a little dubious when ordering this, as to the quality and clarity of the lens and the view they would give, I should not have worried, they are top class. And the units quite light too! Now add the camera functions to it and it is top shelf. I use it for Deer hunting in New Zealand, and during a 'stalk' you see some interesting things, animals fighting, bonking, doing different things which I always thought if only I had a camera! Often I can come out of the bush and say I saw 4 today 18 and a 21 pointer a spiker and a hind, some give you a look of disbelief, now its 'Hey look at these ones I saw today' Oh and cop the size of this Boar I saw across the River.
The only reason I didn't give this 5 out of 5 is I feel the conttrols could have been done, easier, once you are used to them, they are good but its fine tooth thru the instructions, to get it right. GOOD UNIT RECOMMEND IT TO ALL.

You should think of this as a pair of good binoculars with the added bonus of taking digital pictures and 30 seconds of video - rather than a camera with good zoom (8x). The reason is that it does not zoom, it's fixed at the 8x optical magnification.

Setting up and using the binoculars is very easy, much easier than a normal digital camera. It took me less than 5 minutes to get a good handle on how to use it...rather than an hour or two for most other digital camera. Taking photos and film is a snap. And the photos look really sharp.

I wish it was a little smaller and sleeker, but other than that, I have no complaints. It's a great product that works perfect for watching sports, being in the outdoors, or even at a concert/opera.

Highly recommend.

These binoculars are awesome! Clear view and easy to focus. The camera is a really neat feature and is easy to use. The photos are clear, but a little on the grainy side (which I expected they would be). All in all - the binoculars rock and the camera is fun, even if it takes less than perfect pictures. I would totally recommend the Bushnell Digi-Bino's.