Interestingly, the Sony site doesn't advertise what the manual does;there's 3 variations;-
DEV-3
DEV-5 with greater magnification than the DEV-3 and also with GPS (when selected in the menu), carry case, lens cover, eye cups and eye cap
DEV-5K same as the DEV 5, but includes the optional external battery charger, larger battery and a couple of extra (but unnecessary) cables
To get up and recording you will need an SD card, but it's not an unusual extra purchase and you can use the binoculars without one.
The accessories included with DEV-5K would come in handy, but with normal use they're not essential.
The only significant other option would be the external monitor the CLM-V55, which makes videoing much easier when using the binoculars at any height other than eye height. BE WARNED though... the CLM-V55 is going to set you back somewhere around $400 and DOES NOT come with Sony batteries (or charger for the batteries) required to power it (why? is beyond belief).
Performance (down to the nitty gritty)
2D
The last time I used a video recorder was when it was um... video. I have to say the difference is breath taking. I plugged the binoculars directly into my Panasonic HDTV and was more than impressed with both colour and clarity. In daylight the performance is outstanding and I was more than happy with low light performance too. Zoom was easy to use. Image stabilisation worked well.
3D
I was a little concerned the lenses were too close together to get effective 3D. In some respects I was right, but in others, quite wrong as 3D when the camera was operated properly was amazing. Let me explain; In order to get a good 3D effect you will need to practice and find a balance between the distance from your subject, size of the subject and magnification (zoom). It's not hard to get accustomed to, it just needs a little practice. Don't purchase the binoculars with expectations of getting 3D from subjects far, far away such as long off landscapes, that's not their purpose. Equally though, the colour and clarity was as described in 2D, and when the 3D effect diminished, the 2D effect was still excellent and the 3D effect wasn't lost altogether. When I hooked up the binoculars to my Panasonic 3D TV with a mini to standard HDMI cable (the cable is again an extra purchase), it recognised it straight away as 3D content and played it without any hassles whatsoever (kudos to Panasonic).
ONE MAJOR DISSAPOINTMENT
You can take 2D photos, but not 3D photos. I mean, come on fellas, it's a standard MPO file that even my 3DTV recognises. Why Sony left this feature out, I have no idea, BUT IT NEEDS A REMEDY!!!
SOUND
I have no complaints about the sound... it was very clear and crisp. The mic does suffer from wind noise when outside, as does any other camera mic, but you can hook up an external mic and add a wind muff and there's a flash hotshoe you can attach it to.
The strap issue: OK, the case doesn't come with a neck strap, but the binoculars do. To me, it's not a big issue... the case has strap holders; either use the binoculars strap in lieu of attaching them to the binoculars or buy a strap. It would be logical to have the extra strap (and courteous by the way Sony), but it's not a deal breaker.
CONCLUSION:
PRO'S
Convenient to use
Useful magnification (relatively standard for binoculars)
Ability to zoom (standard binoculars do not)
Excellent video and audio
3D is amazing (with a little practice)
Can be optioned up with batteries, viewer, audio recorder
CONS:
Cost, especially if you add the options
NO 3D PHOTOS. If I'd known this before I bought the binoculars, I would have waited until it was remedied, and it's not even mentioned until you get to page 30 of the manual (that's very naughty of you Sony and it prevents you from getting 5 out of 5 for an otherwise excellent product).
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