Vividia GB-4510 Gun Barrel Rigid 4.0mm Borescope Kit with Mirror Tube and Phone Attachment (Side View)

Pros:- considerably less expensive than 'professional' optical borescopes- allows both forward and side (90 degree) views- no external power required- comes with carrying case- narrow forward view tube allows inspection down to .17 cal- side-view tube rotates independently of borescopeCons:- limited 7,095 pixel resolution- small exit pupil- very narrow depth of field limits usefulness of forward imaging in larger caliber barrels- rotation of the side-view tube rotates image orientation- no way to independently adjust focus, light intensity, or magnification- no length hashmarks or distance references on tubes to tell how far down a bore a particular problem may lie- camera attachment is very fiddly; difficult to properly line up camera and borescope opticsI purchased the Vividia GB4510 as a means to better understand the condition of the chamber and bore of my firearms, and to aid in diagnosing potential problems. Other devices marketed in this category range from thousand-dollar, high-end solutions such as the Hawkeye, a rigid borescope built around gradient-index solid optical system; down to inexpensive USB-based CCD cameras that can be attached to a smartphone. To me, this system represented a less-expensive optical alternative to the GradientLens Hawkeye; another alternative in this same niche is the Lyman Borecam, which I understand to essentially be a small 320x240 CCD camera embedded in the end of a rigid tube with accompanying monitor.The Vividia unit arrived nicely packaged in a hard case. At first the case appeared to be a textured aluminum, but closer inspection revealed it to be cheap particleboard covered with a metalized plastic adhesive. Inside the case was the vividia borescope handle with attached forward looking optics, a light source powered by a single AA battery, and a mount for attaching smartphone cameras to the borescope. The unit includes a removable sideview mirror tube and two optical endpieces, one eyepiece for manual viewing and one small lens for use with the smartphone camera. There is a single-page instruction sheet describing how to use the smartphone bracket. Unlike the Hawkeye, the light source is threaded differently from the standard maglight threading, meaning you are going to be limited in your selection of alternate light sources (if in fact any alternates do exist for this scope). The rigid tubes are mildly magnetic, suggesting that they are constructed of stainless steel.While this is an optically-based borecam, this system transmits images to the eyepiece via a coherent fiber bundle, unlike high-end offerings using a solid lens system. The fiber bundle consists of 7,095 individual fibers, indicating the extent of the resolution that this system is capable of. The attached figures (one of a barcode through the forward optics, one of a 10/22 leade by the side optic) indicate the level of pixelation present. By contrast, the 320x240 resolution of the Lyman camera-on-a-stick translates to 76,800 pixels, more than an order of magnitude greater. The unit I purchased had several 'dead' fibers that didn't seem to transmit any light from the end of the borescope. The exit pupil at the eyepiece is relatively small. There is no independent means of focusing the image at the eyepiece, changing the magnification, or adjusting the light intensity, and the depth of field is very limited, perhaps only 0.25-0.5 inches from the end of the fiber bundle.I found this unit to be of mixed usefulness, depending on my application. The limited depth of field makes the forward-view tube much less useful in larger caliber firearms, as there is typically only a few pixels in focus around the edge of the unit on a 30 cal or larger barrel. The forward tube works better in a .17 or .22 caliber firearm, but still has a very limited range of focus down the barrel. The side-viewing tube fits over the forward tube and is too large for a .17 barrel, but will fit inside a .22 or larger caliber firearm. The side-view tube is capable of giving clear images, but in larger caliber rifles often takes a little bit of fiddling around to position the objective tip of the scope in a position of best focus. The sideview tube rotates independently of the rest of the borescope, allowing a view of all angles within the barrel without rotating the entire scope. However, the optical coupling between the fiber bundle and the borescope tube is apparently quite simple: rotating the sideview tube also rotates the entire image orientation within the eyepiece.The 7,095 pixel resolution is sufficient to identify general features inside the barrel when viewed through the small exit pupil of the optical eyepiece. However, I found the camera applications of this unit to be severely limited. The bracket to mount the smartphone camera is very fiddly, and it is extremely difficult to precisely line up the borescope's optical piece with the camera lens. Any offset between the camera lens and the borescope optics is manifest as shading and distortion in the image. Second, images taken with an attached camera seem to accentuate the limited pixel resolution of the fiber bundle. Perhaps others with a different smartphone camera and better skills at lining up the optics will have better luck with the camera mount, but I have found it extremely difficult to obtain any useful information about barrel condition when using the borescope in this configuration.Overall, I find this unit to be an acceptable tool for understanding the gross condition of a barrel when used with the optical eyepiece and the sideview mirror. However, the limited depth of field makes the forward view tube almost useless in all but the smallest caliber barrels, and I have yet to find a way to gain useful information from camera images of the barrel interior. The 7,095 pixel resolution is limited, but sufficient to identify major features when used with the side-view mirror. I like that the unit runs off a single battery and does not require any external power, allowing it to potentially be taken into the field or range. But before buying this again, I would gain some first-hand experience with alternative systems (e.g. Hawkeye or Lyman offerings) so as to better understand where this unit fits in terms of usefulness, resolution, and cost-efficiency.

This was a three-star borescope when I bought it because it was better(?) than a Lyman and less than half the cost of a Hawkeye.In late 2019, Teslong came out with multiple borescope models under $100 and they are far better devices. So the Vividia value went down to two stars. Maybe an unfair basis for review, but in the present day it’s absolutely true.Optical quality is marginal. I can see dirt and imperfections but it’s not easy to figure out what exactly it was. It is handy to be able to rotate the tube with the angled mirror, which is tricky with a flexible scope.I was unable to get good focus using the eyepiece, so I always had to set up the phone adapter. The phone adapter worked but it lost alignment easily and again didn’t give very clear images. Once set up the phone adapter will not fit into the case so I had to do this each time.With the angled mirror tube removed, it does fit into a .17 cal bore. But the image was of limited value as I could only see a very narrow ring of detail that was in focus.I no longer have this borescope and I couldn’t bring myself to attempt to sell it. So it’s in the landfill by now and once I publish this review I will have moved on completely.