The Sub Club

TASCO BINO/CAM 8000

Over the years, there have been several subminiature cameras attached to binoculars, but few used 110 film. Several 16mm cameras were attached to binoculars, but when the 110 camera came on the market, it was thought of as an inexpensive, take-everywhere, snap-shot camera. No one would want a high-quality 110 camera -- let alone one that was attached to a pair of binoculars. But Tasco made a series of 110 cameras that did just that. The first two Bino/Cams (7800 and 7900) sold well enough to convince Tasco to produce a top-of-the-line model in 1980 -- the Bino-Cam 8000. Although the new model looked like the previous models and had the same pair of binoculars, the camera was more versatile. Like the others, the camera sits on top of a pair of 7x20 binoculars. The standard lens was now changed to an interchangeable 100mm (f5.6-32.0), binocular-coupled, focusing lens. This was similar to using a 200mm telephoto on a full-framed 35mm camera -- in a much smaller package. Two additional lenses were available -- a 70mm and a 150mm. These were not slip-on adapters, but complete lenses in a screwmount. The 8000 has a mechanical shutter with two speeds -- 1/125 and 1/250 -- after all, what sense do slow speeds make with a slow, telephoto lens? And for more stable results, the 8000 has tripod and cable release sockets. An accessory pack was available which included a table-top tripod with bracket, a set of filters (UV, yellow, and neutral density), and two eye shields to block extraneous light. There are plenty of shutterbugs that shy away from 110 cameras due to the lack of longer-range optics. The Tasco line solves that problem -- in a tiny package.