Shedding Light on Nighttime Digital Optic Sales

If your tactical store isn't selling thermal and night-vision optics, you're missing out.

Shedding Light on Nighttime Digital Optic Sales

A world of opportunities has opened up for consumers to finally afford to purchase thermal and night-vision optics, and retailers can better afford to stock shelves without fear of stagnant inventory — digital optics are flying off shelves and in most cases, backordered.

Whether shoppers are interested for tactical, law enforcement or hunting purposes, there has never been a better time to offer thermal, night-vision and digital riflescopes. Check out this roundup of nighttime optics ready to light your way to increased sales.

 

Thermal

AGM Python TS75-640

New to the consumer thermal and night-vision industry game, AGM Global Vision unveiled the Wolverine night-vision line, as well as Python, Rattler and Secutor lines of thermal riflescopes. As its name implies, the AGM Python TS75-640 boasts an oversized germanium 75mm objective lens and popular FLIR 640x512 microbolometer sensor resolution with 17-micron pixel pitch and 30Hz refresh rate. The body of the Python is constructed of aluminum alloy for light weight and rugged reliability. The Python TS75-640 also boasts a 1,400-yard detection range, 800x600 resolution display, 1x-8x step zoom, multiple color palette and reticle options, and a micro-USB power and video in-out port. With the AGM Python TS75-640, customers can expect up to four hours of runtime from two CR123A batteries. www.agmglobalvision.com

 

ATN Thor 4 640

American Technologies Network, more widely known as ATN, has been hard at work for more than 25 years and is certainly one of few thermal and night-vision industry leaders. As ATN thermal imaging goes, the company released its fourth-generation lineup in 2018, and it is still among the most popular consumer thermal riflescopes on the market; case in point, the Thor 4 640 2.5-25x Thermal Riflescope.

At the heart of ATN’s ultra-feature-rich thermal riflescope platform is a proprietary Obsidian IV dual core processor. ATN Thor 4’s laundry list of features includes fourth-generation 640x480 sensor resolution, robust magnification range, 60Hz refresh rate, onboard 960x1280 HD recoil-activated video stored to a micro-SD card (up to 64gb), dual-stream video capability, 1280x960 HD display, color palettes, multiple color reticle options, one-shot zeroing, ATN Radar technology and a ballistic calculator with Smart mil-dot reticle. The ATN Thor 4 2.5-25x heat-signature detection range extends to 1,950 yards, and a rechargeable L-ion battery provides up to 16 hours of operation. If your customers are focused on features, ATN can heat up your sales. www.atncorp.com

 

Black Diamond Optics TH-38L

Black Diamond Optics’ 384x288 thermal imaging device, the TH-38L, features 1024x768 high-resolution image quality displayed in 10 optional color palettes on an HD OLED display. It claims detection out to 2,000 yards and boasts the sharpest imagery while being able to range targets measuring out to 1,100 yards. The external video features PAL WIFI and 32G of internal storage. A 50mm objective lens harnesses an incredible field of view with zoom capabilities of 2X/4X/10X/PIP, and the whole thing weighs in at just 22 ounces. Other features include 10 palette options, less than 5-second start-up time, eight-hour battery life, a 50Hz frame rate, a recoil rating up to .375 H&H, and a retail price around $5,500. Black Diamond technology is designed by hunters, for hunters, and it shows, although this scope would be equally at home on a tactical rifle. www.blackdiamondoptics.com.

 

Burris Thermal Rifle Sight

The feature-rich Burris Thermal Rifle Sight offers performance and value. Shooters have a choice of 10 reticles and five color palettes. With a 4X zoom, this dedicated rifle thermal optic will not let any animal cross the sight picture unnoticed. Each of the Burris Thermal Sights are available two sizes, offering various field of view and zoom range options. The user can operate all devices with one hand without leaving the field of view. The intuitive menu displays in the optics sight picture for quick access to all the different features and allows for zeroing the thermal reticle to match the point of impact for a given distance. The battery icon gives current battery charge status so shooters know how exactly much time they have left. The Burris Thermal Rifle Sight carries an MSRP of $3,838 for the 35mm and $4,478 for the 50mm. www.burrisoptics.com

 

NVision Halo XRF

Scores of discriminating shooters agree that NVision Halo thermal riflescopes rank at the top of the consumer thermal game with respect to image quality, and the XRF ups the ante. Of course, the price point also ranks at the top of consumer thermals and is not for the faint of heart, but some dedicated customers will not blink an eye. NVision’s latest and greatest, the Halo XRF, boasts top-shelf technology including waterproof construction; 640x480, 12-micron, 60Hz BAE core; larger 50mm germanium objective lens; integrated laser rangefinder accurate to 1,000 yards; heat-signature detection range of 2,020 yards; integrated video with audio; 640x480 OLED display; multiple reticle options, including mil-dot; zoom-sensitive zeroing and a USB-C interface for file transfers or a 5V power supply. The Halo XRF features a base magnification of 2x, perfect for a wider field of view, and is powered for up to seven hours by two 18650 batteries. www.nvisionoptics.com

 

Pulsar Thermion XM30

Pulsar’s dive into an ultra-affordable thermal scope (first being the Pulsar Core RXQ30V) with the newly released Thermion XM30 Thermal Riflescope has caused something of a thermal feeding frenzy. With many of the same features as the flagship XG50 and XP50 models, but at a $2,500 (or less) price point, this one resonates with hunters and shooters and certainly gets more people excited about using the technology. The Thermion XM30 boasts a 320x240 microbolometer sensor with 12-micron pixel pitch, 1400-yard detection range, 1024x768 AMOLED display, eight-color display palette, multiple color reticle options, 3.5-14x magnification range, 8x digital step- and continuous-zoom, picture-in-picture, one-shot zero with freeze function, robust rifle and zero-profile storage, built-in video with audio, Wi-Fi, Stream Vision App compatibility, IP67 waterproof protection, recoil rating up to .375 H&H and rechargeable internal-external batteries. www.pulsarnv.com

 

Sig Sauer Electro Optics Echo3

The Echo3 is a compact thermal reflex-style sight rather than a full-sized scope. It uses Sig’s BDX technology via wifi and Bluetooth, allowing customizable active reticles that change with Sig Kilo rangefinder input. Sig calls this the “most innovative, direct view thermal sight in the world,” and it can record video and images in eight different color palettes. Run time with heavy use exceeds six hours, and an optional quick-disconnect mount makes the Echo3 easy to attach and remove. Features include uncooled 320x240 12µ VOx LWIR Core Operating at 30Hz, LevelPlex anti-cant system, motion-activated display that powers up when it senses motion, easy-to-adjust lens with optional throw lever attachment, six brightness settings, .5-MOA adjustments, aspheric lens (10-degree FOV) with up to 6X digital magnification and a total weight of just 14.3 ounces. The Echo3 is designed for predator and hog hunters who need improved situational awareness, but there’s no reason it won’t work well in tactical and LE situations. Two models are available; a 1-6X and a 2-12X, and MSRP starts at $3,299. www.sigsauer.com

 

Trijicon Reap-IR 60mm Mini

Like scores of previously released Trijicon optics, the foundation of the Reap IR 60mm Mini thermal riflescope is the company’s focus on SWAP (size, weight and power). Your customers also are sure to appreciate the rugged reliability they have come to expect from Trijicon. Still suitable for hogs but perfect for longer-range shooting, the Trijicon Reaper IR 60mm Mini thermal riflescope boasts a base magnification of 4.5x and digital step-zoom from 1x to 8x using a 640x480 sensor and 12-micron pixel pitch. The Reap IR is powered by two CR123 batteries for up to four hours of run time and leads the industry with an operating temperature range of -40 to 131F. While the Reap IR does not feature onboard video, it does include an analog RS-170 video output. Additional Reap IR features include Trijicon’s thumbstick system, white-hot and black-hot imaging, digital reticle readouts and stadiametric rangefinding. www.trijicon.com

 

Zeiss DTI 3/35

The DTI 3/35 is Zeiss’s first thermal imaging camera specifically developed for hunting. The thermal imaging camera combines a high-resolution display that delivers detailed images with a well-balanced, ergonomic design. Thanks to the arrangement of the control buttons optimized as part of the ErgoControl concept and the device's specially shaped design, the ZEISS DTI 3/35 is intuitive to use. The buttons are arranged so that they can be identified quickly and accurately when it is dark and cold, even with gloves on. Even the high-precision manual zoom has been designed to accommodate difficult conditions in the dark. With its precise adjustment in 0.5x increments, the digital 1.0- 4.0x zoom offers a great combination and balance of magnification and detail recognition. This feature allows the user to quickly switch between zoom levels. Features include an ultra-precise manual focus F1.0 lens, 384x288 sensor, LCOS HD display, live streaming via the Zeiss Hunting app and more. www.zeiss.com/consumer-products/int/hunting.html

 

 

Digital Night Vision

ATN X-Sight 4K Pro 3-14x

Sure, ATN continues to maintain solid footing in the thermal imaging market, but did you know they sit among elite digital riflescope manufacturers, too? ATN’s X-Sight changed the way we hunt. With the X-Sight’s launch, hunters and shooters morphed from using traditional optics for daytime activities and digital optics designed for nighttime adventure, to a 24-hour digital riflescope offering full-color daytime imaging, as well as digital night vision. The result? Zero optic or rifle changeovers for 24-hour hunting and shooting opportunities. More recently, the ATN X-Sight 4K Pro Digital Riflescope has experienced incredible consumer response. What does that mean for retailers? It means not offering the X-Sight 4K might be a mistake.

The ATN X-Sight 4K Digital Riflescope features a proprietary ultra-HD 3864x2218 sensor, full-color HD daytime imaging, enhanced HD night-vision mode, 3-14x magnification range, built-in 1080P HD video recording to a micro-SD card (up to 64gb), 720 HD video streaming, dual-streaming capability, Obsidian 4 dual-core processing, ATN Radar technology, ballistic calculator, Smart mil-dot reticle, multiple color reticle options, roughly 200-yard detection range, one-shot zero and standard 30mm scope rings. www.atncorp.com

 

Pulsar Digex N455

Bouncing back once more to Pulsar, the company’s Digex N455 Digital Night Vision Riflescope doesn’t just look like a Thermion thermal riflescope — it includes many of the Thermion’s sought-after features, including color image palettes, multiple color reticle options, 1024x768 HD AMOLED display, picture-in-picture, integrated video and Wi-Fi, one-shot zero with freeze function, aircraft-grade aluminum 30mm tube platform, manual display- and distance-focus rings, internal and external rechargeable lithium batteries, 4-16x magnification, step- and continuous-zoom, and a stadiametric rangefinder. The IP67 waterproof-rated Digex N455 is recoil rated up to .375 H&H and boasts a Gen 3 night-vision comparable detection range of 550 yards using a 1280x720 HD sensor and an included, detachable 940nm invisible IR illuminator. If your customers are serious about night vision and hungry for Gen 3-quality night-vision imaging, but also like affordable options, Pulsar’s Digex N455 definitely stands to heat up sales. www.pulsarnv.com

 

Sightmark Wraith 4K Max 3-24x50

For nearly 15 years, Sightmark has produced firearm-mounted optics designed to enhance shooting experiences for enthusiasts at all levels, from novice to expert. While the brand is rooted in more modest manufacturing of reflex sights, red-dots and, perhaps most notably, in-chamber laser boresights, times have changed, and Sightmark has become something of a next-level optic producer. Today’s offerings, complete with a lifetime warranty, include premium-performing reflex sights, red-dot optics, hunting and tactical-inspired riflescopes, spotting scopes, binoculars, in-chamber and universal boresights, digital night vision and, now, Wraith 24-hour digital riflescopes. Sightmark’s Wraith lineup began with 4-32x, followed by 2-16x, and they just recently added the Wraith 4K Max.

The Wraith 4K Max 3-24x50 Digital Riflescope is the perfect, affordable 24-hour riflescope for your hunting and shooting customers tired of swapping optics or complete rifle systems when transitioning from day to night pursuits. The Wraith 4K Max delivers ultra-HD full-color daytime, and digital night-vision imaging with the click of a button, on a 1280x720 HD display via the device’s true, enhanced 4K (4000x3000) CMOS sensor. The Wraith 4K Max also boasts a powerful magnification range of 3x to 24x, 10 reticle options in multiple colors, built-in UHD 4K video with audio and a nighttime detection range of 300 yards with the included, detachable 850nm infrared illuminator. The Wraith 4K Max is powered for up to eight hours via a rechargeable internal battery, and the coated aluminum-alloy body is IPX5 weather resistant. Considering the Wraith’s 24-hour utility, 4K sensor and video quality, extended range (further with a third-party IR illuminator) and sub-$1,000 price point, it is not a matter of should you offer your customers this optic, it is a question of why on Earth wouldn’t you. www.sightmark.com



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