Thread: Infiray thermals

Originally Posted by sneeze

Sweeping generalizations like this arent particularly helpfull without some model comparrisions. Which ones have you compared?

Units that myself or people I work with have owned in the last year or so include:

Infratec variocam.

Pulsar,
Trail 2, thermion 2 xq50 lrf, thermion xq35, axion 2 xg35, accolades

Infiray,
Th50 scope, fh35r handheld, 2x Holo sights

Night tech xd35

Sytong XS03-35LRF

Conotech tracer 35 lrf

Hik Owl OQ35, Gryphon GH35L.

Used several other thermals over the years, however never looked through a single guide or Burris unit so can't comment on them.

So your comment is more price level/ specification orientated than Brand? Or are you saying that with a similar lower spec the sytong resolution is better? I haven't spent any time with a sytong.
I find as my eyes age resolution becomes more important and the step up form the older pulsar to the fh25 was a welcome one.

Originally Posted by sneeze

So your comment is more price level/ specification orientated than Brand? Or are you saying that with a similar lower spec the sytong resolution is better? I haven't spent any time with a sytong.
I find as my eyes age resolution becomes more important and the step up form the older pulsar to the fh25 was a welcome one.

The resolution is better with the infiray, not a huge deal better though. In my mind the huge price difference doesn't justify the small increase in clarity of the image. That is comparing the 35mm models, and also the infiray resolution is 640x512 vs the sytong model which is 384×288. Sytong also have a model with similar resolution to the infiray but I have not looked through it.

I would be very surprised if you spotted any more animals with the infiray which costs $2300 more and spare batteries on top which cost an additional $180.

Not only that, if you use it a lot there is a chance it will have issues, the repair wait for pulsar and infiray is generally 4 to 6 months. Our Holo was out of action for 1 whole contract and there was no loan or replacement for that duration so we had to borrow one off another contractor to get through.

The original poster wanted pros and cons:
pros, reasonable image quality, lightweight and user friendly.
Cons, expensive spare batteries, long wait time for repairs, price point for slightly better image quality is quite high compared to cheaper models

Originally Posted by TLB

The resolution is better with the infiray, not a huge deal better though. In my mind the huge price difference doesn't justify the small increase in clarity of the image. That is comparing the 35mm models, and also the infiray resolution is 640x512 vs the sytong model which is 384×288. Sytong also have a model with similar resolution to the infiray but I have not looked through it.

I would be very surprised if you spotted any more animals with the infiray which costs $2300 more and spare batteries on top which cost an additional $180.

Not only that, if you use it a lot there is a chance it will have issues, the repair wait for pulsar and infiray is generally 4 to 6 months. Our Holo was out of action for 1 whole contract and there was no loan or replacement for that duration so we had to borrow one off another contractor to get through.

The original poster wanted pros and cons:
pros, reasonable image quality, lightweight and user friendly.
Cons, expensive spare batteries, long wait time for repairs, price point for slightly better image quality is quite high compared to cheaper models

. You can get an Iray with the same lower spec as the sytong you referenced for a similar or cheaper price so the "huge price difference " is dependant on specification more than Brand . Wont argue on the batteries in the 35, but the FH25 has an internal battery and it will do a reasonable nights hunting, if I need more Ill plug in a little battery pack or use the usb in the ute. Im guessing the OP and most others arn't using these commercially so battery life becomes far less of an issue.
I cant comment on the return times as Im yet to have an issue and I use my fh25 2-3 times a week. You seem to have had a few issues though. Any idea on the return time for a sytong repair or general back up ?

Originally Posted by sneeze

. You can get an Iray with the same lower spec as the sytong you referenced for a similar or cheaper price so the "huge price difference " is dependant on specification more than Brand . Wont argue on the batteries in the 35, but the FH25 has an internal battery and it will do a reasonable nights hunting, if I need more Ill plug in a little battery pack or use the usb in the ute. Im guessing the OP and most others arn't using these commercially so battery life becomes far less of an issue.
I cant comment on the return times as Im yet to have an issue and I use my fh25 2-3 times a week. You seem to have had a few issues though. Any idea on the return time for a sytong repair or general back up ?

Yeah fair points!
I'm not sure none of our sytong stuff has crapped out but judging from the customer service that many on here have received over the years I would say you'll be looked after.
@55six what would happen if my one of my sytong or conotech units had an issue, would I get a replacement unit to use in the meantime? What are the wait times for gear to be repaired?
Cheers

Hikmicro service is outstanding. Ive got a clip on for wallaby. Haven't used it much. Coating came off objective lens (known problem). They offered me a loaner and had it back in 2 weeks. They updated its software at the same time.

Originally Posted by Tahr

Hikmicro service is outstanding. Ive got a clip on for wallaby. Haven't used it much. Coating came off objective lens (known problem). They offered me a loaner and had it back in 2 weeks. They updated its software at the same time.

That's awesome! The owl and gryphon have had zero issues at all.
4 of those pulsars have had a variety of problems in the last 12 months and the wait times were definitely a major inconvenience.

Originally Posted by sneeze

. You can get an Iray with the same lower spec as the sytong you referenced for a similar or cheaper price so the "huge price difference " is dependant on specification more than Brand . Wont argue on the batteries in the 35, but the FH25 has an internal battery and it will do a reasonable nights hunting, if I need more Ill plug in a little battery pack or use the usb in the ute. Im guessing the OP and most others arn't using these commercially so battery life becomes far less of an issue.
I cant comment on the return times as Im yet to have an issue and I use my fh25 2-3 times a week. You seem to have had a few issues though. Any idea on the return time for a sytong repair or general back up ?

Sytong do a 25mm model ($2799) that would be a closer spec to the infiray 25mm model - if we are comparing apples with apples and oranges with oranges. Not sure what the infiray costs. NZ's Sytong pricing is below the internatioal recomended retail price so Kiwis get very good value.

Originally Posted by TLB

Yeah fair points!
I'm not sure none of our sytong stuff has crapped out but judging from the customer service that many on here have received over the years I would say you'll be looked after.
@55six what would happen if my one of my sytong or conotech units had an issue, would I get a replacement unit to use in the meantime? What are the wait times for gear to be repaired?
Cheers

The return rate on all Sytong products we sell is under 1%. Im guessing thats near the best if not the best in the industry. Our policy for warranty is we ask the customer to return the item and if we have products in stock we issue a replacement. Sytong then fix us up with extra item to cover the warranty item issued in our next order. If we dont have it in stock we are generally getting new stock every 4-6 weeks and we often have demo units that can be sent out to cover the user in the short term.
We have a similar policy for conotech, although their tracer is out of production now with new models becoming available in a few months. With the tracer we send back to the factory for repair. Typically 4-6 weeks.

Originally Posted by 55six

Sytong do a 25mm model ($2799) that would be a closer spec to the infiray 25mm model - if we are comparing apples with apples and oranges with oranges. Not sure what the infiray costs. NZ's Sytong pricing is below the internatioal recomended retail price so Kiwis get very good value.

Iray do a 25mm for Around the $2500 mark with similar specs but I don't think it has a rangefinder. The FH25R is a higher spec around the $3800. Looks like Iray have some catch up to do to match your customer service Though.

Got my FH35R for $4300 about a yr ago.Which was about a k under normal retail at the time.

FWIW a customer sent us this video yesterday of the Sytong XS03-35LRF handheld filming deer in adverse conditions. Heavy wind rain and fog. Bad climate is always a good test of a thermal but very rarely marketed as its not pretty like a pig at 10m. It was a low res 640x480 video sent to us too. Distance 130m-140m.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mAJCGBGxAac

Good vid,I reckn shit weather is the best test for thermal gear.Last summer i watched a lot of deer in pouring rain.It's amazing how many deer came out to feed.