To Focus or Not to Focus (Feature on Thermal)

[DPReef]

For those who have objective focus capabilities on their thermal, do you find the feature is something you often use when hunting or is the clarity usually "good enough" at your whatever setting you had it on to identify your target.

I'm sure this may be affected by the quality of your scope - mine is a fixed focus 30mm thermal scope. Just wondering if upgrading to a larger objective (with its benefits) and having adjustable focus will benefit me. In particular, this thread is about he focus part.

 

[ZenArchery]

If they aint moving I focus. If they're on the go. Obviously you don't have time to be dilly dallying.

 

[DPReef]

Do you find the focus has a major affect on your identification abilities? In the response, good to know your optical magnification, objective size, and typical hunting range.

Trying to figure out if focus would drastically affect what is currently a fixed focus RXQ30V 1.6 magnification with typical hunting 50-150 yards or is it just a slight "cleaning up" of the thermal image.

 

[Ncorry]

On every thermal unit I've used (Zeus 640 3x75, Thor 320 2x 30(?), Pulsar HD38A 336 2x36mm) the objective focus is the most used feature on the scope to improve clarity. Well, with the exception of the Leupold that I've looked through and doesn't have focus.

 

[ZenArchery]

Do you find the focus has a major affect on your identification abilities? In the response, good to know your optical magnification, objective size, and typical hunting range.

Trying to figure out if focus would drastically affect what is currently a fixed focus RXQ30V 1.6 magnification with typical hunting 50-150 yards or is it just a slight "cleaning up" of the thermal image.

I would call it sharpness of image. If you ever flip back and forth from different hot colors you can def. sharpen the image. Doesn't really matter for hogs because they look really obvious but clarifying similar critters (possum -vs- coon; dog -vs- coyote) is essential.

 

[Chopperdrvr]

If you are using the RXQ30V, going to any scope that has an adjustable objective the image will be so much better, you might not even care if it is in focus or not. Your fixed focus scope is optimized for ONE distance (usually about 100 yds) everything else is just a little out of focus. That doesn’t mean it isn’t useful, because it is, it’s just better if you can dial it in on a potential target to start off with the best image you can get. When you look at the image of say an xq38 there will be other factors coming into play besides the AO that will make the image seem much “mo better”.

 

[chthump]

I'll find an object out a little past 100 yards, 150 or so and try and focus the thermal as best I can on that object, then leave it alone the rest of the night, It doesn't make that big of a difference in determining the animal species (in my opinion). Even if the pigs are within 50 yards, after the first shot, there out past 150yds pretty quick, and there's no time to re-focus.

 

[TEXASLAWMAN]

For those who have objective focus capabilities on their thermal, do you find the feature is something you often use when hunting or is the clarity usually "good enough" at your whatever setting you had it on to identify your target.

I'm sure this may be affected by the quality of your scope - mine is a fixed focus 30mm thermal scope. Just wondering if upgrading to a larger objective (with its benefits) and having adjustable focus will benefit me. In particular, this thread is about he focus part.

Depends on the scope the Trijicons do very well with fixed focus set at infinity. Trijicons are in focus from a few yards out to infinity. Pulsars and armasight/flir units with no focus not so much. They are in perfect focus at 50 yards that focus degrades rapidly the farther or closer from 50 yards you get. I know lots of people who think it' fine the out of focus units give me headaches from eye strain, I would personally spend the few extra dollars and get a apex.

 

[Wildfowler]

What he said. It depends on the scope which probably depends on the quality of the lens.

My IRD 35mm is very sharp and clear for a very long distance with no mechanical lens focus.

My pulsar XP50 is also very sharp with the mechanical lens focus. I find, that when I first turn it on for my current surroundings, once I focus it to my liking I don’t even think about it again. It is not an issue to ID something across a field without adjusting the focus.

I wish my Flir PTS233 had a mechanical focus though I doubt it would improve its lack of resolution significantly?

 

[TEXASLAWMAN]

What he said. It depends on the scope which probably depends on the quality of the lens.

My IRD 35mm is very sharp and clear for a very long distance with no mechanical lens focus.

My pulsar XP50 is also very sharp with the mechanical lens focus. I find, that when I first turn it on for my current surroundings, once I focus it to my liking I don’t even think about it again. It is not an issue to ID something across a field without adjusting the focus.

I wish my Flir PTS233 had a mechanical focus though I doubt it would improve its lack of resolution significantly?

FLIR PTS233 has the same resolution as the new pts736 a focus ring makes all the difference in the world. I still think they are charging 640 prices for a 320 unit.

 

[Wildfowler]

How does the image look on that 736 with 320 core?

Can you put some picks up from various distances?

 

[Brian Shaffer]

FLIR PTS233 has the same resolution as the new pts736 a focus ring makes all the difference in the world.

Well, yeah, they have the same resolution but...

PTS233
1.5x native magnification
19mm lens
fixed focus

PTS736
6x native magnification
75mm lens
focus ring

No doubt the focus ring is nice and quite helpful, but the comparatively giant lens and extra magnification is going to make a huge difference as well.