I've always had glass optics, use to then use a lamp at night, then moves to rear addon and IR. However having recently got the Hikmicro Alpex 4k lite, currently on my HW100 and also tried it on my Anschutz. 22LR, i can see me using this more and just swapping it over to different guns, i am really seeing the appeal of digital scopes. Ok might not be as clear on targets, but im not really a target shooter. My local gunshop is seeing more traditional optics being traded in against digital optics. With constant improvements and extra features on digital scopes, will there still be a place for glass? Who has has changed over, from what to what? Curious to find out people's thoughts,? 
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Are glass optics becoming obsolete?
- Thread starter Henry Hunter .223
- Start date
I think the prices would really have to come down before they replace glass. I have a DNT TNC335 and it’s every bit as good as the reviews make it out to be. I do however find some of the software problematic for switching from one rifle to the next without having to go to a range. The biggest difference for me is the night and thermal. There are of course other features that are quite good like the LRF being built in as well as having dope cards built in.
The downside is , optical clarity at higher magnification.
The downside is , optical clarity at higher magnification.
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The main motion in the optics sector is towards hybrid optical + digital scopes. I imagine it won't be long until there are reasonably-priced "all spectrum" scopes that include plain direct optics, night vision, thermal, IR and even further into the EM spectrum that can all be incorporated into one coherent, useful image.
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For target shooting and testing I use glass. For hunting and plinking I use my Zulus. I'm sure the quality on the digital scopes will improve in time. With digital it's great to be able to swap guns and load a different profile and rezero if needed. DRF are an awesome feature.
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Bruh, using any scope that actually works is a leap ahead for any airgunner. Sounds like youre in a pro bubble talking about iphone screens
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Not a fan of the contraption, but wow that’s a nice gun. I’ve been dealing with the horrendous image clarity of a digital scope compared to conventional optics with one of my guns. But as long as the critter isn’t too small or too far, the day/night and LRF feature in one scope sure is nice.
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Alexa... Zero my gun ..
Suri ... Aim 10 ring only ...
Google .. head shot inly then order them pellets from Amazon.. lol. ...
Oops dead battery..too bad so sad ..
Lol ..
I dont see that replacing plain scopes anytime soon here .. in my kife anyways.
Suri ... Aim 10 ring only ...
Google .. head shot inly then order them pellets from Amazon.. lol. ...
Oops dead battery..too bad so sad ..
Lol ..
I dont see that replacing plain scopes anytime soon here .. in my kife anyways.
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No, while small CMOS video sensor resolution has increased in various video platforms like phones the infrared sensor technology resolutions are not anywhere near that level. High resolution infrared imaging requires a much larger cooled sensor that would be both prohibitively expensive and heavy. These are the sensors carried on aircraft.
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Not YET, anyway. Are they being used more than ever before, absolutely. However, in situations where it's vital to have rugged, simple & DEPENDABLE equipment that won't ruin your day due to a dead battery, loose wire, zero phone service or invasive moisture, nothing can replace a glass & tube optic (for now, anyway). I mean, in the same vein, did glass optics make iron sights defunct? NO! It just gave us more options. I'd hate to see shooting become a push button affair, removing the art, skill & human factors from the sport of marksmanship.
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I do think they will disappear. Not today or tomorrow, but in the future. Every year the camera sensors get better and better, just like in the photo SLR world, where digitals have taken over. Soon, if not already, someone will introduce a scope that is simply a video camera. Wait! They're already doing it in day/night scopes, but no one has gone to just a video camera for a scope. Look how small the camera in your pone is and how it's advanced over time. Now take that same technology and apply it to a scope. No more parallax problems, autofocus, the list is endless of the benefits. It'll come one day.
I think it would have already caught on if makers had stuck to a digital day scope only and not worried about night vision right off the bat. We'll get there, one day.
I think it would have already caught on if makers had stuck to a digital day scope only and not worried about night vision right off the bat. We'll get there, one day.
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One of the issues is display size. The resolution of CMOS sensors is millions of pixels. But you cannot display that in a tube small enough for a gun. You would require a much larger display for all of the pixels which does not work for applications like aiming in a concentrated view.
Just look at the night vision resolution.
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Not a chance there is even a microscopic hint of glass going obsolete. Try longer to long range precision with one of these “fancy” digital cameras. You will be back to good glass in a flash.
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Starring at a magnified lit screen bothers my eye. I like the customization of the of a screen but can't get past the uncomfortable light.
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I have witnessed the shift from old technology to new technology several times in my lifetime. I started my working life (after service) working in a factory that used electronic circuits to get 8 phone lines from one copper pair of wires. The economics was that the electronic circuits were cheaper than the copper wire. The short phone lines were still cheaper for copper. When I started the “proving point” was 5000 feet, within a couple of years it was 2000 feet.
There have been many other items buried under new technology.
Bamboo cane fishing poles, wooden pencils vs plastic ones. I can’t even imagine what it was like for an accountant who tried to convince the owner of a construction company that it would save money to equip workers with power tools.
There are thousands more examples. You won’t find many slide rules for sale these days.
It will happen.
Hunter
There have been many other items buried under new technology.
Bamboo cane fishing poles, wooden pencils vs plastic ones. I can’t even imagine what it was like for an accountant who tried to convince the owner of a construction company that it would save money to equip workers with power tools.
There are thousands more examples. You won’t find many slide rules for sale these days.
It will happen.
Hunter
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45 years as an Engineer in Silicon Valley, I've seen a couple technological shifts.
But for digital to replace glass currently requires replacing the mk1 eyeball or direct neural interface.
You would have to pack as close to as many pixels in a scope display as the 120,000,000 cones and rods in each eye.
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You can get away with lower resolution provided the technology is smart-enough to "highlight" your target in a sufficient-way to get hits. Imagine a grayscale image with only rat-like objects lit-up in red, and any potential life-forms that aren't rats lit-up in green. For pesting that'd be lovely.
IMO a 1280x1280 resolution suffices for most things provided there's good image-processing in the background and the lighting isn't hard on your eyes. Perhaps more important than the resolution would be to have an over 60Hz refresh-rate. Ideally around 120Hz.
That said, I don't think pure-digital is the way of the future. It'll be hybrid scopes where you can any combination of direct optics and any-spectrum overlays.
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Competitive shooters would never accept degradation of resolution from glass. As a result the shooters that follow what the competition shooters use will also never accept that.
Pack 1280x1280 in 30mm or 34mm
1.6million pixels
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