Carson MonoZoom
A 8-16X Compact Zoom Monocular
Model Number: ZM-825
From: Carson Optical
Reviewed by Herbert White - February 2, 2009
The Carson MonoZoom is a high-quality, compact zoom monocular with an 8X - 16X power zoom. It features a nonslip rubber focus control band, and the eye piece is padded so that you will not give yourself a black-eye while using it, or scratch your glasses. For being such a powerful monocular, the MonoZoom is very small and portable. It is extremely light weight (less than 5 ounces) and only about 5½ inches long, and about 1½ inches at its widest diameter. This makes the MonoZoom perfect for taking along on hikes or other outdoor activities. It also comes in a handy carrying pouch that you can thread onto your belt or slip into a pocket, and it has a wrist strapped attached to the MonoZoom so that if you drop it, it will not go far.
According the specifications that came with the MonoZoom, its field-of-view is 241/157 feet at 1,000 yards. In addition, this monocular is not for close up viewing, you need to be at least sixteen feet away from the object you are viewing so that the monocular can focus properly. The objective lens measures 25mm. What do all these numbers mean? Well for me, it means that I can see the unopened leaf buds on tree thirty feet away and the individual needles on pine trees. I can look at a bird in a tree and almost think that I'm holding the bird in my hand the details are so clear and crisp - and large!
I found this to be amazing because I cannot use a regular binocular - at least not without shutting one eye. I have MD (Macular Degeneration), and I've lost a large portion of my central vision. As a result I have to rely upon my peripheral vision to get by. With regular binoculars I have to hold them at an awkward angle and only get the benefit of one lens - so they are an impractical solution for me. The Carson MonoZoom, however, meets my needs perfectly. It is light weight, portable, and easy to position so that I can get the maximum benefit of its magnification potential. I did find that there is a slight learning curve that you'll have to master, at least in regard to learning where to point the monocular so that you can find what you are looking for. Once you master this technique, you'll find that it is instinctual. Most important, at least to me, is that I can go back to enjoying my favorite hobby - bird watching! While my needs are perhaps unique, I know that there are others in the low vision community that have difficulty using binoculars. I encourage you to try out either this or another monocular, I'd never used one before and I wish I had because it has surely enhanced my life and my ability to pursue one of my favorite activities - and one that I thought I had to give up since my vision loss!
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Transforms your TV into a Visual Aid! This is an easy-to-use, hand-held, electronic reading aid that connects to your TV. Text and images are magnified and displayed on your TV screen, in full color. The level of magnification depends upon the size of your TV. For example, you will get a 5.3x magnification on a 14" television, 8x on a 21" television, and 12.2x on a 32" television.
