Night Vision Sionyx?
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Sionyx digital color night vision camera--legit alternative to a PVS-14? > NV Tech Talk > AR15.COM
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I haven’t read all that, however I know they are popular and apparently not a gimmick. Affordable but not as good as GenIII or WP. They looked like a gen II based on the YouTube videos I watched. And only because the rNge/clarity wasn’t as good.
Take that with a grain of salt since cameras change the way things look and I’ve never used sionix
Take that with a grain of salt since cameras change the way things look and I’ve never used sionix
Biggest thing about the Sionyx is that it works great on very bright nights (90% illumination or greater)...and not so well on dark nights. Actually I'm being nice there. I have two friends with them, and they won't take them out unless the moon is full.
So I have a pair of Aurora Sports and then bit the bullet and bought a Photonis PVS-14. Being in Canada, NODs are quite a bit more rare than in the US and we are technology limited by ITAR. My thoughts on the Aurora are as follows:
With sufficient ambient light or supplemental IR lighting Aurora is initially quite impressive. The colour feature is a real addition. I was impressed by the Aurora until I got my Photonis Echo PVS-14. The Aurora certainly not a NOD-slayer, but at the original price for the Sport plus a cheap IR flashlight, it's going to do wonders for you in a non-tactical setting. It also sees a larger portion of the spectrum than Gen 2 or Gen 3 NVGs, so theoretically at least you can see lasers in certain wavelengths that NODs cannot. (Theoretically because the out of band lasers are not out really there and people seem to be cobbling them together instead...)
Given an unlimited budget I sure as hell wouldn't pick the Aurora, but for the price I paid, it's more than adequate for bug out purposes where you don't expect to run into nasty folks with NODs. Realistically, going into a force on force situation with a NOD equipped opponent at night with a $400 device of any sort is just stupid.
The only reasonable use case for the Aurora is to get the hell out of dodge and hope that no one else out there is watching with NODs and wants to eat you. Otherwise they are a fun toy.
My present use case for the pair will be one in each vehicle with some batteries as a backup and also for the get home kit. They could also be useful if you want to record yourself training under NODs so they aren't a complete waste of cash, at least at the original price.
With sufficient ambient light or supplemental IR lighting Aurora is initially quite impressive. The colour feature is a real addition. I was impressed by the Aurora until I got my Photonis Echo PVS-14. The Aurora certainly not a NOD-slayer, but at the original price for the Sport plus a cheap IR flashlight, it's going to do wonders for you in a non-tactical setting. It also sees a larger portion of the spectrum than Gen 2 or Gen 3 NVGs, so theoretically at least you can see lasers in certain wavelengths that NODs cannot. (Theoretically because the out of band lasers are not out really there and people seem to be cobbling them together instead...)
Given an unlimited budget I sure as hell wouldn't pick the Aurora, but for the price I paid, it's more than adequate for bug out purposes where you don't expect to run into nasty folks with NODs. Realistically, going into a force on force situation with a NOD equipped opponent at night with a $400 device of any sort is just stupid.
The only reasonable use case for the Aurora is to get the hell out of dodge and hope that no one else out there is watching with NODs and wants to eat you. Otherwise they are a fun toy.
My present use case for the pair will be one in each vehicle with some batteries as a backup and also for the get home kit. They could also be useful if you want to record yourself training under NODs so they aren't a complete waste of cash, at least at the original price.
It seems you can play with the abundance of settings for black/white or color. Max is at 720p
With a greater than 65% illuminated lunar disk or introduced illumination from either IR or white light, you probably can't do better, at least on a new ready to go system. Forget 60fps at anything lower than a 90% illuminated lunar disk, 30fps it will be. and below 35% your in 15fps and 7.5fps territory.
The "low light" rendering, at the current price point, is reasonably good.
If your after that nostalgic 90's webcam look, it an excellent choice.
Think I'd rather a Kodak Super-8 for such a trip myself.
An Alaska float trip just screams GoPro 7 or 8, it's the better option for when a dedicated easy cam is needed. In reality, a smartphone camera is easier, more accessible and likely almost in hand anyway.
