Falcon produce the apex of value in thermal and night vision. They have moved away from HIK based sensors to use their own high quality components enabling the best prices available. They have also dropped the 384x288 sensors and replaced them with the 640x512 enabling their products with a wide field of view but retaining a high level image quality when zoomed in.

For the last few years Arken Optics have cornered the affordable quality FFP (Front Focal Plane) daytime scope market. Their rifle scopes feature Japanese ELD (Extra Low Dispersion) glass, and the turrets are guaranteed for tracking. Several models cover lightweight hunting through to long range precision. They have now also entered into the digital scope market with the Zulus. These compact lightweight optics feature high definition sensors, ELD lenses, ballistics and laser range finding. Arken are the future of firearm optics at a very affordable price.

Sunwayfoto have brought to the market a carbon fibre tripod specifically designed for hunting. This tripod features a low centre of gravity inverted ball head at an incredible light weight.  Why would you buy a bulky heavy aluminum bogpod when for the same price you can have the latest carbon fibre Sunwayfoto tripod?

NETD (Noise Equivalent Temperature Difference) is a measure of thermal sensitivity. Measured in milli Kelvin (mK), the lower the value the better. Sytong 640x512 thermals feature the lowest NETD available in New Zealand at ≤18mK. The 384x288 models have a NETD of ≤25mK.

There is a common misconception that a 640x512 pixel sensor is higher resolution than a 384x288 sensor. The best way to conceptulise the difference is to imagine a TV with a 640 pixel wide screen, If you covered up part of the TV screen so you could only see 384 pixels, the resolution hasn't changed, but the field of view has. You would need to reduce the pixel size to improve resolution. Most thermals have a pixel resolution of 12 microns, some still use 17 micron sensors. The other way to increase resolution is with a larger lens. A 50mm lens will have a higher resolution and higher base magnification than a 35mm lens but will also have a narrower field of view. It is these considerations that are taken into account when choosing the best device for your intended use.

For thermal rifle scopes we would recommend a 35mm lens for close range such as in the bush. Its lower base mag and wider field of view will help better locate game. If looking at open faces, bush edges or on the tops then the 50mm with its higher base mag will help  identify and place a shot at longer range.

For monoculars, the same theory applies. 19mm in the bush, 25mm for a mix of bush and open country and 35mm for longer range and open country.

For thermal rifle scopes shooting closer range (<100m) we recommend the 35mm. This will provide a quality image on small game. For longer range varminting the 50mm is best choice. You will get a higher base magnification for better identification and shot placement.

For monoculars we would recommend the 19mm for possums or close range bush distances, the 25mm as a good all rounder and the 35mm for finding small game at longer range.

The best thermals use removable 18650 batteries. These rechargable batteries are commonly available online or through vaping stores. Unlike proprietary batteries, quality 18650's are very affordable and available for around $16 each. Internal batteries that are not user replaceable should be avoided as well. They have a finite life and would require a service centre to replace.

Night vision illumination comes in 2 different infra-red wavelengths. 850nm that is near invisible and 940nm that is virtually invisible. 850nm is easier for the night vision sensor to see and presents as a longer range illumination source. However animals may notice it and if they have been shot at before associate the 850nm light as danger. 940nm being invisible allows better stealth but at a cost of reduced range by around 30%.