Using Binos for Recon Photos

When your task is to go out and recon an area or a particular target, the best information you can bring back is in the form of pictures or video, so naturally you would bring a capable camera. What if you stumble upon intelligence all of a sudden and you don't have a camera and the the distance is too far for you phone to take a picture? If you have a phone and a set of binoculars, you are in luck! Here is a technique that will blow your mind and will enable you to gather intelligence like never before.

All you have to do to get a picture from a great distance with you phone is to hold your camera lens up to you binoculars. This will enable you to take a picture at distance without having to carry another bulky piece of equipment like an actual camera. If you are an iPhone user like me, you know that its camera takes pretty good pictures, and speaking from experience, it works incredibly well for this technique. Here is an example, I took this picture of a suspicious character from about 300 yards away...

As you can see, the clarity is pretty good, but you still have to deal with the black outline. Not a big deal, but the other great benefit of this is that you can magnify the picture on you iPhone and you will have this instead...

Not bad for being approximately 300 yards away! You can further improve this technique by using a spotting scope instead of binos. Along with pictures, you this method also works equally as well for video.

I've researched this technique a little on the internet and I came across a piece of equipment that will make this easier. Meopta MeoPix iScoping Adapter for the iPhone 4 and 4S allows you to connect your iPhone to binos or a spotting scope. This way you do not have to manage two elements at once. I have not been able to try this device yet, but I am hoping to soon so that I gave give it a thorough field test.

This is an example of how innovation can allow you to be more proficient at preforming recon. Intel can present itself at anytime and you may not always be prepared for it. If you did not bring a camera with you, this is a great method that doles not require any more equipment than what you would usually carry. Give it a try and see what you think.