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When you’re heading outside, you might be thinking about grabbing a pair of binoculars to take with you to zoom in to see what’s up in the trees or off in the distance. If you want to cut some weight and bulk out, though, perhaps a monocular gets the job done. If so, then the recently-released NOCS Provisions Zoom Tube is something you’ll want to have a look at.
Just as with their binoculars (which we’ve got a pair in for some testing at the moment), the NOCS Provisions Zoom Tube is coated with it’s colorful – and supper-grippy – exterior that also helps to protect the optics from any potential bumps and bangs as you’re out and about. So, what is it that you’re getting in terms of the optics? Here’s what they have say about it:
The Zoom Tube is 8×32 (8x magnification / 32mm lens aperture), the equivalent of a 400mm zoom lens. Featuring Swiss-designed Bak4 prisms, each piece of glass on the Zoom Tube is coated multiple times to reduce chromatic aberration and provide more brightness. With a wide field of view (384ft @ 1000 yds / 7.3º) the Zoom Tube allows you to see an extremely wide range while maintaining a close focus of 2M (7ft) for viewing nature’s smaller details. The oversize eyepiece lens is excellent for spotting moving objects like birds or your friend catching a wave.
Notice how it calls out the 400mm zoom lens equivalent? You can simply hold your phone up to the eyepiece (or use their Smart Rig) and get a handy-dandy zoom lens on the camera that’s always in your pocket. Here, of course, stability is going to be the key, both of the monocular, and the alignment between the phone and the optics.
If, rather than zooming way out, you want to look more closely, the NOCS Provisions Zoom Tube can do that as well. Partly due to the 2m close-up range that it can focus at, but even more so due to their Inspector Microscope ($35) with adds another 32x zoom for close up, along with an inverted cup that allows you to place the device at the appropriate distance.
And finally, if you’re wondering how you’re going to be carrying this, NOCS has partnered up with another brand we’ve talked about here – Peak Design. Here, they’ve designed the NOCS Provisions Zoom Tube to be able to take the Peak Design Capture Clip to thread into the standard tripod mount so you can easily clip the Tube onto your bag for easy, stable-in-place access to the optics when you need them, and a quickly pop it back onto your bag when you’re wanting to put it away.
In terms of pricing, we talked through some of the points. For the three of these, there’s actually a bundle available. The Zoom Tube retails for $75, the Inspector Microscope for $35, and the Capture Clip for $69. The three can be purchased together in the Citizen Scientist bundle for $165. It’s available now (the Tube, at least) for pre-order, with deliveries anticipated for later this month. That’s in two colors (black and yellow) with another five colors coming later this summer. Check it all out over at nocsprovisisions.com
Features
- Water Resistant (IPX4) + Fogproof (Nitrogen sealed O-rings)
- Wide Field of View (384ft @ 1000yds)
- Fully Multi Coated Lens + BaK4 Roof Prism
- Rugged Impact Absorbing Housing + Scratch Resistant Lenses
- Twist Up Eyecup, compatibile with glasses
Tech Specs
| Power: | 8x | |
| Objective Lens ø: | 32mm | |
| Lens Coating Type: | Fully Multi-Coated | 6x layering / lens |
| Prism Type: | Roof / Bak4 | Fully Multi-Coated |
| Waterproof Rating: | IPX4 – ok in a drizzle | |
| Ocular Lens ø: | 16mm | |
| Eye Cup Type: | Twist Up | |
| Eye Relief: | 9mm | 2mm–11mm |
| Number of Lenses: | 4 pieces / 2 groups | Central Focus System |
| Field of View (7.3º): | 384ft @ 1000yds | c |
| Close Focus: | 3M | 10ft |
| Height: | 69mm | 2.72″ |
| Dimensions: | 126mm x 47mm | 4.96″ x 1.85″ |
| Weight: | 270g | 9.52oz |
| Exit Pupil Diameter: | 4mm | 4/25″ |
| Exit Pupil Distance: | 13mm | 1/2″ |
