Leica calonox thermal add on

[Bobajob]

bobajob 56​

Posted Tuesday at 20:32

Hi does anyone have any reviews on this add on unit ?
I'm seriously thinking of purchasing one of these . I know there is a gen 1 and the new gen 2 . Just looking for any reviews on these.
Thanks

 

[mealiejimmy]

There are better add-ons for less than the Leica
Leica make great glass and and their scopes and binoculars are justifiably very well regarded bits of kit
However, there's effectively no glass in a thermal plus a lot of fancy electronics not found in any scope or binoculars
Basically, you're paying for the name
Uttings are selling the gen2 for £4090 - but that doesn't include a scope adaptor which set you back more than £100
You can buy a HIK Thunder 2TQ50C with a better spec sensor and a bigger lens for £2600 - and get a scope adaptor of your choice

Cheers

Bruce

 

[Bobajob]

There are better add-ons for less than the Leica
Leica make great glass and and their scopes and binoculars are justifiably very well regarded bits of kit
However, there's effectively no glass in a thermal plus a lot of fancy electronics not found in any scope or binoculars
Basically, you're paying for the name
Uttings are selling the gen2 for £4090 - but that doesn't include a scope adaptor which set you back more than £100
You can buy a HIK Thunder 2TQ50C with a better spec sensor and a bigger lens for £2600 - and get a scope adaptor of your choice

Cheers

Bruce

There are better add-ons for less than the Leica
Leica make great glass and and their scopes and binoculars are justifiably very well regarded bits of kit
However, there's effectively no glass in a thermal plus a lot of fancy electronics not found in any scope or binoculars
Basically, you're paying for the name
Uttings are selling the gen2 for £4090 - but that doesn't include a scope adaptor which set you back more than £100
You can buy a HIK Thunder 2TQ50C with a better spec sensor and a bigger lens for £2600 - and get a scope adaptor of your choice

Cheers

Bruce

I was looking into them , some feed back was that they were quite heavy..

 

[mak]

And no one has them in the UK, not Calonox 2 Sight, so can’t understand how negative comments can be made. There has been a delay in the delivery. All European components in the Calonox 2 series.
A demo sample will be at the Cluny event in a few weeks time.

 

[mealiejimmy]

The negative comments are not based on the performance of the Calonox (I'm sure it works fine), but on it's price compared to other thermal front add-ons which have the same or better performance for significantly less money
As I said, buy a thermal from a well known optics manufacturer (Leica, Zeiss, Swarovski) and you pay a premium for the name, but gain nothing in performance
Thermal is now very competitive with prices relative to performance coming down all the time and new entrants coming into the market regularly
At my last count there were well over 120 different models of hand held thermal on the market from 13 or 14 different manufacturers
Since Leica (nor Zeiss or Swarovski) don't actually make any of the critical components (germanium objective lens, thermal sensor, signal processing electronics and display) none of their traditional expertise is of much use to them
They obviously see a market for thermal products and want to get in on it - but the only thing they have is their brand, they have little to no in house expertise in the manufacture of thermal products

Cheers

Bruce

 

[mak]

The negative comments are not based on the performance of the Calonox (I'm sure it works fine), but on it's price compared to other thermal front add-ons which have the same or better performance for significantly less money
As I said, buy a thermal from a well known optics manufacturer (Leica, Zeiss, Swarovski) and you pay a premium for the name, but gain nothing in performance
Thermal is now very competitive with prices relative to performance coming down all the time and new entrants coming into the market regularly
At my last count there were well over 120 different models of hand held thermal on the market from 13 or 14 different manufacturers
Since Leica (nor Zeiss or Swarovski) don't actually make any of the critical components (germanium objective lens, thermal sensor, signal processing electronics and display) none of their traditional expertise is of much use to them
They obviously see a market for thermal products and want to get in on it - but the only thing they have is their brand, they have little to no in house expertise in the manufacture of thermal products

Cheers

Bruce

Bruce.
In my defence. i would say that your posts are very informative and I read with interest. This is a genuine comment and not meant any other way. As for no expertise, I can tell you that in the case of Calonox 2; the product manager before joining Leica was instrumental in thermal imaging for the military markets, so to say the company does not have expertise is incorrect. The company has many experts within the opto / electronic / thermal sector. I most certainly agree with you about the competitive market and lower price offerings of which some do offer real value for money. In the case of Germany for example the type of game legally allowed to be shot at night is predominantly ( if not exclusive) to Boar of which their numbers are considerably greater than ours in the UK and as you may know the person hunting the ground is also responsible for the cull numbers and failure to control can be expensive when the farmer is paid compensation. So, in their case many will purchase more expensive thermal units than in the UK and combine traditional hunting with thermal, hence the clip on. Thermal riflescopes for commercial use are I believe illegal in Germany and some other European Countries.

Of course, their laws have only recently allowed the use of thermal compared to us in the UK. As I said all components are of European manufacture, which are more expensive than Chinese for example.

 

[mealiejimmy]

Arguably, the laws in Germany which prohibit thermal targeting devices (i,e devices such as a scope which has a reticle) but allow thermal observation devices which don't have reticles such as front add-ons are the only reason for the popularity of those devices in Germany, and equally why they are far less popular in the UK where thermal targeting devices are legal
If thermal scopes were more widely allowed, very few people would, by choice, use a thermal front add-on.

Cheers

Bruce

 

[Bobajob]

has any one out there happen to use one of these yet . ??