So I did a trade with another member here on the Hide for the Atlas 50mm. Received last week and have taken them on 2 hunts now.
First impression was they are much smaller and lighter than I was expecting so that was a pleasant surprise. They also function fine with eyeglasses.
First hunt temp was 78 degrees with 93% humidity.....then it rained for an hour. Was set up in a shooting house overlooking a 15 acre field with a feeder. Even with the rain and humidity the picture was very good. Even after the rain moved out I could easily pick out mice in the field. No piggies showed up. I noticed the white hot picture is smooth and very much like an old school black and white tv. Black hot had a better image in the open but with the rain and high grass of the crp field I was using white hot so any critter would show up quickly. Color pallete is kind of cool, but I am undecided if functional.....I guess if one were to nibble on the mushrooms off the cow patties it might be put to better use
. Edge detect works fine for those who like that function.
Last night was clear. We set up on a road 90 yards from a feeder with pretty thick woods on either side. Picture to the feeder was great, but due to vegetation and the 3.5x base mag I was having some difficulty seeing into the woods. A large group of hogs passed in the woods upwind 20 or so yards from us and I really had trouble tracking them so close. The bushes we were using for cover were making everything a blur. My hunting buddy had my Helion 50mm with the 2.5x mag and was having better luck, but they were close even for that unit.
Swapped to the Hunter 60 prior to the pigs exiting the woods at the feeder. The image better with the Hunter. I could see a noticeable difference going from unit to unit and looking at the same object, being the feeder. There were multiple hits and only one pig laying at the feeder so we had some tracking to do....or rather let the thermals find the bodies. They were in the woods 20-30 yards from the feeders. I could pick them up, but again the base mag along with leaves on the trees and brush made things a little blurry. For this reason I would not want to rely on the unit if my hunting was primarily stalking in any kind of wooded environment. I forgot all about the adjustable focus and wish I would have tried it to see if it would have made a difference.
After we loaded up we exited the woods next to a large cotton field where the closest tree line is 200 yards and furthest 600 yards. The image here was superb and very detailed. I did not check humidity, but temps were the upper 70s.
Overall I am pleased with the Atlas 50mm. I think it works best in open areas or in hunting conditions where one has a direct line of site to a feeder or other bait due to the 3.5x base mag. I probably will not use it in the woods or while driving and scanning with the buggy. It is very comfortable on the eyes. I like being able to see the image with both eyes and I did not have any fatigue after using for a couple hours straight. After 3.5 hours the first set of CR123s went dead. So my only complaint is the battery system.....yes you can run an Anker off the supplied cord but it just seems to add more weight and bulk.
Last thing, in comparison to the Halo 25 the image is not quite the same to me. The Atlas seems to have a more subdued look thru the eyepieces......best way I can describe it.
and can settle for a non-OLED display, the BAE core pulls out the win.
