Best digital day/night scope at present?

[Rural Management Services]

They all have their good points and their bad points, and there is no real scope on the market at present that is the go-to Swiss Army knife perfect everything option. For example, the Alpex 4K light is very light and very compact, but its optical performance is subpar compared to its big brother or the Zulu K. The Alpex 4K is very good, probably the best in low light with no IR, but it is very heavy, and the controls are not intuitive compared to the Alpex Pro. The Alpex Pro has been discussed elsewhere a lot recently; it lags behind the old 4K by about five minutes at dawn and dusk without IR in colour. In black and white, it’s about the same probably. But it does have the best daytime image by some margin, and once you use IR, in complete darkness, it has the same performance as the old 4K. The Zulu 4K is average at everything and best nothing apart from being about £100 cheaper. The Pard Night Stalker 4K EX is a good option for pure nighttime use or daytime use, but at dawn and dusk without IR it’s a behind the Aplex 4K, Zulus 4K or Alpex Pro. Also about £200 more.

As a stalking scope I prefer and use the Alpex pro as it’s the best compromise of weight, function and performance at dawn/dusk and daytime. Others are better at specific things, but at the moment the pro just pips it for me over the Alpex 4K due to function and weight.

Tried all of the above quite extensively for the record.

Maybe Nocpix will blow our pants off with the Nite when/if it ever arrives…..

 

[Blackwood Outdoors]

They all have their good points and their bad points, and there is no real scope on the market at present that is the go-to Swiss Army knife perfect everything option. For example, the Alpex 4K light is very light and very compact, but its optical performance is subpar compared to its big brother or the Zulu K. The Alpex 4K is very good, probably the best in low light with no IR, but it is very heavy, and the controls are not intuitive compared to the Alpex Pro. The Alpex Pro has been discussed elsewhere a lot recently; it lags behind the old 4K by about five minutes at dawn and dusk without IR in colour. In black and white, it’s about the same probably. But it does have the best daytime image by some margin, and once you use IR, in complete darkness, it has the same performance as the old 4K. The Zulu 4K is average at everything and best nothing apart from being about £100 cheaper. The Pard Night Stalker 4K EX is a good option for pure nighttime use or daytime use, but at dawn and dusk without IR it’s a behind the Aplex 4K, Zulus 4K or Alpex Pro. Also about £200 more.

As a stalking scope I prefer and use the Alpex pro as it’s the best compromise of weight, function and performance at dawn/dusk and daytime. Others are better at specific things, but at the moment the pro just pips it for me over the Alpex 4K due to function and weight.

Tried all of the above quite extensively for the record.

Maybe Nocpix will blow our pants off with the Nite when/if it ever arrives…..

I'll do a comparison of all the digital scopes, in the next week or so, then people can see the sublte differences, day and night...

 

[Rural Management Services]

I'll do a comparison of all the digital scopes, in the next week or so, then people can see the sublte differences, day and night...

If you can do a side by side mounted for all 5 options at the same time each with the same IR mounted above each scope (not sharing one) to do simultaneous videos then please do. I think that’s the only true compassion that people want. Starting at 1 hour before sunset and finishing 2 hours after under IR.

Probably have to do the first hour or 2 twice to account for the colour and B&W options.

 

[Blackwood Outdoors]

If you can do a side by side mounted for all 5 options at the same time each with the same IR mounted above each scope (not sharing one) to do simultaneous videos then please do. I think that’s the only true compassion that people want. Starting at 1 hour before sunset and finishing 2 hours after under IR.

Probably have to do the first hour or 2 twice to account for the colour and B&W options.

It doesn't take that much to work out. Test in daylight at range and test at dusk. Then test long range at night using the same IR... you don't need to wait 3 hours , it's immediately evident.

The two best tube scopes currently for long range night time performance and low light are the Alpex A50E/L and the Pixfra Volans, I know this first hand from testing a lot..there both rocking F1.2 lenses as well..

 

[Rural Management Services]

It doesn't take that much to work out. Test in daylight at range and test at dusk. Then test long range at night using the same IR.

The two best tube scopes currently for night time performance and low light are the Alpex A50E/L and the Pixfra Volans, I know this first hand from testing a lot..

I think it does take that much effort to prove the point and get people past what excess stock biases perceptions people might think retailers have.

 

[Blackwood Outdoors]

I think it does take that much effort to prove the point and get people past what excess stock biases perceptions people might think retailers have.

I'll get some tin foil hats ready... are you serious ?

I can't keep any of the digital scopes in stock long enough to have excess stock, none of them, Alpex Lite, Alpex A50EL, Alpex Pro, DNT Zulus, Pard, they all fly off the shelf, constantly restocking every week....

 

[Rural Management Services]

I'll get some tin foil hats ready... are you serious ?

I can't keep any of the digital scopes in stock long enough to have excess stock, none of them, Alpex Lite, Alpex A50EL, Alpec Pro, DNT Zulus, Pard, they all fly off the shelf..

Easy enough for you to solve with a 5 unit multi test rather than just a Alpex 4K and a Volans side by side test.

 

[HonestJohn]

I'll get some tin foil hats ready... are you serious ?

I can't keep any of the digital scopes in stock long enough to have excess stock, none of them, Alpex Lite, Alpex A50EL, Alpex Pro, DNT Zulus, Pard, they all fly off the shelf, constantly restocking every week....

Buy more than 1 unit MOQ’s

 

[Blackwood Outdoors]

Buy more than 1 unit MOQ’s

Ha ha ha, yeh 1 rate Ian.... shifting the excess.. .. oh bejesus, ah well you get them..

 

[BenBhoy]

@Blackwood Outdoors does the pard 2 have different zoom levels, like going up in little bits, or does it just jump/double like the pard ds35 ?

(Sorry don't know the proper term for it!)

 

[Blackwood Outdoors]

@Blackwood Outdoors does the pard 2 have different zoom levels, like going up in little bits, or does it just jump/double like the pard ds35 ?

(Sorry don't know the proper term for it!)

6.5x > 9.8x > 13x > 16.2x > 19.5x > 22.8x > 26x

 

[BenBhoy]

6.5x > 9.8x > 13x > 16.2x > 19.5x > 22.8x > 26x

Cheers Ian. I recently bought Zulus 4k primarily for night time foxing. Used it once & thoroughly underwhelmed . Wish I'd gone for the new pard.

 

[Blackwood Outdoors]

Cheers Ian. I recently bought Zulus 4k primarily for night time foxing. Used it once & thoroughly underwhelmed . Wish I'd gone for the new pard.

The Zulus V2 is better at night, than the Zulus 4K. It's a 1080P sensor so a lot more sensitive....

I know your looking for light weight, if you want a light weight tube design, go for the Alpex 4K Pro, there all popular and have different strong points.. some better displays, some better eye relief, some better price points, night time performance, etc

Avoid youtube advice and influencers, everyones punting what they have been handed on a plate..

 

[BenBhoy]

The Zulus V2 is better at night, than the Zulus 4K. It's a 1080P sensor so a lot more sensitive....

If you want a lightweight tube design, go for the Alpex 4K Pro, there all popular and have different strong points.. some better displays, some better eye relief, some better price points, night time performance, etc

Avoid youtube advice and influencers, everyones punting what they have been handed on a plate..

So am I better putting it in HD mode at night?

Main point i want is good night performance & decent base mag. I've had few scopes over years- best NV has been sightline n470s & Alpex 4K, but both i sold due to weight.

Just for night use at fox ranges, would you say alpex pro, new pard or go back to alpex 4k fat pants??

 

[Blackwood Outdoors]

So am I better putting it in HD mode at night?

Main point i want is good night performance & decent base mag. I've had few scopes over years- best NV has been sightline n470s & Alpex 4K, but both i sold due to weight.

Just for night use at fox ranges, would you say alpex pro, new pard or go back to alpex 4k fat pants??

The Zulus 4K looks pants in HD mode, keep it in 4K , it will be more sensitive though as you will avoid the pixel binning, like I've said from the start this is the downside with 4K, they need big lenses like the Alpex A50EL to perform long range at night..

If i had to choose only one it would be the Alpex A50EL, for a centrefire it's just too good at everything...sod the weight, put your big boy pants on .

 

[Dillon]

Well it's not looking good for the Nocpix as a night scope? Although it has a 70mm lens some of that is taken up by the built in range finder and it has F 2.0 lens. Nocpix website says target recognition range 200 meters using the supplied IR, hopefully the Wraith or Blade will increase that.

Your thoughts Ian ?

 

[Liveonce]

If i had to choose only one it would be the Alpex A50EL, for a centrefire it's just too good at everything...sod the weight, put your big boy pants on .

To be young again unfortunately as one gets older the weight becomes an issue especially if having to walk the permissions, hence the zulus wins in that case.

 

[seedawood]

I know S&Bs aren't the lightest scopes but I just find the tube type NVs to be ugly lumps, especially on a rimfire, and yes I do appreciate that the new versions are getting lighter with much better (generally) control placement.
So as a NV option for the 22lr I am veering towards Zulus V2. Question- to those who know- I don't go in for extreme long range at night (max 150 even if it switches to the 17) and rarely use high mag scopes so is there a disadvantage to going for the 3-12 version over the 5-20. I presume 'zoom' is digital on these so do you loose clarity on higher 'mags' so have an advantage with higher base mag unit on lower settings, or does the lower mag version benefit from wider FOV for ratting etc?

 

[Liveonce]

i went 5-20 and shoot like you up to say 150 yards, works good for me.

 

[Nickb]

So am I better putting it in HD mode at night?

Main point i want is good night performance & decent base mag. I've had few scopes over years- best NV has been sightline n470s & Alpex 4K, but both i sold due to weight.

Just for night use at fox ranges, would you say alpex pro, new pard or go back to alpex 4k fat pants??

As Ian says put your big boy pants on and get another Alpex 4k.

I walk miles with mine and Im a lot older than you.