When you’re viewing a target through a thermal scope, and you want to see it more clearly and up-close, there are two things you can do.

Close the gap, physically, or zoom in on the sight picture with the thermal optic. 

Most thermal scopes use digital zoom. A few, like the Nocpix RICO 3 PRO H50R, have true ocular zoom. In this case, it’s Nocpix’s Ocular Zoom 2.0. 

Here’s why it matters. 

What Is Digital Zoom?

Thermal scopes are electronic devices. When you look at the display and see the sight picture, what you’re actually seeing is something that’s been reconstructed electronically from the sensor. 

In other words, you’re not actually looking at the target, but at an electronically generated image of it. 

When you go to zoom in using digital zoom, what the device really does is take the picture and expand it. It doesn’t use lenses to magnify it. It basically takes a small subset of the image and stretches it. 

The problem is that you can’t just add pixels to the image off the cuff, so what happens when you zoom in too far is you get a much grainier picture as a result of the loss of visual clarity.

Digital zoom therefore is practical in some cases, but if you rely on it too heavily, especially at extended ranges, you’ll suffer a loss of quality in the sight picture.

A few thermal scopes, like the new Nocpix RICO 3 PRO H50R, use true ocular zoom.

What Is Ocular Zoom?

Whereas digital zoom uses software to expand the image and results in a loss of sight picture quality, true ocular zoom uses lenses to optically magnify the image. 

As a result, thermal optics that use true ocular zoom can preserve much of the clarity of the sight picture, at least within the ranges that ocular zoom is effective before digital zoom takes over. 

The Nocpix RICO 3 PRO H50R utilizes true ocular zoom that enables up to 2x magnification of the target picture, with minimal loss of clarity or quality overall. 

At close and intermediate ranges, this feature changes the game for night hunters as it will allow more precise shot placement when it matters most. 

The Takeaway? A Clearer, More Detailed Sight Picture

At the end of the day, the bottom line here is that true ocular zoom, such as that featured by this new Nocpix thermal scope, results in a better overall hunting experience by preserving the critical visual details of the sight picture. 

Learn More About the Nocpix RICO 3 PRO H50R at Dark Night Outdoors 

If you’re here to learn more about this new Nocpix thermal scope, visit Dark Night Outdoors. 

Not only does it leverage true ocular zoom, but this new thermal scope is also fast, easy to use and compatible with a remote control, and has a long-lasting battery, among many other value-added features.

For more information, visit Dark Night Outdoors or call them at 309-781-8421 and let them know what you need to know before buying. They’ll even make personalized recommendations to help you out.

For More Information About Iray Rh25 and Pulsar Thermal Please Visit: Dark Night Outdoors LLC.