Solvia Standard vs Plus vs Pro: Choose the Right Kit

A birdwatching walk can be as simple as picking up the binoculars and heading out. On another day, you might settle beside a lake, take more photos and stay longer than you planned. The extras you’d reach for can change with the outing.

MatataXplore’s Solvia Standard, Plus and Pro kits include the same binoculars, with different storage and accessories. Here’s what each kit brings to the outing, including the moments between sightings.

Solvia Standard vs Plus vs Pro: a quick comparison

The three Solvia kits offer different combinations of storage and accessories. You might already have a suitable bag, or know that you’d like more room for recordings. Here’s what comes with each option:

• Standard: Solvia 8x32 binoculars, essential accessories and a 16GB card.
• Plus: the same binoculars and essentials, with a 64GB card, carrying bag and tripod adapter.
• Pro: everything in Plus, including the 64GB card, with the Solvia Field Kit added.

All three also include a neck strap, lens covers, a USB-C cable and a cleaning cloth.

What you can enjoy with every kit

Whichever kit you choose, you can watch a bird through the eyepieces and use the built-in camera to keep a photo or video of what you’ve seen. That photo also gives you a way to try bird identification when a bird is unfamiliar.

Once you’ve taken the picture, you can open it in Photo Detail View and press the identification button to see the result on the binoculars. This happens on Solvia itself, so you don’t need a phone or internet connection for this process. If it’s your first time trying it, MatataXplore’s guide to your first bird identification walks you through the steps.

As you look back at the sighting, you may find yourself noticing the bird’s shape and color pattern, or remembering how it moved and where you saw it. Those details can help you make sense of the suggested identification, and this guide to recognizing birds gives you a few things to notice on your next walk.

When you’d like to look through your recordings on a phone, the MatataXplore Optics app lets you transfer files over Wi-Fi Direct. That connection also supports live view and remote capture, so you can share the camera’s view with someone or operate it from your phone. These functions don’t require mobile data, while cloud recognition and online sharing need internet access.

Standard: a simple setup for familiar walks

If your usual outing is a walk near home with a few photos along the way, the Standard Kit gives you the core Solvia functions and everyday accessories to get started. Its 16GB card stores your recordings, while the included user manual and quick-start guide help you get familiar with the binoculars.

If you already have a suitable bag for your binoculars, Standard also lets you keep using the carrying setup you prefer. You can choose any further accessories around your own habits as you get familiar with Solvia.

If you enjoy keeping photos and videos from several outings on the binoculars, the larger card in Plus gives you more room before you transfer them. That may be useful if you prefer to look through your recordings when you have time at home.

Solvia Standard vs Plus: more room for your recordings

The Plus Kit comes with a 64GB card, which has four times the storage capacity of Standard’s 16GB card. How many photos or minutes of video it holds will depend on the files you record.

When you stop for a break, the included bag gives you somewhere to put Solvia until you’re ready to watch again. You can also use it to pack the binoculars for the journey home.

Some outings give you a reason to stay in one place for a while, perhaps watching a feeder or observing birds across a stretch of water. Plus and Pro include a tripod adapter for supporting Solvia on a compatible tripod during those stationary sessions. If you already own a tripod, the MatataXplore team can help you check the mounting compatibility.

Solvia Plus vs Pro: extra support for your time outdoors

For outings where you’d also like additional power and location tools, the Pro Kit includes everything in Plus along with the Solvia Field Kit. This optional module adds extra power, fast charging, GPS, an electronic compass, a CPL polarizing filter and red/white lights.

On a longer outing, you may want to keep taking photos when there’s nowhere convenient to charge. The Field Kit’s extra power can help during those recording sessions. Battery use will still depend on your recording, screen use and settings.

If you enjoy keeping a record of your birdwatching trips, the GPS feature lets you tag sightings with location information and organize observations by where they happened. The electronic compass helps you check direction while you’re observing, and the red/white lights make the controls easier to see in low light.

Because the Field Kit is optional and listed separately, you can also begin with Standard or Plus and check the module’s current availability later if you’d like to add it.

Finding the right fit

Whether you’re stopping on a familiar walk or planning a longer visit to a reserve, you can choose around the equipment you’ll actually use. How much you like to record, how you’d carry Solvia and whether you’d use the Field Kit’s functions can help you weigh the differences between the bundles.

If you’d like to find a setup for your next birdwatching day, you can explore the Solvia kits at MatataXplore and take a closer look at the accessories that fit your plans.

Frequently asked questions

Do Plus and Pro have better optics or cameras than Standard?

All three kits include the same Solvia 8x32 binoculars, so you have the same core viewing, camera and bird-identification functions whichever one you choose. The differences are the storage and accessories supplied with each bundle, including the Field Kit in Pro.

Does Solvia Plus include a tripod?

Plus and Pro include a tripod adapter for attaching Solvia to a compatible tripod. The adapter is separate from a full tripod stand, so check that you have a suitable tripod if you plan to use this setup.

Do I need Pro to identify birds without my phone?

You can use on-device bird identification with Standard, Plus or Pro. After taking a photo, you open it on the binoculars and run identification from that image. A phone and internet connection aren’t required for this process.

Can I add the Field Kit later?

The Field Kit is an optional module and is listed separately on our website. You can begin with Standard or Plus, then check its current availability if you’d like to add its extra power or outdoor functions later.