Night vision monoculars can be used for various purposes. Some use it for hunting, while others use it for security or any other form of leisure. When going camping, you can take this along with you wherever you go in order to observe wildlife. The night Owl noxm50 Optics is very light and easy to carry.
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Night Owl Optics 5 Power noxm50 Night Vision Monocular Review
In this Optics noxm50 review, we will be covering its best and worst features one by one. It is one of the most popular monoculars being sold today. It has great customer reviews, and is one of the latest generation of its kind.
The Night Owl Optics 5 has plenty of magnification, yet it does not sacrifice light amplification. In earlier generation night vision binoculars, magnification and light amplification could not coexist easily. With this later generation product, you get the best of both worlds at a cost that is almost half of the cost of the high-end monoculars.
Features
- Magnification and objective lens size: 5x50mm
- Distance: You can see clearly up to 200 feet with the Night Owl, and the field of vision is 44 feet wide.
- Angular field of view: 12.5 degrees
- Weight: 14 ounces
- Batteries: While other night vision monoculars sometimes run on AA batteries, the night owl Optics 5 noxm50 runs on 1 3-volt Type-123 lithium ion battery. You can find these batteries at most grocery or hardware stores, such as Walmart. Keep in mind that the battery does not come included so you will need to purchase this at the same time. The batteries last from 45 to 100 hours with infrared activated.
- Optics made of glass: The optical lense is made of glass instead of plastic, thus increasing the clarity of the image and the ability for light to filter through.
- Soft touch finish: The outer casing is made of rubberized soft material. This makes it pleasing to the touch and gives it a feel of quality while handling.
- Durable lens: The optical lens is housed by thermoplastic materials that are impact resistant.
- Dimensions: 7.45 by 2.5 by 4.25 inches (L x W x H)
Night Owl Optics 5 Power noxm50 Night Vision Monocular Pros
- The fact that it accommodates for a lithium ion battery means that battery life lasts much longer than the average night vision monocular. Most other monoculars which take AA batteries will only last for three or four hours with the infrared light turned on. In contrast, the Night Owl noxm50’s battery lasts for up to a hundred hours with the infrared light turned on. If you are out and about without a reliable source of electricity for hours, the lithium-ion battery feature can come in very handy.
- With the Night Owl, light amplification is not compromised by the high magnification of 5x. This means that you get the best of both worlds with this new generation monocular. Not only can you see things from a far distance, you get enough light filtering through the lens and even in very dim conditions, you can see things from far away using the infrared light.
- Despite the high magnification, this device weighs only 14 ounces. This is only about half the weight of a regular higher-end night vision monocular, and also slightly less than a lower-end one.
Night Owl Optics 5 Power noxm50 Night Vision Monocular Cons
- Since the Night Owl noxm50 is not a digital night vision monocular, it cannot be used or even turned on during the daytime. If you do turn it on in daytime, it will not function properly. This is true of any analog night vision monocular.
- There is a bit of distortion around the edges when in an area that is very dark.
- You can see the infrared light from a distance. this means that you cannot be completely inconspicuous.
- You will often needs to refocus the lens when you are changing distances.
The Verdict
The Night Owl noxm50 monocular is a very affordable option compared to similar night vision monoculars on the market. For example, the Firefield 5×50 Nightfall 2 is similar in features and design but it is almost twice as expensive. Granted, the Firefield’s distance of vision is 300 feet as opposed to the Night Owl’s 200 feet. But the night owl’s battery lasts a lot longer than the Firefield’s because it uses a lithium ion battery.
If you are not too concerned about seeing at a distance of 300 feet, our vote is for the Night Owl as an inexpesive alternative.
It is important to realize that the Night Owl Optics 5 noxm50 is an analog night vision monocular as opposed to being digital, such as with the Bushnell Equinox Z. With the Bushnell Equinox Z, you can capture photos and even video using an external video line output. And while the Night Owl cannot be used in the daytime without harming the equipment, the Bushnell Equinox Z was made to be used in the daytime as well as at night. Being a digital night vision monocular, the Bushnell Equinox Z costs around $50 more than the Night Owl Optics 5. For a model that is similar in magnification level and lens size.