Based purely on ultimate image quality, I’d put the UTC-X/Xii as an 10/10 in consumer-available thermal clip-ons. Sure, there’s some .MIL stuff that absolutely crushes the mighty UTC, and the Voodoo-M may yet dethrone the reigning king once they start popping up, but I view the UTC as the reference standard.
The TigIR-6M/Z+ scores an 8-9/10, depending upon where your target is. Beyond 100-yards, it’s a quarter-step behind the UTC — and I’m talking fractions of a percent here, as in there’s nothing you can do with a UTC you can’t also do with the Tig.
Once you move beyond purely object “image quality” — they’re two different cats altogether. Lions and Tigers kinda different. They’re both Apex predators, and they’re both Big Cats, but they have many notable differences.
As a whole, the Tigger has a number of WAY cool features that the UTC lacks entirely, some of which are game-changers. The flip side is that it needs to be manually collimated with every gun/scope combination you will want to use it with, and it has a fixed objective like the Reap/Hunter/Halo thermals. Some will automatically reject Tigger based solely on one or both of those issues.
To each their own.
That’s the trade-off for an otherwise spectacular clip-on in a compact package. The digital zoom is exceptionally well done. 10x Optical + 2x Digital on the Tig looks better than 20x optical on the UTC. Auto-NUC with the absolute-best/fastest/quietest internal mechanical shutter ever made in any thermal is a H.U.G.E. advantage. The front flip-cap on/off/hyper-fast manual NUC is the best execution of those features to date, by a long shot. Being able to use 2x 16650 rechargeables that will last 8+ hours is a massive boon — NO MORE CR123A’s or external battery packs and cables!!! Variable height ERA-TAC mounting plates, so no more silly, ugly scope/clipon offset, and a bunch of very useful menu options round out a stellar package.
