Help deciding between thermals

[Ezr She]

I’m following the sub for long time and really enjoy the content

I’m not a hunter, and not wearing helmets, and not planning to start anytime soon. (I’m 45YO).

I’ve started from Astronomy and telescopes, proceeded to PVS-14 for night vision astronomy, and got intrigued by the Thermal scope’s capabilities from all other PVS-14 owners.

I do enjoy camping and looking at animals, love the Yellowstone, and Thermal scope seems exiting to me.

I’ve tried several scopes and monoculars from AGM, so many YT videos and read a lot, and narrowed my options down to AGM Sidewinder 640, and the 50mm lense seems to give on top of the higher magnification, also much clearer and nicer picture than the 35mm to me.

I’ve also thought about Fuzion, but it seems that there is no options that working well under at least $8k.

What keep pulling me is the RH25.
The pictures online seems crisp (I’m a photographer), and it’s size and look are really nice.

Also IF I’d like (which I doubt at the moment), I’ll be able to bridge it to my PVS-14 with or without helmet.

On the other hand, I’m going down to *1 magnification from 2.5, meaning only *2 with 1 zoom step instead of *5, which might be significant when looking at animals vs just spitting them for hunt. (Plus extra $1,500).

I’d try them both like I did with other options I’ve considered, but it seems like no big retail with good return policy like B&H sells it.

 

[frankintank]

In thermal, my personal experience has been that the lense has a significant impact, and the ability to helmet mount has turned out to be far less important then previously supposed. In your particular case, I lean towards the sidewinder for the specific mission you describe. Thermals work extremely well for detection, and in our group, that has generally involved someone using a handheld monocular

 

[TheHorta]

It doesn’t sound like you’re in a hurry.

Assuming that’s the case, I’d wait for the next-gen RH-25. The current RH is pretty solid, but the menus suck and it could definitely be improved upon overall. I’d wager we will see the new model by 2025 SHOT.

If you can’t wait, I’d still get the current RH25, but I’d get a used one now that they pop up regularly around $4K.

IMO, the RH isn’t worth $6K. Even $5K is pushing it.

 

[Ezr She]

In thermal, my personal experience has been that the lense has a significant impact, and the ability to helmet mount has turned out to be far less important then previously supposed. In your particular case, I lean towards the sidewinder for the specific mission you describe. Thermals work extremely well for detection, and in our group, that has generally involved someone using a handheld monocular

Thank you
also the size, ability to bridge to PVS-14 handheld, maybe more contrast, etc. not worth sacrificing the 50mm and magnification?

Do you also think that between sidewinders it worth going with 50mm for better clarity and magnification, while sacrificing FOV? (8.7” vs 12.5” with the 35mm)

 

[Ezr She]

It doesn’t sound like you’re in a hurry.

Assuming that’s the case, I’d wait for the next-gen RH-25. The current RH is pretty solid, but the menus suck and it could definitely be improved upon overall. I’d wager we will see the new model by 2025 SHOT.

If you can’t wait, I’d still get the current RH25, but I’d get a used one now that they pop up regularly around $4K.

IMO, the RH isn’t worth $6K. Even $5K is pushing it.

You don’t think that the Sidewinder 50mm which has very good picture and has 2.5 magnification and cost $3,500 new is better for my needs?

(I’m not in a hurry, but I’m in a mood to buy now;-)

 

[Ezr She]

It doesn’t sound like you’re in a hurry.

Assuming that’s the case, I’d wait for the next-gen RH-25. The current RH is pretty solid, but the menus suck and it could definitely be improved upon overall. I’d wager we will see the new model by 2025 SHOT.

If you can’t wait, I’d still get the current RH25, but I’d get a used one now that they pop up regularly around $4K.

IMO, the RH isn’t worth $6K. Even $5K is pushing it.

Also the RH25 is more than a year older than the sidewinder if it’s mean anything

 

[frankintank]

Also the RH25 is more than a year older than the sidewinder if it’s mean anything

While this particular fact probably does not impact their use significantly, my personal experience leads me to believe that you will mount a thermal on a helmet a total of one time, and never again. My feeling is that the lense will in fact make that big of difference to you your scanning abilities where as your scanning pattern will have a bigger impact then the FOV. Now if this were weapon mounted, the conversation would be different. My creds: have owned several thermals, current ownership is an AGM Python ts25-640(wish for bigger lense) and a Bae/Oasys Skeetir-L on a wilcox flip to side. Generally the AGM is on the tripod weapon, and the IR-L is in the hand. ALl our last hogs have been spotted first with the outline feature on the Skeet.

 

[GreenMushroom]

If observation/image capture is your goal then get the bigger lense. Small lense 640s are pretty amazing these days but a 50mm is gonna stomp all over them at range and even for fine detail at closer range.

Someone will probably be along to explain the whole pixel density thing but long story short bigger lense = finer detail.

18mm

25mm

35mm

Notice the finer detail on the 35mm and how the smaller lenses show the pixels faster when you zoom in. 50mm is even more noticeable.

 

[Ezr She]

If observation/image capture is your goal then get the bigger lense. Small lense 640s are pretty amazing these days but a 50mm is gonna stomp all over them at range and even for fine detail at closer range.

Someone will probably be along to explain the whole pixel density thing but long story short bigger lense = finer detail.

18mm

View attachment 8291073

25mm

View attachment 8291074

35mm

View attachment 8291075

View attachment 8291077

Notice the finer detail on the 35mm and how the smaller lenses show the pixels faster when you zoom in. 50mm is even more noticeable.

Thank you
What scope did you use for the 35mm pictures?

 

[GreenMushroom]

Bering phenom 640.