• The AGN App is ready! Search "Airgun Nation" in your App store. To compliment this new tech we've assigned the "Threads" Feed & "Dark" Mode. To revert back click HERE.

Thermal Optics: Any Footage from Pesting?

Jump to latest Follow Reply
JungleShooter said:
Thanks for the vid. 👍🏼

Just wondering — did the thermal unit not record the hot blood the quarry was shedding?

Still trying to understand what thermal can and can't do, I guess.... 🤔

Matthias
Click to expand...
It did record the heat signature of blood coming out. I just didn’t show it. See the previous video I posted with the raccoon. It was spewing blood everywhere and you can see it on thermal.
 
Upvote 0
Here are two separate videos of two thermal scopes I own regarding image quality.
The ATN THOR LT can’t record video so I had to manually record the LCD screen with my iPhone. That’s why it looks a bit worse on camera but in reality looks better to the eye.

The AGM Rattler TS25-256 is next. Let me know if you have any questions.
 
  • Like
Reactions: N2 Shooter and SOULMUD13
Upvote 0
I really wanted to trial the "Sig Sauer SOEC32001 Echo3 Thermal Reflex Sight, 2-12X"! I love how it has a quick disconnect that doesn't lose zero. So, you can pop it off the gun to scan around the area a bit easier. I also love how short it is compared to the traditional optic scope.
But, being on a budget, I decided to try the Infiray T3 with the Picatinny mountable protective case. It claims to have zoom, but I believe it's only digital. Hoping it'll be enough for 100-yard shots. I just ordered it and will post an update after I play with it.
 
  • Like
Reactions: RM.510bigbore
Upvote 0
NoLandBeyond said:
Here are two separate videos of two thermal scopes I own regarding image quality.
The ATN THOR LT can’t record video so I had to manually record the LCD screen with my iPhone. That’s why it looks a bit worse on camera but in reality looks better to the eye.

The AGM Rattler TS25-256 is next. Let me know if you have any questions.
Click to expand...
It's hard to beat the Rattler 256 for an entry level thermal scope. There is a massive difference between 160 and 256 resolutions!
 
  • Like
Reactions: RM.510bigbore
Upvote 0
N2 Shooter said:
It's hard to beat the Rattler 256 for an entry level thermal scope. There is a massive difference between 160 and 256 resolutions!
Click to expand...
There is also a significant difference in the software that interprets the information from those sensors. Much cleaner images from AGM at 256 vs the ATN 384’s and I don’t think it’s the sensor. It’s likely software related. ATN is known for releasing firmware upgrades that improves image quality so that’s my suspicion.
 
  • Like
Reactions: RM.510bigbore and N2 Shooter
Upvote 0
NoLandBeyond said:
There is also a significant difference in the software that interprets the information from those sensors. Much cleaner images from AGM at 256 vs the ATN 384’s and I don’t think it’s the sensor. It’s likely software related. ATN is known for releasing firmware upgrades that improves image quality so that’s my suspicion.
Click to expand...
One of the things that's also apparent between the scopes is ATN has the ability to adjust both the sensitivity and the contrast of the image. I see so many people run the sensitivity jacked up to 5 and the contrast on high, and they end up with a horrible video as a result. I run my sensitivity at 2 and my contrast at low, and I get phenomenal results with my THoR 4 384.

Forgive me here, as I'm about to go full engineer for a bit!😜
One other big thing from the ATN which negatively affects the recorded video is their video encoding method. Most standard mpeg recording algorithms allow you to set the bit rate. With a constant bit rate, a one minute video at 100Kbit rate will make a larger file size than a one minute video with a 50Kbit rate.

But look at what you see from all of these various THoR 4 videos I have recorded with varying recording lengths.
Screenshot 2022-11-20 221404.jpg


I've highlighted two videos, one with a 5 second runtime, and one with a 28 second runtime, and they are both 20,480 KB in size! The 5 second file has a significantly better video quality than the 28 second file.

Now notice something else really weird. All of the video files are multiples of 20,480K! What this means is that ATN is using a very primitive variable bit rate video encoding algorithm. Maybe they do this because:
  1. The processor they use doesn't have hardware video encoding capability and they have to do it completely in software.
  2. The processor runs too slow to do true constant bit rate encoding or high quality variable bit rate encoding in software.
What I would like to have is the 28 second file just be around 5 times as large as the 5 second file, and have great quality. SD cards are cheap. No one cares if they filled up a 64GB video card on a hunt if the recorded footage was spectacular.

This is one of the main reasons the footage you see in the viewfinder doesn't even hold a candle to the recorded video footage! This makes ATN look really bad, when in fact, they quality equals the competition.

Ok, engineer hat off. 😄
 
Last edited:
Upvote 0
Cranky1 said:
Iray bolt 50c. Sorry it’s shaky, scope isn’t mounted. I was watching the 2 deer and watched a bobkitten try to sneak up on a rabbit.
It is pitch black on my property, it was hard to see the propane tank with your naked eye. Most thermals run about 2/3 video quality when compared to the eye piece.
Click to expand...
@Cranky1 That’s good enough image quality to me. How far were the animals?
 
Upvote 0
Here sis some pics of a of a Halo X50 thermal x50 the chipmunk is 1x and 45 yards , the ducks in pond are a bit over 100 yards , enclosed is 1x 2x 4x and 88 in white hot and black hot for comparison , notice as zoom increases resolution gets cut in half , I only hunt at 1x or 2x , when I had a 5x50 atn , to be honest past 6x it was pretty useless LOU

chipmunk45ydbh.jpg
duckwh.jpg
duckwh4x.jpg
duckwh8x.jpg
duckwhout2x.jpg
ducks bh.jpg
ducks 100yd2x.jpg
duck4xbh.jpg
duckbh8x.jpg
 
Upvote 0
Thank you all who continue to contribute to this thread!! 👍🏼😊

It really helps me to adjust my expectations for filming thermal footage.

What I now finally understand is the critical importance of a high base magnification. ⚠️
Because everything else is really just enlarged pixels and cropped to fit the screen.



And before I can rationalize splurging on thermal I probably go to night vision.
And here the same applies! — A high base magnification is critical to footage that shows the critters large scale and with details.
➔
➔ This has been been quite a paradigm shift for me in my priorities:
I always had been concerned for a wide field of view (FoV) at the bottom magnification end of my hunting scopes. For those quick, close-range shots this is important for quick target acquisition.
And I continue to desire that wide FoV.
However, what is starting to take precedence is the footage quality. And for my most frequent quarry, pigeons, I can afford that.

● And that means to get thermal and NV with a high base magnification.
● Even for regular daylight scopes I should look at higher top end magnifications than just 24x.... I can see a 5-30x56 in my future.... 😉

Matthias
 
Upvote 0
Heavyopp said:
Bering optics phenom thermal scanner — handheld, no weapon mount no crosshair

Had a fox den near home, managed to get some pics one night — single fox is mom, multiple fox are pups

and of course a jeep cherokee just to show how clear

View attachment 316201View attachment 316202View attachment 316203View attachment 316204
Click to expand...
Wow! Pretty amazing detail! Interesting timing on the Bering. Yesterday a Bering thermal scope review came up on my Youtube feed. Pretty impressive, but then again, its priced way out of my price range, over $4K. Proof again, that you have to pay for the good stuff.
 
Upvote 0
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom
Back
Home
Forums
Resources
Menu