NOD Comparison *** now with SiOnyx Aurora, and 5 other models ***PIC HEAVY*

The test I was most excited to do, and always love to do, is the "near blackout" test. In my mind this shows what a night vision device is truly made of, as its purpose, after all, is to see in the DARK.

My shop had all lights turned off, inside and out. The only light was the outdoor light entering the 4 windows above and to the left of me, and the windows from our shop doors. Discerning anything within the shop with my naked eye was impossible. I am at the east end of our shop, along the south wall, with two semis parked to my right. So, what we are basically looking down is a 8’ x 120’ dark corridor. There is a black air compressor at the far end of the shop, which I thought was a good target to try and see. I did not test the PVS-4, and the Orion picture was basically nothing, so I did not include it. The results are about as expected, with one exception.

Armasight Sirius:
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SiOnyx Aurora. Note that it is no where near even the entry level gen 2. Tonnes of noise, very little is discernible. This is about as much as I could see with the Gen 1 Orion. This was quite disappointing:
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PVS-14:
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Last nights testing really showed the strengths and weaknesses of each unit, and greatly informs the “bang for buck” value in each one. I am hoping to do a no light open field test yet, likely in spring with no snow on the ground, as well as a bush walk test. I think that will give me a much greater understanding of the practical value of each of these units, however with the 3 tests I’ve done so far (urban, semi open country, blackout), I can give a pretty good idea of what makes the most sense to use.

With that said, I think no matter where you are in your NOD experience, Gen 1 is a waste of your time and money, especially now that the Aurora SiOnyx is available. Navigating, identifying, and just plain old detecting aren’t really all that much better than without it.

The SiOnyx is a really interesting one, as there has been an absolutely crazy amount of excitement around having a “full colour NOD”. If you read reviews online, a lot of people are saying this thing easily beats gen 2, and even gives gen 3 a run for its money. I had high hopes for it, and it does work well. Using a small screen to navigate with is not quite as easy or nice as using the “toilet paper tube” of a traditional PVS-14, though. That may be experience/preference. However, to say that it even comes CLOSE to a gen 2 in terms of light amplification is patently false. I believe that my blackout shop conditions really showed this. At best, it is a “Gen 1.5”, as it is oh so slightly better than the Orion, maybe.

Light amplification is only part of the story, and is really the Aurora’s only “con”. This thing really has amazing resolution, I believe it is 720p if memory serves correctly. The ability to see in colour at night is truly game changing, as it helps with identification SO much. The price point is also great on these things. I got mine on sale for $600 USD, but even the regular price of ~$800 USD is incredibly affordable, as far as night vision goes. If you are new to night vision, rather than buying a Gen 1 or 2 unit to start with, I really would recommend an Aurora. Spend an extra $200 on a really good flood/spotlight illuminator, and I think you would have an excellent starter unit. It is useful for navigating, if need be, and the built-in camera and compass are really nice.

It is really hard to beat a Gen 3 PVS-14. Mine would be your average spec’d unit. Most Gen 3 NODs will be very similar in terms of light amplification; they vary far more on resolution and the signal to noise ratio. If you want or need an excellent passive I2 NOD, you want a Gen 3. It absolutely smashes the SiOnyx, and even Gen 2 in that regard; there simply is no comparison.

In the end it comes down to what your purpose is. If you want a dedicated rifle scope, it is really hard to beat a Gen 2 or 3 dedicated scope, such as the PVS-4, or an Armasight Ares, or something of that nature. If you are wanting to navigate, or have a multipurpose unit, the SiOnyx Aurora or a Gen 3 PVS-14 are the only ones to consider, I think. Gen 2 just doesn’t offer enough of an advantage over the Aurora to justify the extra $1000+, so in my mind, the Gen 2 monoculars are becoming quickly obsolete.

I hope you have found this ridiculously long winded post to be informative and helpful. I will likely have another series of tests posted here by spring, with what are to me the most “practical” tests. Bush walking, and dark open country spotting. I’m really looking forward to how the SiOnyx works in those conditions.
 
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Have you tried the SiOnyx Aurora with an IR light? Just wondering if this is a requirement for no light ( just like a Gen 1 or 2)
 
CODFan said:
Have you tried the SiOnyx Aurora with an IR light? Just wondering if this is a requirement for no light ( just like a Gen 1 or 2)
Click to expand...

Yes, I have used it with an IR light, and while not "required", you really aren't going to get the best experience without one when it is truly dark. If you buy a SiOnyx, and want to use it in dark conditions regularly, spend some money and get a nice IR illuminator. It really works very well with one, as its good resolution is really allowed to shine.

That being said, it seems like on a well lit night, it performs very similarly to a Gen 2 in terms of light amplification, and would not need an illuminator.
 
ianfroese said:
Yes, I have used it with an IR light, and while not "required", you really aren't going to get the best experience without one when it is truly dark. If you buy a SiOnyx, and want to use it in dark conditions regularly, spend some money and get a nice IR illuminator. It really works very well with one, as its good resolution is really allowed to shine.

That being said, it seems like on a well lit night, it performs very similarly to a Gen 2 in terms of light amplification, and would not need an illuminator.
Click to expand...

Exactly the information I was looking for.

Thanks!
 
I've seen and read a few reviews on the SiOnyx and it seems that they will likely release a gen 2 that should only require a few tweaks:
- bigger or crisper image
- faster refresh rate

since those are more to do with supporting hardware than what makes the device work I hope it comes true.
 
Alright, we will try redoing post 40... I've used ImgBB as a host, so hopefully it will work now:

First off, we will start with the easy test:

Every night vision device looks good when used under ideal conditions. Last night was certainly as close to that as it can be with cloud cover. Looking into my shelter belt from approximately 50 yards away, it was interesting to note that even my Gen 1 Orion was reasonably capable. Note the differences in resolution between each generation and device, and the light gathering ability. I would say each device, Aurora included, shows accurately how bright the image in the eyepiece was, however all the units suffered resolution loss in my camera vs my eye, with the Aurora suffering the most.

Armasight Orion:


Armasight Sirius:


SiOnyx Aurora (note that even in the dark, there is some amount of colour shown! Resolution is SUBSTANTIALLY better to the eye):


PVS-4:


PVS-14:


FLIR Breach:
Picture to come
 
VancouverS4 said:
I've seen and read a few reviews on the SiOnyx and it seems that they will likely release a gen 2 that should only require a few tweaks:
- bigger or crisper image
- faster refresh rate

since those are more to do with supporting hardware than what makes the device work I hope it comes true.
Click to expand...

I would say the refresh rate is fine; however that is to my eyes. Faster I guess would be nice, but I would rather see them focus on a bigger image; as in, not looking at a little screen an inch away from my eye.

I would be interested to see if they could make it like a PVS-14, in that the screens image would go through an eyepiece to fill more of the users vision. I'm not sure how these things work, maybe that would introduce fisheye, which would be quite unfortunate.
 
Now debating going with the SiOnyx or waiting. I find these tech ologies rapidly advance and feel we'll likely see some big improvements in the next couple years. A combo NV and thermal would be awesome.
 
SiOnyx just won a military contract. Not for this unit but for there newer one if I recall correctly. It is very neat to see this and what all can they do to make it better.
 
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