EyeClops Bionic Eye Multizoom, Green
by Jakks
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Our Price: $69.90 Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Category: Toy See more product details |
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Toys and Games Reviews of EyeClops Bionic Eye Multizoom, Green
Customer Review: Forget the kids, *I* can't stop playing with it!
Summary: 5 Stars
My mother got this for my 4.5 year old this year on my recommendation. I am very impressed.
The design is simple. The eyeclops unit has the eye, a "brain" power pack which takes 5 AA batteries, and a cord which plugs into the yellow composite input on your TV, all connected (the cord doesn't come off, so it can't be lost). The white part of the eye - the "iris" they call it, screws on and off of the unit itself, allowing you to adjust the focal length of whatever you are putting the eyeclops up against. The idea is that you put the eyeclops in direct contact with what you want to look at and adjust the "iris" to focus it. It also comes with a petrie style dish and a tube you can use to look at liquids and other messy things.
The picture is amazing for a gadget like this. I hooked it up to my 1080p 52" HDTV and was very happy with the images, though that size TV is perhaps slightly large for the resolution it outputs, its certainly quite viewable. It looks equally cool on my 32" CRT.
Operationally speaking, its easy to use, there is only one button - on/off, but it does take a gentle touch to find the right distance for the camera to focus, as it has a fixed focal length. However, as an adult I had no problem doing this, my 4.5 year old does not have the fine motor skills to do this well, however, from the look on her face and the long list of things she keeps bringing to look at it, its not a big deal that she needs my help with it. If you do buy this for a preschooler, be prepared to play cameraman.
Technicalities out of the way, the concept is soooo cool. I played with it for 2 hours by myself when I first hooked it up! The magnification is amazing, I can see individual hairs on my cheek, fibers on my arm I can't tell are there, the individual fibers (not threads) that make up my sofa, etc. A great tool for talking to the kids about how things are made up, and to allow them to explore their world. My childhood self is seriously jealous. We have had a blast finding different things to look at and my 2 year old now says 'Ew GROOOOOSSSS!' every time.
I uploaded some pictures to check out.
Customer Review: Needs setup and supervision at first
Summary: 4 Stars
I bought two of these for christmas presents for curious nephews and so have not seen what their reactions will be. But after trying them I labeled the presents as "for" the father and the son together -- I think it really needs an adult to get the younger user started. I took the time to unpack and set up each, then repacked it with batteries in place so it is ready to go. I recommend this to any adult buyer: get it out, put in batteries, and test it before you wrap it up as a present.
The device works much as advertised. It consists of 3 bright LEDs surrounding a tiny camera lens, which images whatever is right up against the plastic "eyeball." The depth of focus is about 1/16 of an inch, in other words the only thing in sharp focus is what is lying on or pressed up against the plastic "iris". It takes a little practice and a steady hand to image something clearly. You can use the provided plastic tube to constrain, say, a live insect, then it will image at least the bug's feet. But if the bug is active, you will see it in flashes.
The device delivers a clear TV signal on a video cable (yellow RCA plug). Before Christmas morning, make sure you have a TV that accepts a plain video signal, and where the connector is -- preferably on the front or side, but likely on the bottom of the back in the dark at the back of the shelf! Alternatively you could connect the Eyeclops into a VCR so you could record the images on tape. There is no provision for computer input. Some computers have TV adapters and you could get images into a computer that way; otherwise your only route to printing the magnified image or using it in a document, is to take an picture of the TV screen with a digital camera.
Customer Review: For the curious...
Summary: 4 Stars
First off, let me tell you I bought this for me, and I'm 60! My niece was given one for Christmas and that's where I learned of it.
I use mine -- hooked up to a DVD-burner -- to make movies of the microscopic world opened up with this "toy." I've attempted to make movies of snowflakes, for example. This was a little cumbersome, but anyone, whether 6 or 60 ought to be fascinated by the views afforded with this toy. My niece and I examined my whiskers (freshly shaven) and it was apparent they were cut cleanly -- appearing like black rods against my cheek. We looked at my nephew's whiskers -- shaved by an electric razor -- and it was clear which had the better shave. We caught an ant and were amazed at the detail of its mandibles. Little ones will need to be patient with this device, as it takes a steady hand to get the focus right sometimes. There is a focusing capability, but mine cross-threaded a little too easily. Don't force the focuser or it will be rendered useless. If you must, a little graphite powder lubricant ought to make the "lens" screw in and out more easily.
With a little patience, though, it is remarkable! We're all looking forward to warm weather and enjoying the Eye-Clops 200+ magnification to view insects and other denizens of our garden. Hook it up to your video camera and make movies with it. This should hit the spot for kids with a deep curiosity to explore our world at a tiny level. Great fun!
Customer Review: GREAT FUN, even for adults!!
Summary: 4 Stars
We LOVE this toy!! At Xmas time, the adults actually had MORE fun with it, than the kids did. (we took it over, I admit!)
We'll never look at ourselves the same way again, I have to say! Skin is GROSS!!! LOL!
Anyway, we were having a great time with this, and so were the kids.
That is, until all of a sudden, the camera went off, and never came back on. The light on the "eye" works, but we can't see anything on the tv screen. We don't know why.
It seemed like it flickered a few times, before going off, so maybe it means there's something wrong with the wiring somewhere.
We tried fresh new batteries, too, and still it doesn't work.
So it's off to the store to return it, and try another one.
Hopefully we'll have better luck this time, because the toy itself is really cool. My kids are 8 and 5, boy and girl. They both love it, and it's easy to use. VERY simple.
You just have to get used to how to focus stuff, by either pressing the lens against your object, or slowly, slightly moving it away from it.
It's that easy. Really. The images are very clear, too.
Ashame it's winter, and there are no bugs to be found! (ew!)
I was actually trying to find mites in dust and carpets...I guess it's not powerful enough for that, though. It's still LOADS of fun.
Customer Review: Better than a microscope!
Summary: 5 Stars
Well, my son is not much into toys - eventhough he's only 9, he prefers books and videogames(which I do not allow him to have - the videogames, that is). He almost never asks for a toy so I got this for him and we all ended up enjoying it. It is amazing - especially if you have an LCD screen to watch it on. Hair, skin, saliva, salt, pepper, sugar, we just go crazy with the things we want to inspect. It was worth the money!! It is fun and educational by arousing scientific curiosity in our son.
The other day, my friend was bitten by a tiny bug which seemed to have clung to her skin. She was able to pick it off and after it took its last breaths in a plastic container, we looked at it with the google-eye. Well, let me tell you, it looked sooo creepy - since it was still moving its legs after being in that closed container for days. We thought it was a tick so we quickly went on the net to check it out. According to our thin research, it is a deer tick. My friend went to the doctor who sent the bug to the lab. We're still waiting for results.
Oh, and I know this is gross, but if you have a really nice black head on your back, look at it - it'll be 100 times grosser - especially if you squeeze it out part way. The hole it leaves after you take it all out is equally interesting.
More stories to follow!