Thread: Thermal scopes - best bang for your buck?

Originally Posted by Mr300WSM

Is that available for sale now looks really interesting to give a go

Yes and will have at fieldays for $699

Originally Posted by Allizdog

Yeah agree, IMO if you are putting that much coin into thermals (new), you need to use it persistently to make it worthwhile. For me anyway. Which is why I don't own one.

My mate shoots a lot of deer with a Maxtoch. His constant retort is why do I need a thermal and I got a 320 1/2 DS red stag with my torch. Hard to beat. LOL.

Well this post might have got another customer. Im in the market for a thermal. Out of the Conotech Tracer 35LRF and the Sytong XS03-35LRF what is your honest opinion of which is the better unit? Cheers

Originally Posted by Tristan

Well this post might have got another customer. Im in the market for a thermal. Out of the Conotech Tracer 35LRF and the Sytong XS03-35LRF what is your honest opinion of which is the better unit? Cheers

For the same lens size Sytong has better resolution, is very small, takes external 18650 batteries, and has the next generation single lense 1200m range finder. Customers like the conotech as it feels easier to hold. Conotech models are to be replaced with a newer generation of products at end of year.

Originally Posted by 55six

For the same lens size Sytong has better resolution, is very small, takes external 18650 batteries, and has the next generation single lense 1200m range finder. Customers like the conotech as it feels easier to hold. Conotech models are to be replaced with a newer generation of products at end of year.

How do you rate the pard thermals with the range finder and ballistic system?
I do like the idea of the 18650 battery.


Sent from my SM-A226B using Tapatalk

Originally Posted by andyanimal31

How do you rate the pard thermals with the range finder and ballistic system?
I do like the idea of the 18650 battery.


Sent from my SM-A226B using Tapatalk

just bought a Pard TA 32-35 with the LRF. Only tired it off the back deck so far. but looks good, the RF seems to measure pretty accurately when compared to my normal RF. Nice image, user friendly buttons and menu. Also love the 18640 battery arrangement, it will be good not having to worry about flat batteries part way through the night. It will be getting a run on the Fallow in about 2 weeks time. Good to deal with someone like Fraser, he knows his products.

Originally Posted by andyanimal31

How do you rate the pard thermals with the range finder and ballistic system?
I do like the idea of the 18650 battery.


Sent from my SM-A226B using Tapatalk

Id say Sytong thermal with range finder and ballistics are vital for the shooting I do. All my pest control is with subsonics and being able to to simply point and shoot with a thermal programmed with your ballistic data is a no brainer.
Short video here playing with the balistics on the thermal.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WccMqA2m-E0

Originally Posted by 55six

Plugs into your cell phone.

Some footage here of deer from 125m to 500m: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWl8QD5atXI

Attachment 226036

Interesting, looking forward to receive mine

Got this little thermal that clip on phone from Ken. Was kind of sceptical but pretty curious about this thing. It is honestly quite good for the price. What I really like about it is you can walk in the bush scanning around with the red hot mode. Then it can be fitted on a tripod could be interesting when glassing.

Few picks below, I will update after hunting with it.

Possum in trees at 150ish meters


Rabbit at 200m


Bird up in the tree behind foliage


Sheep at 50-80m

I saw some footage of a top of the line Pulsar thermal. Very impressive. They nailed 13 deer. One clip nails a hind then calmly moves to a yearling sitting next to the dead hind and blows it over. Unreal.

I think they are a bloody ripoff for whats actually inside them, the technology isint expensive, but they slap a big price tag on them because they can. I expect the price of them will drop significantly, much like they already have over the last 5 years.
Im not in a hurry to buy one, but they are pretty awesome.

Originally Posted by Old_School

I think they are a bloody ripoff for whats actually inside them, the technology isint expensive, but they slap a big price tag on them because they can. I expect the price of them will drop significantly, much like they already have over the last 5 years.
Im not in a hurry to buy one, but they are pretty awesome.

The germanium lense is the biggest cost. Sensor behind the lense are getting smaller pixels which in turn allows smaller lenses and lower cost. Currently pixel pitch is 12 micron but would expect that to drop to 10 micron in 2024/5. The caveat is that the ability to process temp differences (NETD) becomes more dificult with finer pixels.

In regards to cost the new Xinfrared thermal is around the size of the end of your thumb, easily fits into your daypack and costs only $749. It produces stunning results for its price and size.

Originally Posted by tibo

Got this little thermal that clip on phone from Ken. Was kind of sceptical but pretty curious about this thing. It is honestly quite good for the price. What I really like about it is you can walk in the bush scanning around with the red hot mode. Then it can be fitted on a tripod could be interesting when glassing.

Few picks below, I will update after hunting with it.

Possum in trees at 150ish meters
Attachment 227343

Rabbit at 200m
Attachment 227344

Bird up in the tree behind foliage
Attachment 227345

Sheep at 50-80m
Attachment 227346

So it records coordinates? Or is that a function of having location enabled on the phone

Originally Posted by Marty Henry

So it records coordinates? Or is that a function of having location enabled on the phone

Uses the phones GPS. Its a menu item that can be turned on/off. The units capabilities and image processing largely come from the computing power inherent in modern cellphones.

Mr possum with the Xinfrared T2


Ken did you have the T2 and T3 back to back? How much better is the T3?