Leica has made its prestigious entry into the world of thermals by offering two interesting products: the Leica Calonox View, intended for observation and the Leica Calonox Sight, the aiming clip-on.
We'll focus on the View model for observation. The Calonox View features a high-strength aluminum body, coated with a thick layer of high-grip rubber. The 42 mm lens, thanks to the ring, allows for precise manual focusing. The optical magnification is 2.5x. The digital zoom allows for up to 10x. The Vanadium Oxide (VOx) sensor has a resolution of 640x512 pixels.
The display is a high resolution HD OLED from 1.280 × 960 pixels. What makes the difference is the LIO image processing software - Leica Image Optimization - already present in Leica cameras and capable of providing a detailed and well-contrasted vision that maintains an optimal gray distribution. The German company has focused on quality and essentiality: this is demonstrated by the presence of only 3 buttons that allow you to navigate within a simple menu. In addition, the viewer allows you to capture excellent quality photos and videos that are stored on a 16 Gb internal memory accessible via the USB-C port and via the Leica Calonox View app. The internal rechargeable battery, with a duration of 5 hours, is fully recharged in just 90 minutes. Furthermore, it is possible to recharge and use it through any external power bank.
For the quality of the vision I let the photos and videos I make speak. Here are some observations resulting from use in different contexts, at different hours of the day and night with different weather situations.
The viewer is overall manageable and with an attractive design. The case is made of cordura, sufficiently protective, compact, and equipped with a pocket to hold the USB cable. The shoulder strap is supplied with the viewer, hooks into the loops of the viewer body and represents a very useful resource that allows you to always have the viewer available but never a hindrance in your hands. The body of the viewer is quite ergonomic, it has three keys on the top that are easily distinguishable to the touch for an intuitive, quick and fast management of the functions even in the dark.
The only "drawback" lies perhaps in the lid of the eyepiece, connected to the body of the viewer by a flexible tab that tends to keep it close: if on the one hand there is the (unfounded) feeling of having the visual field occupied, this detail saves the sensor unnecessary stresses.
As for the vision in the various light / dark circumstances we let the following images speak for themselves. As you can see at limited distances (under 100 meters) it allows you to appreciate very refined details. Up to 300-400 meters the vision allows you to add aspects of the animals which, combined with the knowledge of the species, allow you to easily classify sex / age classes. At considerable distances (well beyond the Km) it is possible to identify the presence of wild animals where optical instruments, even if of high profile, are not able to detect it with the same immediacy.
That night vision is optimal is pretty obvious. Particularly exciting was the use in the twilight hours when, with optical instruments it is very difficult to intercept animals, while the thermal viewer makes any wild game clear and clear. Another of the strengths of the Calonox is the ability to reproduce images stolen from the secrets of the wild in the form of photos and videos, with a sharpness and detail rendering comparable to daytime photography. The function is very intuitive, it is managed with a single button whose pressure (rapid or prolonged) activates the recording of images (photos and videos, respectively).
Producer: Leica Sport Optics
Model: Calonox View
Optical magnification: 2,5x
Max digital magnification: 4x
Sensor type: VOx 640 × 512
Pixel size: 12μmScreen size: 0,4 "
Objective diameter 42 mm
Display:LCOS
Photo-Video Resolution: 768 × 576 pixelsMemoria interna: 16 Gb
Cable connection:USB-CWireless connection: Wi-Fi (2,4 GHz)
Operating temperatures: from -10 ° C to +50 ° C
Weight: 685 gr
Length: 170 mm
Battery autonomy: about 4-5 hours
Price: 4.490 €
Manufacturer website: https://it.leica-camera.com/sport-optics/
Distributor: www.forestitalia.com / 045
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