00:00The GoBirding VisionMaster is billed as the world's first spotting scope with built-in
00:04AI bird identification. It's made by GoBirding, a birdwatching-focused offshoot of Apex All,
00:10a Chinese optics company founded in 2011. The device is not on general sale just yet,
00:14GoBirding is launching a Kickstarter campaign around August 20 and backers can grab an early
00:19bird unit from $649. The official retail price will be $999. With crowdfunding I always say
00:25back at your own risk but I can tell you that the VisionMaster is a real product. I was one
00:29of the
00:29first to get my hands on it ahead of its launch. The scope has a 30 times optical zoom stretching
00:34to 120 times with digital zoom. It can also shoot 4k video up to 30 frames per second
00:40using its 1 over 2.7 inch camera sensor. If you want to shoot slow-mo there's 120 frames per
00:45second
00:45but only at 1080p quality. Footage and 8 megapixel photos are stored on a microSD card. The AI can
00:52identify over 1500 bird species offline, rising to more than 10,000 when it's connected to the
00:57internet via the companion app. Unlike most scopes you're not looking through the optical glass all
01:01the way. There's a built-in 1080p micro OLED screen in the eyepiece. The device is rated IP65 for
01:07weatherproofing and it comes with a tripod mount bolted to the barrel as standard which can be
01:12removed if you want to use the device handheld. In my experience however it works a lot better when
01:16it's on a tripod. The VisionMaster is pretty lightweight for its size, weighing under 1kg including
01:20the tripod mount and its rubber lens cap. Battery life runs to around 6 hours of continuous use which
01:25lasted me all day at a local nature reserve. My first impressions are that the VisionMaster
01:29shows real promise but rough edges hold it back for now. You can find out more in my full review
01:34of the device at TechRadar.com. But what do you make of the VisionMaster? Could it replace your
01:37traditional spotting scope? Let me know in the comments below.
