This Bresser scope has a good minimum focus, making it a great option of the detailed study or digiscoping of flowers and the insects on them as well as birds on nearby feeders for example.

“People told me, ‘You’re an idiot to work on this,’” Eric Fossum recalls of his early experiments with what was at the time an alternate form of digital image sensor at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL).

The Pirsch range is one of Bresser's mid-level series and is aimed at delivering a high performance binocular for the more serious enthusiast, but at a price that is relatively affordable. Or to put it another way, the aim of this series is to offer plenty of bang for your buck!

It is an interesting collection in that it contains only four roof prism models in two different size categories. The two large 45mm options are available in either 10.5x or 8.5x magnifications and then two compact 25mm Montana binoculars in either 10x or 8x powers.

The Luchs are Bresser's top of the range binoculars that are also known as Bresser Lux Binoculars in some markets. They are available in 8x42 and 10x42 models.

Types ofcmos in camera

Bresser have over the years continued to update and improve their mid-level Condor series, which I now feel offers a really good performance to price ratio. Available in a wide variety of configurations, but all using roof prisms, ranging from the 8x or 10x25mm compacts, right up to the large 10x or 8x56mm versions they are also a versatile series that will perform in a wide range of areas and uses.

CMOSimage sensor working principle

Cell phone cameras, which require tiny, highly efficient image sensors, ended up being the main driver for the mass production of CMOS active pixel sensors. Whenever you take a picture with your phone—or, nowadays, virtually any other digital imager—you’re using NASA technology.

Fossum, who was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2011, now teaches engineering and entrepreneurship at Dartmouth College’s Thayer School of Engineering, where he is working on what he believes will be the next revolution in digital imaging. His Quanta Image Sensor would cram a billion pixels, each designed to sense a single photon, into an array no larger than those in current CMOS imagers, significantly enhancing low-light sensitivity.

CMOS technology in general had improved since earlier attempts at using it for image-sensing, and Fossum hit on an approach to reduce the signal noise that had plagued earlier imagers, applying a technique called intra-pixel charge transfer with correlated double sampling—something already used in CCDs. Using this technique, he measured a pixel’s voltage both before and after an exposure. “It’s like when you go to the deli counter, and they weigh the container, then weigh it again with the food,” he explains. The sampling corrected for the slight thermal charges and transistor fluctuations that are latent in photodetector readout, and it resulted in a clearer image.

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To save costs they have used cheaper use BK-7 glass in their prisms and multi-coated lenses as opposed to BaK-4 prisms and fully multi-coated lenses in the more expensive models.

Made in Germany, the Bresser BX-5 PRO Tripod / Monopod with the liquid-mounted video head sells for around $169 / £159 / €160 which considering what you get and the level of workmanship makes this tripod that can convert to a monopod well worth taking a closer look at for those looking to mount a spotting scope, large long distance or astronomy binocular or indeed a camera for photography/videography.

The Bresser range has been continuously expanded they now have a portfolio of more than 70 binoculars and spotting scopes suitable for astronomy, bird watching, hiking and rambling as well as hunting, sporting events, and marine use.

Worth highlighting at this price level are the number of metal components used (like the focus wheel) and the high level of optical glass and coatings which directly contributes to their class-leading performance.

These "take anywhere" binoculars are ideal travelling companions, especially the compact 8x25 and 10x25 Condor's that are ideal as Safari Binoculars or for activities like hiking. Whilst the Bresser Condor 8x42, 8x56 as well as the 10x42 models have a larger light-gathering power, that is especially useful in dusk or dawn conditions giving you brighter images. The 10x50 model is ideal for those who want a bright and high magnified image in more difficult light conditions.

CMOS Cameraprice

These high end binoculars boast many quality features and components as you would expect, but the two different sizes are quite different to each other:

I also like the double hinge design on the compact 25mm Bresser Montana binoculars which enables the instrument to fold up into an ultra space-saving shape making them a true pocket binocular and thus are much easier to carry to sporting events, on hiking trips and even to the museum.

The Bresser Nautic 7x50 Binocular (WP/CMP) features a integrated and illuminated precision compass, whilst the Bresser Nautic 8x42 has an integrated digital compass in its armor housing, which points you the right way, at any time. Temperature and time are shown on the display. The Twist Up eyecups ensure an optimal eye distance setting. It’s nitrogen filled body prevents the optics from fogging up on the inside of the binocular, caused by rapid temperature variations.

What I Like: As we have already discussed, the 6x magnification is ideal for children, helping them to keep the image shake free and ensuring a wide view to make finding their intended subject easy:

The Pirsch ED Series from German brand Bresser sits just below their flagship Montana range and as the name suggests contain ED glass elements in their lenses as well as an impressive array of other top-end features and components.

Fossum says he was pleased that CMOS allowed the United States to recapture a portion of the imaging market, however briefly, before much of it was lost again to Japan, South Korea, and China. “Micron, GoPro, Omnivision, and a host of others generated tens of thousands—if not hundreds of thousands—of jobs in the United States because of this technology,” he says.

All models within the series use roof prisms and have a weight-saving open bridge body design. As you would expect at this level, Bresser Pirsch binoculars are fully waterproof and nitrogen purged to protect the inner glass surfaces from fogging. Also as expected, these have twist-up eyecups and a right eye-diopter adjuster. The focus wheel is centrally located in the standard position.

Cmos in cameraiphone

In terms of their included accessories, all Bresser Condor binoculars are supplied with a padded neck strap. A protective carry case, with its own adjustable strap and double closure system. These binoculars also have tethered objective lens covers, a well-fitting rain guard and a good quality lens cleaning cloth are also supplied.

There is plenty of eye-relief and a good quality twist-up eyecup making this a good choice of scope for eyeglass wearers. The body is fully waterproof body and comes with a dual-speed focus wheels. Other features include a low weight and compact dimensions for an 80mm spotting scope as well as excellent image quality and brightness.

They also come with quality BaK-4 prisms and are fully multi-coated and the body of the Condor is made of the latest engineering polymer, a product of the space research industry, for lightness and strength. All models have an "objective lens cap system" that allows quick opening and closing, but can also easily be removed.

I also like the tough housing: The main chassis is made from a polycarbonate plastic and the exterior is rubber armored to withstand the inevitable knocks and bumps.

That same year, Sandor Barna, now vice president of core technologies at GoPro, finished his graduate degree and took a job as an engineer at Photobit.

The following year, Fossum left JPL to become the company’s full-time technological lead. In addition to designing custom sensors, Photobit licensed technology to companies like Kodak and Intel, although most of those early licenses didn’t lead to product lines. By 1997, however, CMOS was being taken seriously, and several companies invested in Photobit, including Schick Technologies, which also obtained—and still holds—an exclusive license for CMOS for dental imaging (Go To).

GoPro remains headquartered in San Mateo, California, and employs most of its 1,500 or so workers—now including Barna—in the United States.

Optics on these instruments are fully multi-coated and the higher end models incorporate all-metal aluminium housings and barrels.

“It was sort of the breakthrough spinoff that showed we could do tech transfer out of JPL, too, not just Caltech,” says Fred Farina, the university’s chief innovation and corporate partnerships officer. “So it was the pioneer, in terms of spinoffs out of JPL.”

Barna says the video industry switched to CMOS cameras with the advent of high-definition video. To shoot video with so many pixels on a CCD-based camera would require dramatically more power, draining batteries and quickly overheating the machine, he says. “You would only be able to take very short bursts, and it wouldn’t be the same experience at all.”

Anticipating heavy competition, in 2001 the founders sold Photobit to Micron Technology, which could bring more resources and manufacturing capability to bear. By then, the company—and subsidiary Photobit Technology Corporation, created to handle custom-design contracts—had built a healthy business for itself, and CMOS’s takeover of the imaging industry had begun.

The Bresser business was sold in 1999 to the American market leader Meade Instruments Corp. located in Irvine California. Meade is a publicly traded company on the NASDAQ stock exchange and a leader in their market of state of the art diffraction-limited astronomical telescopes. Then from 2009, Bresser returned to becoming an owner operated company with Rolf Bresser, the son of the founder still being one of the main shareholders of Bresser GmbH.

At 360ft wide at 1000yds, the width of view is indeed nice and wide which is great news as I know from my daughter that one of the biggest things that younger kids struggle with is actually finding what they want to look at.

While CCD sensors are capable of producing scientific-grade images, though, they require a lot of power and extremely high charge-transfer efficiency. These difficulties are compounded when the number of pixels is increased for higher resolution or when video frame rates are sped up.

All Nautic series models are waterproof (Immersion tested at 1m for 60sec) and have a water resistant and robust rubber armor as well as a gas purged optical tubes and are supplied with a flotation strap. The gas purged filling of the Nautic binoculars prevents water and moisture from entering the binocular by creating an interior pressure capsule and are therefore the ideal binocular for maritime use on board. The 7x magnification model makes it possible to achieve a relatively steady image during rough sea conditions.

CMOS-enabled cell phone cameras gave rise to the “selfie” phenomenon, as well as a broader culture of online photo and video sharing. Here, President Barack Obama poses for a selfie with science popularizers Bill Nye, left, and Neil deGrasse Tyson, right. Image courtesy of the White House

CMOSfull form

But by far the widest use of the small, low-power cameras enabled by CMOS technology has been in cell phones. “Cell phones became the ‘killer application,’” Fossum says. “Battery life and camera size are very important on a cell phone.”

He notes that cell phone cameras, which would likely not be possible without CMOS imaging, have also had an enormous cultural impact, bolstering the rise of social media, raising questions about police conduct, and bringing awareness to uprisings and crises around the world. “These things can be documented because people are all carrying around cameras,” he says. “The impact went well beyond expectations.”

Highlights include a large 80mm lens and versatile 20x to 60x zoom eyepiece that offers a wide field of view al lower magnifications and the great image detail at higher settings.

His invention of the complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor would go on to become the Space Agency’s single most ubiquitous spinoff technology, dominating the digital imaging industries and enabling cell phone cameras, high-definition video, and social media as we know it.

The most important features of any Marine Binocular is to be waterproof and offer the most stable view through them as possible for looking through a rocky boat:

The 45mm versions have ED glass within their lenses and a magnesium chassis, whilst the compacts use aluminium for the chassis and do not have ED glass within the objectives.

The shape is very compact and thus ideal for small hands and they have a large centrally located focus wheel that is easy to reach. The National Geographic Kid's binocular is also very lightweight, which once again is ideal for youngsters.

About Bresser Optics Founded in 1957 by a Mr. Josef Bresser, Bresser began life as a company that specialized in the importation and distribution of binoculars. The technical development and design of new and innovative optical products began later in 1979, when Rolf Bresser (Josef's son), took over the business.

Imaging devices based on metal oxide semiconductor devices had been attempted since the 1960s, but no one had ever succeeded in making the technology marketable. The little signal amplifiers had long been used in computer circuitry, but imagers using CMOS as sensors suffered from signal noise, among other problems.

Bresser binoculars are grouped in "families" at various price points and cater for casual observers, children as well as professionals. Starting with their very cheap Hunter, Topas and Junior models, progressing to their mid range Condor series, onto their mid-to-high level Pirsch ED binoculars and finally culminating with the top of the range Montana and Luchs binoculars:

There are currently five models within the Pirsch ED series, all of which have an open bridge roof prism design and range in size from the mid-sized 34mm versions, to large 56mm models.

While Photobit held an exclusive license to the technology developed at JPL and filed more than 100 of its own patents, company leadership was concerned that defending its intellectual property would prove difficult as several electronics giants began developing their own CMOS imagers.

These National Geographic Children's binoculars are based on their very successful ExploreOne 6x21 Junior Compact binoculars and are a fully functional roof prism compact binocular that has the optical performance that matches that of a standard 'adult' compact binocular at the same sort of price level.

A point to mention is the minimum focus distance of only 3.9 ft (1.2 m) - Ideal for close observation for things such like insects and butterflies in full format.

Fossum was an expert in CCD technology—it was why JPL hired him in 1990—but he believed he could make digital images with smaller and lighter machinery using CMOS technology to create what he called active pixel sensors (APS) (Spinoff 1999, 2002, 2010).

With an original RRP of $900, the 45mm Montana's are now around $680 / £700 / €600, whilst the compacts will set you back around half that amount, which for the quality does look to me to be well worth considering if you are after a good value, high end instrument:

Operating out of their headquarters in Germany, but with distribution centers all over Europe and in the USA, Bresser Optics design, build, and sell telescopes, spotting scopes, microscopes, and niche electronics and are one of the leading suppliers of optical instruments all over Europe and the rest of the world.

Because CMOS pixels are signal amplifiers themselves, they can each read out their own signals, rather than transferring all the charges to a single amplifier. This lowered voltage requirements and eliminated charge transfer-efficiency issues. And it had the added benefit of allowing almost all the other camera electronics to be integrated onto the computer chip with the pixel array using conventional CMOS production processes, a development that would make CMOS-APS imagers more compact, reliable, and inexpensive.

Whilst most of the instruments in this range can be also used for long-range terrestrial observation, the series of Bresser Spezial Astro binoculars are primarily aimed at the astronomy market and at the time of writing consists of five separate models.

CMOSsensor

The optical glass that Bresser use in these is coated with an anti-reflective coating for a brighter and better quality image than what you get on the many imitation kids binoculars that don't have any coatings and which are now available.

For Caltech, the financial returns from the licensing, which fund research and education, are only part of the benefit of the CMOS success story, Farina says. “This helps motivate other researchers at Caltech and JPL, and for the whole culture of entrepreneurship it’s really powerful to have good stories.”

GoPro cameras, which leverage the small size and high efficiency of NASA-invented CMOS active pixel sensors, were originally conceived as surfboard-mounted video cameras, an application that remains popular today. Credit: Kat Patterson

Age Range Levenhuk suggest that these are suitable for children of 4 years and above which is about right, however I know from experience that my daughter was capable of using the very similar Bresser ExploreOne 6x21 Junior Compact Binoculars from around 3 years old. Since then we tested and reviewed this exact National Geographic model when she was 7 and whilst she has access to loads of other binoculars this is her favorite.

CMOS sensors also allow both the device and the battery to be smaller, and small size is one of GoPro cameras’ strongest selling points. The company’s devices are designed to be mounted, usually on the body, to capture action sequences in video or still images, some at up to 240 frames per second.

Bresser's cheapest range of binoculars are their Hunter binoculars, which despite their name aren't specifically designed as a hunting binocular.

By 1993 Fossum and his team knew they were onto something that could be huge for NASA missions and consumer electronics alike, but as they took their findings on the road, giving talks and publishing papers, they met with resistance from the digital imaging industry and even colleagues at JPL. Fossum attributes this skepticism both to earlier failures in CMOS imaging and to people’s instinct to protect their own livelihoods.

The roof prism models have "Twist up" eyecups and long eye relief eyepieces to allow a full field of view for those that wear glasses. Whilst with the porro prism Cobra's that include one of the popular Bresser 10x50 binoculars you get folding rubber eyepieces, 5-lens eyepieces and standard tripod thread making it simple to attach the Cobra binoculars to any photo-tripod.

As for a maximum age, a lot depends on their previous exposure to optics, but these should be perfectly fine for kids of about 10 or 11 years old. For older or more experienced kids, take a look at some of the standard compact binoculars that I suggest below.

As you would expect in a astronomy binocular, all the instruments in this Astro series are tripod adaptable and come supplied with a padded neck strap, a protective carry case, have tethered objective lens covers, rain-guards and a cleaning cloth is also included.

Instead, a different imaging technology, using sensors based on the charge coupled device (CCD), allowed high-quality digital photography to come of age by the late 1980s. These image sensors comprise an array of photodetecting pixels that collect charges when exposed to light and transfer those charges, pixel to pixel, to the corner of the array, where they are amplified and measured.

The action camera company GoPro takes maximum advantage of the small size and high efficiency of CMOS digital image sensors, using the technology to build tiny, high-definition video cameras that users can affix to themselves, selfie sticks, or surfboards to capture their adventures in high fidelity.

Depending on the model, Bresser Pirsch binoculars have an RRP of between €450 and €226, but are now available for considerably less than that online:

Before Photobit was sold, its sensors had made their way into webcams made by Logitech and Intel, as well as ingestible “pill cameras” that are still offered by Given Imaging as a noninvasive endoscopy technique. “I feel very good about that one,” Fossum says of the so-called PillCam. “It’s still used. It’s become a huge industry.”

By 2013, more than a billion CMOS image sensors were manufactured every year, and by 2015, the technology’s market, which also includes applications in the automotive, surveillance, and medical industries, reached nearly $10 billion.

The binoculars are 100% waterproof and Fogproof - filled with nitrogen to ensure there is no internal fogging in extreme climatic conditions.

In 1995, Fossum became the first JPL scientist to license his own invention from the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), which manages the lab, as he, his then-wife and JPL colleague Sabrina Kemeny, and two other JPL coworkers founded a company, Photobit, to develop custom sensors. Caltech’s Technology Transfer Office was created that year, and the office granted Photobit an exclusive license.

He’s designing the sensor with the assistance of one of his PhD candidates, an experience that in some ways mirrors his early days at NASA. “I had some great organizational mentors at JPL,” Fossum says. “Personally, I loved working for JPL—best job ever.”

Quality components are used throughout with fully multi-coated optical elements and BaK-4 prisms that give a sharp and high-contrast image over the full field of view.

Price Range & Where to Buy:Priced at about $85 - $200 (£110 - £200) these are good quality "Mid Priced" binoculars and are pretty good value for money:

Just as his first image sensor could be built using manufacturing processes that were well-established more than 20 years ago, Fossum is designing this next-generation imaging chip to be compatible with the enormous existing CMOS camera industry. “For factories building CMOS sensors, I think it will be pretty easy for them to switch to the Quanta Image Sensor if they want to do that,” he says.

Despite early doubts about CMOS’s potential, several companies signed Technology Cooperation Agreements with JPL and partnered with Fossum and his colleagues to develop the technology.

These binoculars are on the cheap end of the scale and as such use BK-7 glass in their prisms and multi-coated lenses (as opposed to BaK-4 prisms and fully multi-coated lenses in the more expensive models) to all the optical surfaces which Bresser say "guarantees an additional enhancement and features a high contrast and brilliant observing quality."

Costing around $399 / £320 / €340 this is an excellent value for money mid-level spotting scope that performs well above its price range.

cmossensor vs full-frame

Digital single-lens reflex cameras, better known as DSLRs, were also early adopters of CMOS technology, which allowed bursts of rapid shots at high resolution.

Just like standard binoculars, these have a diopter adjustment ring to calibrate them to cater for any differences in vision between the left and right eyes.

All Bresser Spezial Astro Binoculars use Porro prisms made from BaK-4 glass and range in price and quality from an entry-level 25x70 model costing under $100/£/€ designed to offer a good entry point into astronomy with binoculars, right up to the very high-end Bresser Spezial Astro SF 20x80 ED binoculars that cost around $800/£/€, and as the name and higher price suggest incorporate many top quality features into them, including ED glass elements within the large 80mm lenses.

CMOSvs CCD

All Condor binoculars are waterproof and nitrogen filled to prevent internal fogging and have twist-up-eyecups that enable you to use them with or without eyeglasses

The very idea of digital photography was dreamed up at JPL by engineer Eugene Lally in the 1960s. Now the concept of a digital camera on a chip shared the same birthplace.

Price Range & Where to Buy: These Mid Range Astronomy Binoculars really vary in price and it depends on where you buy and which configuration you opt for, but for example the 15x70 versions cost approximately $260 / £230 / €240, whilst the 25x70 model costs under $100/£/€ and the high-end Bresser Spezial Astro SF 20x80 ED binoculars that cost around $800/£/€ - For current prices and where to buy:

The large focus wheel ensures quick and accurate focussing and the high eye relief eyepieces, combined with twist up rubber eyecups make sure you get the full field of view with the Lux binocular even if you wear glasses.

Whilst the Bresser Junior 6x21 is very colorful, it is in no way a toy binocular! It is a fully functional roof prism compact binocular. The 6x magnification is ideal for children and they are very light and compact.

As that industry drove Micron and others to turn out more and more CMOS imagers every year, resulting improvements to the technology and its manufacture drove costs down and quality up until CCD-based devices couldn’t compete, even where size and power weren’t priorities.

Spezial Astro SF vs Non-SF The two models in the series with SF in their name (15x70 & 20x80 ED), somewhat confusingly implies that they are, Self Focusing Binoculars, however it actually means they have an individual eyepiece focus mechanism with a diopter adjuster on each eyepiece and no central focus wheel.

All models are have full broadband multi-coating optics and use BaK-4 glass for the roof prisms which are also phase corrected. The quality also extends to the accessories as all models come supplied with a real leather bag as standard.

The Bresser Cobra range is diverse with two porro and two roof prism designs of binocular and are thus suitable for many applications.

“It was a great example of a truly disruptive technology,” he says, noting that CMOS did not yet perform as well as CCD imagers, but the potential to improve was clear. In addition, it promised to be easier to use with far lower power and could be more cheaply manufactured, he says.

Other marine features include an integrated reticle for measuring distances. On top of this the Binocom 7x50 CLS and 7x50 GAL binoculars also have a built-in illuminable 360° precision compass to help with navigation and the 7x magnification power makes easier to achieve a relatively steady image during rough sea conditions.

Price Range These great little binoculars are available for between £20 and £30 in the UK. At the time of writing, I was not able to locate them in the US:

When Photobit was sold, the original patents returned to Caltech, which still holds the intellectual property rights that haven’t yet expired, and the world’s top image sensor suppliers, such as Sony and Samsung, license the technology. Meanwhile, Micron spun off its image-sensing business into a company called Aptina, which ON Semiconductor purchased in 2014 for about $400 million.

Depending on the model, they range in price from about $250 - $300 (£210 - £250) and as such these "Mid Priced Binoculars" are competing with with the likes of the very good Minox 10 or 8x42 BV's (view and compare all Mid Priced Binoculars that I have reviewed).

All Bresser Binocom binoculars are filled with nitrogen gas and are therefore 100% water proof as well as fog-proof. They also come equipped with a floating neckstrap, which prevents the binocular from sinking should it accidentally fall into the water.

Price Range Absolutely perfect for younger kids and good your the parents bank balance too! Originally priced at around $30 / £30 / €30, you can currently find them on offer for about $15 in the US, €15 in Germany and Europe and £15 in the UK.

They have Bk-7 prisms and has a fully coated optical system that delivers crisp, colorful images to the eyepieces. The body of the binocular is rubber armored to withstand plenty of punishment. Bresser are so confident that these optics can handle what you children can throw at them that they come with a five year guarantee! Also included is a neat carrying case and small wrist strap.

One last thing to mention is that these have an IPD range of 5cm to 6.3cm. So, once again perfect for smaller faces with closer set eyes.

Made using BaK-4 glass, the Schmidt-Pechan roof prisms are phase-corrected and whilst they say they contain the "Ultimate Reflection Coating", Bresser does not explain what this means - my guess is that they are dielectrically or at worst silver coated (If I get confirmation on this, I will update this info).