Just played a bit with my first thermal, ATN Thor HD 383 1.25-5x. For the money, this thing seems to be The Sh1t. I'd really wanted to go with the 640 flavor, but didn't want to risk that much ching on my first try. I also wanted to wait and see how the new stuff from other manufacturer's pans out -- there's lot of new stuff coming out this season. So, I bought the "budget" scope.
I had reservations about how this thing would work, with regard to image quality, but am more than pleased with its performance for my intended use (targeting predators, shots inside 50 yards). The detail in the image at short range is remarkable. With this Thor HD 384, the frame rate is not going to provide a very sharp image for tracking moving targets. But, the focus doesn't get as wonky as their IR digital night vision (X-Sight) can when panning, as sharpness is regained in just a moment. For the panning I'm likely to do, it seems fine. The depth of field with this unit doesn't seem too shallow either, as detail can be discerned within an acceptable range of distances that I'd likely be working with. This a heaps better than the X-Sight, which has a tight range of focus.
One small nit to pick - the diopter adjustment is just a bit on the loose side for my liking. It seems like it might be too easy to shift it accidentally. Another nit is the lens cap - the thing's tiny and not too easy to grasp. I would like a lens cap that was easier to deal with in the field. Also, the button controls could be improved upon, for use with a gloved hand.
So far I've only played around with it. I'm hoping to get it sighted in, and into the field soon.
I had reservations about how this thing would work, with regard to image quality, but am more than pleased with its performance for my intended use (targeting predators, shots inside 50 yards). The detail in the image at short range is remarkable. With this Thor HD 384, the frame rate is not going to provide a very sharp image for tracking moving targets. But, the focus doesn't get as wonky as their IR digital night vision (X-Sight) can when panning, as sharpness is regained in just a moment. For the panning I'm likely to do, it seems fine. The depth of field with this unit doesn't seem too shallow either, as detail can be discerned within an acceptable range of distances that I'd likely be working with. This a heaps better than the X-Sight, which has a tight range of focus.
One small nit to pick - the diopter adjustment is just a bit on the loose side for my liking. It seems like it might be too easy to shift it accidentally. Another nit is the lens cap - the thing's tiny and not too easy to grasp. I would like a lens cap that was easier to deal with in the field. Also, the button controls could be improved upon, for use with a gloved hand.
So far I've only played around with it. I'm hoping to get it sighted in, and into the field soon.