Read the online version at http://www.cathayphoto.com.sg/viewfinder/read/2007,12,16

Looking at the world through binoculars is very exciting. We get an intimately close view of scenes and objects from far afield. Details that escape the naked eye are crisp and clear. With foreground and background fuzzed out because of the inherently very shallow depth of field, only the subject stands out sharply isolated from its surroundings.

If you’ve wished that you could capture the scenes you marvelled at through binoculars, the great news is that you now can. Swarovski has developed what they call a "Snap Shot Adapter" that forms the link between a binoculars and a digital camera enabling the capture of clearly focused photographs at a dramatically long range.

Until now trying to take digital photographs of what is observed through binoculars was a very fiddly hit-or-miss affair which was not only time-consuming but also required a lot of luck resulting in a very poor success rate. It’s anything but easy to hold both binoculars and camera together, and to align and centralize the binoculars’ eyepiece to the camera’s lens.

Now however, all that has changed. The Snap Shot Adapter, developed by Swarovski Optik, is an ergonomic and sophisticated little ring which turns the binocular into an objective lens. With this simple attachment it is possible to capture, in extraordinary pinpoint detail and over huge distances, moments which would otherwise be irretrievably lost. Using the adapter is child’s play. You first twist out the eye cup, then position the adapter and screw it on tight. After this, you turn on your digital compact and extend the zoom lens, couple the camera to the adapter and adjust the control disk of the adapter so that it fits the diameter of the camera’s objective lens and you’re ready for action.

Using a supporting surface or a tripod makes for even sharper and more precise photos. As the Snap Shot Adapter is designed as a centering aid and not as a holding device, you can switch rapidly and flexibly between observing and taking photos although it is essential that you always have the camera’s carrying strap looped around your wrist for safety.

This great little device fits all Swarovski’s EL and SLC binoculars which, when mated to your compact digital camera, provides extreme telephoto capabilities, making it a perfect combination for nature observation, for sports and outdoor activities and as a useful traveling companion.