Prices on the new DNT TNC335R and TNC635R speculations?

[Coinwa]

Thanks Advance… that explanation makes sense.

 

[Advance]

No problem. Digital optics can be a bit confusing when trying to imagine how they might work for you in a particular situation. The key thing to keep in mind is magnifications higher than the base mag are accomplished digitally. This means that the image being seen by the sensor will be cropped, then scaled to fit the eyepiece lcd. This degrades the quality/resolution of the image since a smaller portion of the image sensor is being used for the display. For the sake of discussion, let’s compare the tnc335r vs the tnc635r based simply on their specs. If you look at their specs, the digital night/day and display systems are the same, so the main difference is the thermal band. The 335r has a 384x288 sensor with a base mag of 2.5x while the 635r has a 640x512 sensor with a base mag of 1.5x. The 635r will have a wider field of view at its base mag compared To the 335r, but the perceived quality/resolution of its displayed image won’t be much different than the 335r at its base mag. Imaging looking at your TV, the 635r would be like seeing the entire screen while the 335r would be like seeing a cropped portion of the screen. The detail or density of pixels per unit area of the cropped portion is the same as the none cropped, you just cant see as much of the screen (field of view). The real downside of digital magnification is seen when we begin zooming the image from the 635r. When we zoom the 635r a single step to 2.25x we effectively reduce its sensor resolution to 426x341. If a 2.5x digital zoom setting was available on the 635r we would have a sensor resolution of 384x307, which would be fairly equivalent to the 335r at its 2.5x base mag. It can thus be concluded that the real gain from the more expensive offering lies in its wider field of view at its base magnification. To determine if this would be of great value to you, it depends on what you wish to use the optic for. I would say if you are night hunting at distances of 20 yards and in, the added field of view from the 635r would be extremely beneficial, if not required. If you are mainly taking shots at critters beyond 50 yards, the benefit of the 635r‘s wider fov at its base mag begins to loose its value.