The image is not nearly as sharp, battery life is less (a claimed 3 to 5 hours, but I found it to be closer to 2 hours in the night mode). You won’t be able to see as clearly as a multi-thousand-dollar NVD. The negatives I encountered are entirely due to the Equinox Z2 being what it is meant to be -an affordable night-observation optic- rather than a military-grade device. You can mount the Equinox Z2 on a tripod and have it stream to a monitor, allowing you to use it as a fixed observation point to watch parts of your property without being physically present or having to ho ld the device for long periods. ![]() This is more than a mere way to share cool green-tinted night-vision images with your friends on social media. The unit is capable of streaming and recording HD video and is Wi-Fi enabled to connect to other devices. The image can be either the green hue we all remember from the 1990s and early 2000s or the more current black-and-white, and switching between the two is easy. Still, in can be used and remain useful in near-total darkness. Like all NVDs, it needs some ambient light, but not a ton-you will absolutely be able to use it on a moonless or cloudy night, although its effectiveness and effective range will be diminished. It has an image intensifier and is fully digital, so a lack of ambient light will not cripple it. The controls are intuitive and easy to figure out, but I do recommend reading the online manual to ensure you know how to operate the many features of the optic. It can be used during the day or in a moderately illuminated area at night with the objective-lens cover on (there’s a pinhole in the cover to limit the amount of light entering the optic). I went down the middle with the 4.5x40, which offers a nice combination of portability and zoom for observation at ranges of up to 500 yards-more on that later. ![]() The Equinox Z2 is available in 3x30 mm, 4.5x40 mm or 6x50 mm variants. Bushnell’s newest night-vision monocular was intriguing and much more reasonably priced at $359.99, so I decided to check it out. That narrowed my options, so I looked at the more affordable products on the market. I’ve used such devices, like the PVS-14, on various nighttime hog hunts, and I know how good they are at turning night into day, but man oh man are they expensive. After recovering from the immense sticker shock, I realized I lack the financial resources to purchase military-grade night-vision, which starts at about $5,000. So, I went online and searched for various options. With all of the recent tumult, I thought it would be a good idea to have some sort of night-vision device handy lest I ne ed to defend my family, home or neighborhood when trouble usually shows itself, which is to say: at night.
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