Woah, that's a clever gadget. My photo crazy son tested it. To set up, insert 6 AA batteries (not included). Then switch on and focus with the focus disc around the lens, keep rotating, it goes much further than it first seems possible. Then use the IR adjustment buttons to get the best view in the dark. The night view is of course black and white and awesome and a little bit spooky. For day view, keep the lens cover on as it is a filter. Day mode lets you see in color (you may have to press the IR button for it to change). You can record movies in AVI format and still images in Jpg. There is a close-up incremental button that can double the magnification. It comes with a USB cable so you can transfer your pictures and videos to a computer. The range is about 200 yards. We've tried it down in the garden with stills (see the two outside photos) at about 80ft and it's pretty good, but it's really for nighttime use where it's a lot better. Son is very happy with it since he's been trying to take fox pictures for ages and it's quite difficult since they like the evenings for their adventures when his camera can't really capture much due to bad light. This will be a very popular device for his fox spotting from now on. We watched the videos on the manufacturer's website, which explained some things we missed in the instruction manual. The 6 AAs can be used for up to 3 hours, which is easily enough time to watch foxes. You can use alkaline or lithiums. I imagine the lithiums will be the longest lasting of the two types. There is a 32GB SD card to store your pictures and videos on. IT has a tripod mounting screw on the bottom. Comes with a sturdy carrying bag and a neck strap. It does not come with a torch. It's a beautiful machine. There are other versions from the same manufacturer and some have a longer range but this is fine for spotting standard UK wildlife.