Sony DEV-5

Sony DEV-5

They may look like the sci-fi specs Luke Skywalker uses to scour the skylines of the ice planet Hoth, but Sony's new digital binoculars are no sci-fi prop. Part 3D camcorder and part binoculars, the DEV-5 is one of the more surprising additions to Sony's digital imaging portfolio. We tried them out at the IFA trade show in Berlin. These are our first impressions.The DEV-5 will go on sale in November, priced at £2,000. There's definitely something a bit Modern Warfare about these hi-tech binoculars. Sony says they have a stealth design. This means there's only a smattering of controls on the binoculars themselves. Apparently, this is to minimise any clicking that could disturb your quarry in the field. The top-side buttons are big enough to use even when you're wearing bulky gloves. Magnification is suitably massive. The DEV-5 offers a 20x zoom in 2D mode, although digital zoom magnification kicks in over 10x. As we found when looking out across the expense of the packed IFA halls, resolution does drop off if you're at the extreme end of the zoom.The maximum magnification in the 3D recording mode is just 5.4x. While this may seem limited, trying to maintain a decent stereoscopic image at a 20x zoom probably isn't feasible, what with the drop in light levels and inherent instability.