Home > Consumer Reviews > Meade Captureview Binocular

This is a poorly engineered product. The first sign of trouble was when I read the recommendation in the user's guide to remove the batteries when the unit is not in use. If you do not remove the batteries, they will discharge in 2 or 3 days. A 50 cent on/off switch would have largely fixed this problem.

The next problem is with the software. It does not work with XP. Meade provides a ridiculous Help Sheet for XP users on their web site, but it only provides jerry rigged half solutions. For all practical purposes the software does not work on Windows XP. I do not know how it performs on other versions of windows.

Then there is the digital camera. With a 50 ft MINIMUM focus and the low resolution VGA camera, do not expect to take the glorious closeups shown in meade's advertisements. The auto shutoff is also a problem. Unit will turn off between shots making spontaneous photography impossible.

This camera/binoculars may have some novelty value, but at 50 to 60 dollars it is not a good value. Meade should be ashamed.

I cannot tell you about picture quality for these binoculars because I couldn't get past the cheap construction. I bought these for my husband for hunting and the races but had to send 2 pair back before even using them. The body is cheap silver looking brushed plastic and it had dents and dings. The battery cover wouldn't even close. That was my first pair. I got the second and the battery cover still wouldn't snap closed. VERY POORLY MADE. Now my husband is disappointed and so am I. I suggest shopping around. I know I will.

My sister and her boyfriend bought this for me for Christmas. All of us expected what was viewed in the binoculars would be what was photographed, but no. This is a camera mounted on a pair of binoculars. The camera -- and not a very good one (slow and featurless) -- has nothing to do with the binoculars.

Imagine focusing the binoculars on a bird in a tree at some distance and then snapping a picture. The picture would be of the tree -- not of the bird. Presumably, the bird would be in the photo but the photo would not be what you saw in the binoculars.

One would do much better with a telephoto lens on a good camera.

I also can't make this work with either Windows XP or Vista. The Meade website is horrible for information or driver downloads. I received as a gift, and was looking here for how to make it work. Still not successful, and ready to give up.

What a great Innovation!! At a recent baseball game we shot over 200 photo's!! This camera is loaded with so much memory its hard to run out. I recommend it for anybody into sporting events. We didn't miss a shot. The download to the computer afterwards was easy, and the photo's were great! This is a great deal!