A golf course can be a remarkable place to carry a camera. Early sunlight brings out the folds in a fairway. An elevated tee reveals a landscape you cannot appreciate from the clubhouse. Beside a pond, a heron watches the water with considerably more patience than most golfers bring to a putting green.
Those moments deserve a place alongside the scorecard.
The NOCS PORTAL AFN7 camera and NOCS ZERO TUBE monocular offer an interesting way to capture them. The camera handles the broad scenes and familiar faces that tell the story of a round. Pair it with the monocular, and distant details become potential photographs, too.
Their appeal lies in making observation part of the experience. Between choosing a club and reading a putt, there is plenty worth a closer look.
NOCS Provisions Began With Curiosity
NOCS Provisions started in San Francisco in 2019 with an idea that had little to do with golf: outdoor optics should be useful, approachable, and enjoyable to carry.
Founder and CEO Chris McKleroy wanted compact binoculars for camping, checking the surf, and watching neighborhood wildlife. Finding the right combination of quality, durability, design, and price proved difficult.
“We saw an opportunity to build a compact, high-quality, waterproof binocular for under $100,” McKleroy explained. That became the foundation for a company focused on helping more people explore the outdoors.
Before starting NOCS, McKleroy was head of product and co-founder of Bluetooth speaker company Boombotix. His move into optics brought that product-design experience to equipment intended to help people connect with their surroundings.
“Ultimately, binoculars are this tool that allows you to be present,” he told REI’s Uncommon Path. It is a philosophy that translates comfortably to golf, where the setting can be as memorable as the competition.
A Camera That Keeps the Round Moving
The NOCS PORTAL AFN7 takes a simple approach to photography. Turn it on, look through the digital viewfinder, frame the scene, and press the shutter.
There is no conventional rear screen for reviewing every photograph. That changes the rhythm on the course in a useful way: take a picture of your group on a scenic tee, then get back to the round.
It captures 16-megapixel photos and 4K video, letting golfers choose between preserving a single moment and recording a short scene. A friend walking toward an island green or the group celebrating a long putt may tell its story better in motion.
Finding the Picture Through the Viewfinder
To get started, hold the power button for about two seconds until the viewfinder turns on. A quick press of the shutter takes a photograph. Holding it for about three seconds starts video; keep holding while recording, then release to stop.
The digital viewfinder shows the scene through the camera’s lens. Crosshairs help with aiming, and an optional grid makes it easier to straighten a horizon or balance the composition. The preview is for framing; the finished photograph contains more detail than the small viewfinder shows.
Giving the Course Its Own Character
The PORTAL AFN7 offers six creative presets plus a nofilter option. Choices include Portal 64, NP Posi, Nature XP, B&W, Solgata, and Lomo, with looks ranging from nostalgic color to grainy black and white.
Press MODE, open Image Settings, and select Film Type to explore them. The viewfinder previews the selected look, so you can see its effect before you shoot. Different picture shapes are available, too, including wide and square formats.
That gives the same course several possible moods. Black and white can emphasize a bunker’s sculpted edge or long afternoon shadows. A warmer treatment may suit a relaxed round with friends. A wide frame can give a dramatic landscape the space it deserves.
An LED flash works for nearby subjects, while built-in digital zoom tightens the framing. For distant details, however, the ZERO TUBE offers another option: photographing through magnified optics.
Bringing Distant Golf Course Details Closer
A flag across the water. A weather vane on the clubhouse. A bird perched beyond the fairway. These are the kinds of subjects that make pairing the PORTAL AFN7 with the NOCS ZERO TUBE worthwhile.
The included NocDoc alignment shroud twists onto the front of the camera. First, look through the monocular and focus on your subject. Then retract its eyecup, hold the eyepiece against the shroud, and use the camera’s digital viewfinder to frame the picture. The shroud helps align the two pieces and provides shade.
This approach, known as digiscoping, lets the camera photograph through the monocular. The digital viewfinder shows the magnified scene, helping you bring a distant detail into the composition without walking closer.
Think beyond simply making something look closer. A distant flag framed by autumn leaves can make a stronger photograph than a flag alone. A bird beside a bunker can show how wildlife shares the course. The most interesting image often comes from the relationship between the subject and its surroundings.
For inspiration, explore Georgia’s scenic state park golf courses, where rolling hills, lakes, and wildlife offer subjects well beyond the flagstick. These settings invite you to notice the details between shots and bring home something more personal than another photograph of the scorecard.
Early and late sunlight can reveal contours that disappear beneath the flatter light of midday. Keep photography within the natural pauses of play, and give other golfers room to concentrate.
The ZERO TUBE Earns Its Place Without the Camera
The NOCS ZERO TUBE is also useful on a round when there is no photograph to take.
Available with eight- or ten-power magnification, it can help bring a visible section of the course into clearer view. From an unfamiliar tee, you might examine a bunker’s shape, find a flag against a wooded background, or take a closer look at the landing area ahead. The eight-power version offers a wider view, while the ten-power version brings greater magnification.
The compact body, protective grip, and integrated carry clip make it convenient to keep nearby. Its glass and lens coatings support a clear view, while waterproof construction and protection against internal fogging suit damp mornings and unexpected showers. The twist-up eyecup lets you adjust how it meets your eye.
Then there are the discoveries unrelated to the next shot: a deer at the tree line, a hawk circling above the rough, or an architectural detail on a clubhouse you have passed dozens of times.
From the Golf Bag to Your Photo Library
Keeping the PORTAL AFN7 ready is straightforward. Charge it via USB-C using a computer, a suitable wall adapter, or a power bank. Charge it for about two hours; the green charging light turns off when it is ready.
The camera includes a 4GB microSD card for storing photographs and video. To move them to a computer, connect the camera with the included USB-C cable, open the NOCS PORTAL folder in Finder or File Explorer, and copy your files.
USB-C phones can also connect directly, and you can access photos through Photos or Files, as appropriate. No companion app or Wi-Fi connection is needed. For older iPhones with Lightning ports, transfer the pictures to a computer first.
After the round, those pictures can tell a fuller story than the numbers on the card. There may be a favorite hole, a familiar face, or a small discovery you would otherwise have walked past. With the NOCS PORTAL AFN7 and ZERO TUBE, looking more closely becomes part of the pleasure of being out there.
