So, as always, no commercial skin in the game as I purchased both items with my own pennies. Nobody has paid for this review and it’s my own opinions based on using them.
The 4K Alpex has become the benchmark device for comparison, a crown the Alpex has confidently held for quite some time. In the digital age, maintaining such a prestigious position for over 20 minutes is quite an achievement. On the horizon though are a bunch of new contenders from Nocpix, Zulus and even HIK themselves with the Alpex Pro. As only the Zulus is currently out, this will focus on that device and others will follow in due course when they are available.
First impressions of the Zulus are that it’s well built and feels solid enough. Size-wise, it’s smaller than the Alpex 4K but larger than the 4K Lite. As the outer diameter of the objective is 50mm dia compared to the Alpex 4K’s 62mm, you have the option of mounting it 6mm lower to the barrel as well. Eye relief is a respectable 65mm and after mounting, I can confirm this is about correct. It’s only 10mm more than the Alpex 4K, but every little helps. The 45mm on the 4K Lite is a bit of a nightmare for some setups when it comes to mounting.
Optically, I was at first shocked at how bad it was, and I was concerned that it was faulty, but it turns out that the Zulus comes as a standard set up in non-4K mode, and changing it to 4K made a massive improvement to the image! I do wonder if there is someone out there who isn’t as tech-savvy who is wondering why their Zulus is rubbish image-wise! Daytime colour optical performance is adequate but lacks behind the Alpex 4K in my opinion. I believe this is down to the screen quality rather than the sensor. The image was sufficiently decent though to see bullet holes in the paper target at 100m, which is usually my go-to daytime test. In dusk, the Alpex 4K is still the king, allowing you to go full dawn to dusk stalking without the need for IR. The Zulus is good and better than both the Pard Nightstalker 4K Pro and an Alpex 4K Lite, but the Alpex 4K beats it by a good 10 mins. This is again probably driven by a combination of a 50mm lens on the Alpex and cleaver software behind it. With a cheap £50 IR torch used on both devices, there isn’t much difference in total darkness between the two devices as the added artificial light negates a lot of the advantage the Alpex has optically. Both devices were more than able to view and identify quarry far further than I would ever want to shoot at night, which for reference is 300-400m. If I was to pick a winner though it would still be the Alpex, but there really isn’t much in it in good conditions. In poorer conditions the Alpex’s superior optics come into play again and give it an edge.
In conclusion, the Zulus 30mm 4K device presents a solid contender in the digital optics market, offering a well-built and compact design with respectable optical performance. While it initially underwhelmed due to its default non-4K mode, switching to 4K significantly improved image quality. Although it falls short of the Alpex 4K in daytime colour performance and overall performance, it surpasses the Pard Nightstalker 4K Pro and Alpex 4K Lite. In low-light conditions, the Zulus performs admirably, especially when paired with an IR torch, though it still cannot match the Alpex 4K’s superior optics and software. Overall, while the Alpex 4K remains the benchmark, the Zulus offers a compelling alternative, particularly for those seeking a more compact and affordable option.
The 4K Alpex has become the benchmark device for comparison, a crown the Alpex has confidently held for quite some time. In the digital age, maintaining such a prestigious position for over 20 minutes is quite an achievement. On the horizon though are a bunch of new contenders from Nocpix, Zulus and even HIK themselves with the Alpex Pro. As only the Zulus is currently out, this will focus on that device and others will follow in due course when they are available.
First impressions of the Zulus are that it’s well built and feels solid enough. Size-wise, it’s smaller than the Alpex 4K but larger than the 4K Lite. As the outer diameter of the objective is 50mm dia compared to the Alpex 4K’s 62mm, you have the option of mounting it 6mm lower to the barrel as well. Eye relief is a respectable 65mm and after mounting, I can confirm this is about correct. It’s only 10mm more than the Alpex 4K, but every little helps. The 45mm on the 4K Lite is a bit of a nightmare for some setups when it comes to mounting.
Optically, I was at first shocked at how bad it was, and I was concerned that it was faulty, but it turns out that the Zulus comes as a standard set up in non-4K mode, and changing it to 4K made a massive improvement to the image! I do wonder if there is someone out there who isn’t as tech-savvy who is wondering why their Zulus is rubbish image-wise! Daytime colour optical performance is adequate but lacks behind the Alpex 4K in my opinion. I believe this is down to the screen quality rather than the sensor. The image was sufficiently decent though to see bullet holes in the paper target at 100m, which is usually my go-to daytime test. In dusk, the Alpex 4K is still the king, allowing you to go full dawn to dusk stalking without the need for IR. The Zulus is good and better than both the Pard Nightstalker 4K Pro and an Alpex 4K Lite, but the Alpex 4K beats it by a good 10 mins. This is again probably driven by a combination of a 50mm lens on the Alpex and cleaver software behind it. With a cheap £50 IR torch used on both devices, there isn’t much difference in total darkness between the two devices as the added artificial light negates a lot of the advantage the Alpex has optically. Both devices were more than able to view and identify quarry far further than I would ever want to shoot at night, which for reference is 300-400m. If I was to pick a winner though it would still be the Alpex, but there really isn’t much in it in good conditions. In poorer conditions the Alpex’s superior optics come into play again and give it an edge.
In conclusion, the Zulus 30mm 4K device presents a solid contender in the digital optics market, offering a well-built and compact design with respectable optical performance. While it initially underwhelmed due to its default non-4K mode, switching to 4K significantly improved image quality. Although it falls short of the Alpex 4K in daytime colour performance and overall performance, it surpasses the Pard Nightstalker 4K Pro and Alpex 4K Lite. In low-light conditions, the Zulus performs admirably, especially when paired with an IR torch, though it still cannot match the Alpex 4K’s superior optics and software. Overall, while the Alpex 4K remains the benchmark, the Zulus offers a compelling alternative, particularly for those seeking a more compact and affordable option.
