Alpex Pro VS Zulus 4K VS PARD Nightstalker 2.0 - WHICH ONE TO CHOOSE??

pazmino

Well-Known Member
Plenty of views on these three new day-night scopes, but unless I'm missing something, no-one has yet posted a decent comparison of all three. I have a .243 sitting in my cabinet awaiting one of them, but really don't want to choose the wrong one. It will be used 75% of the time for last-light stalking, and 25% of the time for foxing. I like the light weight of the new Alpex compared with the old one, and also like that the Zulus 4K is £200 cheaper than the Alpex Pro. Anyone got any advice as to which one to get? They all seem incredibly similar.
 
Had alpex pro and zulus 4k side by side in daylight.
Alpex is a much better image at all magnifications and generally much easier to use.
My money would go to the alpex pro.
Not seen the pard
 
Had alpex pro and zulus 4k side by side in daylight.
Alpex is a much better image at all magnifications and generally much easier to use.
My money would go to the alpex pro.
Not seen the pard
Thanks, that's helpful.
 
I’ve had the Alpex Pro and the Pard side by side in my local shop. The Alpex was much easier to use, better connectivity and overall just a nicer package. To my eye the Alpex also seemed the better image at night, though I’ll be honest I don’t have masses of experience with these yet so take that with a pinch of salt. The Pard is said to be good out to about 300yds on its built-in illuminator, which doesn’t strike me as much — and once you pair the Alpex with a decent laser illuminator, any night-time advantage the Pard might have had disappears.
For me it was an easy choice: the Alpex Pro. Should be arriving by Friday, so happy to report back once I’ve had it out at last light.
 
Had the Alpex Pro, returned as the nightime image quality was poor compared to the PARD Nightstalker 2.0, which I still have. Daytime not much between them.
 
Nope, certainly not in my experience! Have you tried the 2 side by side outside at night?


Fair point — which illuminator were you running on the Alpex? I've seen your footage and it does back up what you're saying, but it didn't match my own experience when I had the two side by side, which is what's puzzling me. That said, I'll hold my hands up: I haven't tested them properly. I didn't have them together out in the field, only in the shop at night — we tried them at about 300m in the yard behind the shop, so hardly a thorough trial. Genuinely interested to know your setup, as you've clearly used them far more than I have.
 
That sounds interesting - where can I see it? :)
Night time image is a very nice improvement on the Alpex Pro - these are taken off hand in a strong wind, I was wobbling quite a bit.
Also for comparison a similar scene from the Alpex Pro, taken a week ago and rested. However the Aplex was slightly more zoomed in so not a 100% like for like. Same IR torch used on both scopes. Will do a better comparison (at same zoom) soon.
from these videos it really seems the Pard is better, from my experience the Hik was better, that was also the spontaneous reaction of my neighbor (hunting shop owner) and his wife that also hunts (they sell both brands). They said Hik and Pard are like day a night even after taking them out for a hunt. Really interested in knowing what illuminator was used in these videos.
 
The Alpex Pro was a Night Blaster VCSEL IR Torch and then a Solaris SRX, the Pard Nightstalker 2.0 was the Pard VCSEL module
 
the illuminator ive tried were the original Pard module (one thats supplied with it here in Slovakia) and then Dark Engine Blade was attached to the Alpex Pro
 
I’ve had the Alpex Pro and the Pard side by side in my local shop. The Alpex was much easier to use, better connectivity and overall just a nicer package. To my eye the Alpex also seemed the better image at night, though I’ll be honest I don’t have masses of experience with these yet so take that with a pinch of salt. The Pard is said to be good out to about 300yds on its built-in illuminator, which doesn’t strike me as much — and once you pair the Alpex with a decent laser illuminator, any night-time advantage the Pard might have had disappears.
For me it was an easy choice: the Alpex Pro. Should be arriving by Friday, so happy to report back once I’ve had it out at last light.
The Night Stalker 4k LRF 2.0 that the OP asks about does not have built in IR. You can add it, Chris has gone for 850 here and I have a 940 module sat ready if I decide to go down that route.
 
You’re right that the Night Stalker 4k LRF 2.0 doesn’t have IR built in. The unit I had my hands on did have the 850 module, but it wasn’t actually attached yet; the shop owner was fitting it during my visit. To be honest I didn’t pay attention to whether it came in the same box or a separate one — he just said it comes with the module. Over here in Slovakia when you buy the Nightstalker you usually get a drop-down menu to pick which module you’d prefer, so that might be why there’s some confusion about what’s “included.”
 
The Night Stalker 4k LRF 2.0 that the OP asks about does not have built in IR. You can add it, Chris has gone for 850 here and I have a 940 module sat ready if I decide to go down that route.
Yes, I was surprised to see that you can buy the unit from Amazon in the UK with the IR unit either already installed or as an extra, whilst other retailers seemingly aren't allowed to sell it because it doesn't comply with regulations. That doesn't seem to make a whole lot of sense.
How do you find the Nightstalker?
 
How do you find the Nightstalker?
Soooooo.................. this is an interesting one!

First let me say I LOVE the unit, its size, weight profile, controls and layout are far better than any of the other digital scopes I have used. The daylight picture is stunning - so bright, clear and unlike my Alpex; more importantly it is not "flat" The built in LRF is hardly noticeable and it's activation is simple and intuitive as it's on the side focus.

Now to the downside 🙇‍♂️ I haven't fired a shot in anger with it yet! The first unit was zero'd at the range, put away in the cabinet but on checking the batteries when I took it out of the cabinet to use in anger for the first time there were yellow splodges visible in the display - like someone had marked-up a photo with a yellow brush. Nothing would make them go away but as they were not in pictures or videos, it was a display issue. Ian at Blackwood Outdoors was outstanding; issue notified to them in the morning, DPD collection advised in the afternoon and the replacement was with me the following day - outstanding service 🙌

However, having set that unit up, loaded profiles and getting it ready to got to the range to zero, I realised that whilst WIFI would turn "on" in the display, I couldn't see the SSID on 4 separate devices (3 Apple and one PC) or connect top any WIFI. Another call to Blackwood Outdoors and I spoke to Ian who said leave it with him. Later that day I got a message and a number to contact PARD UK who the following day (yesterday) talked me through various things, before sending me a newer firmware version (V1.1.14) to upload. All credit to Roy in persevering to get the ZIP file though to me 👏 Sadly, no improvement!

Later yesterday, Tracy from Pard called me and, having checked details, emailed through a RM Express 24 label to put on the box. It was in the post yesterday at 15:00 and was delivered to Pard this morning at 09:00. Plan was to confirm issue and if proven to send out a pre-checked new one to me, hopefully today 🤞

Frankly, I cannot congratulate Ian at Blackwood Outdoors and Pard UK for their exceptional (and sadly all too rare nowadays) customer service 🙌

However, this is my first Pard product and my confidence has somewhat been shaken by what's transpired. I cannot wait to try this device out practically as it appears to tick a lot of my boxes but cannot comment yet. @C h r i s is now streets ahead of me having both started down this route at the same time and from what we have discussed, he's loving it.
 
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