Side by Side Comparison of: SOLOMARK vs Firefield

I live in a rural area and enjoy watching wildlife activity. This is a really functional and useful night vision monocular, it's primarily for night use. At night, there's an 'infra red illuminator' button to press when viewing in total darkness. That suits me fine as there's no lighting around for miles, so nighttime is truly dark! I really can't fault this bit of kit. It's got more than I'd ever thought about, never mind wished for and it feels as if it'll last for years. I'm delighted with it and looking forward to taking some night images.

Really like this thing. It exceeds my expectations. Lots of fun. If you think you are getting military grade you're not (it's close) you'll need to spend a lot more money but for the price this is great.

I purchased these for my husband for Christmas. I did some research and after watching some videos I picked these. They are real nice I've used them a few times my self.

I bought this for my father. Let's just say, I'm now his favorite child. The last 10 text messages from him have been images from Solomark's Night Vision Monocular. Apparently, my dad's crawling around his house at night capturing clear images of household furniture. My mom said she has to give him a time limit or he'll be awake until 2 a.m. taking pictures of "things we OWN and see every day." Needless to say, this is a great product for the price. My dad's not going on any major hunting trips, nor is he using it for any top-secret CIA business. But for taking rather clear pictures of indoor furniture at night, it's a dream come true. I'd imagine his outdoor photography will increase as the weather gets better. I'm just trying to prepare myself for late night texts in the summer where my dad swears he sees a raccoon, and thanks to Solomark's NVM, he'll quickly discover it's a flower pot.

These are so Awesome! You can really see everything in a completely dark room.

This is an outstanding piece of equipment I couldn't be happier for a bargain priced night scope it satisfies all my requirements thank you!

These work great. Be careful though, I had these stolen from me by a roommate. Keep them stealthy!

Works fine for my purpose and the price is right for my budget.

Pretty nice for the price , would like to try some higher end sometime before paying the big bucks, but these you can see in total darkness, happy with purchase

Works great

Excellent value for the money - works as advertised!

I purchased these NVGs to use while camping/hunting and feel they fit my needs very well. They good quality and come with a head harness mount that works well and is comfortable to wear for 20+ minutes while walking a trail into where I wanted to be. Unless you are willing to spend the money for a Gen II device, you can’t beat the quality and price for this consumer unit. I’ve been looking and researching for a while then settled on this one recently. I’m happy that I did. I’ve used military NVGs, borrowed some more expensive Gen I units. For the money, this appears the best option. Since this appears to be the first review of this unit on Amazon I'll give a little more detail and thoughts on their use.This is a two tube model so each eye’s diopter settings are individually set. That’s important for me because I wear glasses. I put my glasses away and set this unit to my vision then used the focus dial for the right distance. It’s easy to adjust the diopter settings so it’s not a problem to had the NVGs to my kids and let them adjust and use them. In fact, I left the included neck strap on the NVGs when mounting into the headgear and would just hand them off and let them hang on their neck versus trying to fiddle with the harness then adjust it back again for my use.I was very satisfied with the image quality both with and without the IR. From one position I could see high voltage power lines that I estimate were about 300ft away. I could focus and easily see each of the two wires hanging from the 6 points on the tower. When walking with these on the head, I found that I could easily focus on the ground directly in front of me then look up to a medium distance to get my bearings. I couldn’t focus on a compass in my hand but I didn’t expect to be able to either. The minimum focus distance on this unit was about 3 feet (specs say 1M). Navigation was easy enough by focusing on to a distance, dead reckoning on landmarks further away, and then refocusing back. In a blind with the IR on, be careful of objects close-in since they will illuminate very brightly making it impossible to see beyond them. In other words, if you’ve never used NVGs with IR, don’t expect to use IR illumination from a concealed position unless you have a specific clear line of sight or have supplemental IR illumination of your target/area – like IR flashlights, IR laser, etc.Pros: Much better quality construction and image than I was expecting. The battery type (123A) is lithium and has a ~10+ year shelf life. When you read the con below, this is a counterpoint so long as you plan ahead. Dual tube for better depth perception than a single tube. 3 year warranty. Lens caps flip and lock - nothing to get lost falling from the pocket.Cons: Battery – uses the 123A type. I didn’t find them at Walmart but did find them at Best Buy. (I didn't have time to wait for Amazon shipping) I mention it as a con since it’s not your standard battery that you have lying around the house so order a few extra and keep them in the bag. The head gear is not easily adjustable for multiple users. Its set before use so if you are trading off between users, it’s not easily adjustable on the fly. It’s not an issue for me but my kids who wanted to also wear the unit found it unfortunate. I know that Velcro would be an option but I prefer the quiet and solid setup that comes with the unit over something that could be adjusted during wear.In all, the pros far outweigh the cons. Since someone will likely ask, the label inside show the unit being made in Belarus. I’m good with that and appreciate that they are being sold and backed by a TX company with a 3 year warranty. I’ve contacted them with an inquiry and am very satisfied with their support to date. If I rolled over these with my jeep on accident, I’d buy this exact unit again from Firefield.

Performs well and does what it says. It is good to get to know all the buttons before you take it out at night so you can easily make adjustments. I am happy with my unit! Good unit for the money. The strap broke the first time I used it, otherwise so far so good.

I bought this item as a gift and the receipent was very pleased.

Ok I've never had real military night vision but I'm guessing it's not like this. Essentially it's a small tv and a small home security camera. Your looking at the image through one eye as it uses either normal or infrared and it uses a infrared led that illuminates the subject for the camera. It really does work. It takes photos and videos and can store on your own sd card. It feels fairly well built. Now first the cons... It lags from real time, not by much, say a cheap digital camera. But worst yet is its not 1x magnification.. So trying to walk is harder because it appears closer than you are somewhere between 1x and 2x I'd say. All in all its fairly inexpensive, decent build quality, allows you to see in complete dark.. A fun gadget to have

ORDERED = 10/25/2016 || SELLER = Solomark Optics || PAID = $150.99(Beware of Seller changes! That's when you may get burned!):: PROS ::1.) Does a good job for the money, feels fairly solid overall. - The budget was not flexible enough for Gen 3 load-outs.2.) It has been in use for a week, so far so good. It gets installed/removed daily into a vehicle steady-mount.3.) GEN 1 Unit - has lot of sensitivity if used right. (Foreground objects disrupt background sensitivity if illuminated.)4.) Illuminator works out to 100 meters no problem - My video shows that.5.) Works great with rechargeable AA's - Few hours of video easily. (Keeps the operation costs very low & battery storage simple.):: CONS ::1.) Camera mode is not very useful - it's OK, but you won't use it much.2.) The 1GB Micro SD it comes with is TERRIBLE - Only 12Mbps on my 100Mbps USB 3.0 Hub?3.) Had to buy SanDisk Ultra 32GB microSDHC UHS-I Card with Adapter, Grey/Red, Standard Packaging (SDSQUNC-032G-GN6MA) = Almost 10x faster then the 1GB provided...using on a true USB 3.0 HUB.4.) Sensor CAP is not secured to unit very well - EASY to loose the cap & that would be BAD!OVERALL :: Despite all the CONS - it is for sure worth the $150.00 we paid.MY 2 TACTICAL OPTIONS FOR 300+ METERS...(This unit will pickup the light, but the magnification will max out at that range either way.)ON A BUDGET >> Evolva Future Technology T20 IR 38mm Lens Infrared Light Night Vision Flashlight Torch (Torch+Battery+Charger+Pressure Switch+Scope Mount)NEED MAXIMUM ILLUMINATION >> Evolva Future Technology Lens Infrared Flashlight IR T67 67mm Night Vision Torch Light - Infrared Light is Invisible to Human Eyes (Torch+Battery+Charger+Pressure Switch) <<< This is what I use for FLOOD & SPOT options...works great with this unit!FOR OUR TESTING = Purchased ilauke IR Lamp 850nm Zoomable 5W Infrared Flashlight Night Vision Hunting Torch to gauge the units SENSITIVITY, not extending illumination range.

The product does everything that it states. I do wish it had a larger Zoom ratio. Would buy again. No regrets. Shipping was timely also

Works great. Clarity could be better. Haven't tried the sims card yet. We got it to look at the deer at night.

Real night vision head strap is tight

Does exactly what I expected. You can see in total darkness. Good view at a good price. If you want to see at night I would recommend these goggles to anyone. Do your research for what you want to accomplish.

I did lots of research to find a set of NODS to purchase. I settled on this set. I have to say that overall they work great! I tried them in a completely dark room and with the IR on, I could read the fine print on boxes. Outside, you rarely need the IR. I could not only see items in the shadows, but I could see items in the DISTANT shadows.Couple of issues- First, the first set I received didn't work. I returned them and got a second set, which didn't work. I knew that it was something weird. I had tried many different batteries, but it didn't work. Then, I tried installing the batteries BACKWARDS and it worked fine. I called the company and let them know that the battery labels on on backwards.-Next, the headset is not very comfortable, and if you have a larger head, may not fit.-The buttons are not the greatest. For the price, I would expect more, but they work with some getting used to.Note that "CR123A" batteries are being replaced with just "123" batteries. These work fine in the NODS, but don't worry if you can't find CR123A locally, everyone carries 123s.Overall, they work great and will get lots of use. I just wish they would handle a little of the smaller issues.Note- the IR lamp is noticeable from the front. If you are buying these for paintball or something, get a GEN 2.

Pretty happy with my purchase. For the money, I feel these are of good qualityand the head set is sturdy and holds well. The nightvision and infrared features are good and battery life is long. Overall I would say that this is a good product and have had no problems with the unit.

Pretty amazing! When it arrived (and after I FINALLY got a battery!), I took it out back at night where its very dark and with the NVGs I could see everything. Easily watched the dogs running around doing their business. Without this I could not see them. In front of the house, looked up the street and could see about 200 yards pretty well. Saw a woman walking to her car that I could not have seen without them. I gave them a 4 star because of the price and the battery. I had a HUGE contention with the mfr over the $1 battery (CR123A) that they do NOT include it. From my perspective I spend $500 on the nocs, they could have put a $1 battery in the package. So I called their tech support in Texas. Their 1st level support was a huge jerk, just to be honest. I escalated and the next guy was great. Bottom line: good NVGs but order batteries too.

A little hard to use - will be better with more use.

These work as advertised but the range is a bit week. The video eye piece is quite grainy as is the video. Perhaps I should have spend a bit more $ to see if there was a better one out there.

Decent.......... could be more responsive but for the price point it's ....ok

Not very good night photos or videos. Very grainy.

it's ok thats all I can say

This device did not impress me. Small viewfinder. Ability to see in total darkness limited. Have a night vision device Spent half the money on that works better.

I have a big ( size 8) head and the chin strap is far too short...kept in anyway cuz the vision is pretty cool, and I can't afford the real thing.

I really liked these but they didn't fit my giant head. They also didn't fit onto the mount on my tactical helmet.

they work the head set so small the chin strap has to be replaced by a longer one there no clear but do work for the price there ok

very poor quality hard to see as it claims.You get what you pay for. Good for party novelty.

returned

does not work as expected. marked off every 50 feet to see how the distance works at night. seems like you need a lot of moonlight for it to get past 50 feet. but it is only one with magnification that is available to ship to california.

It seemed like it would be a neat product to use to keep an eye on the park that is next to my house at night, when we get some loitering. The screen gave me headaches. it was too bright and somewhat blurry. not worth the cost for me. returned it.

This NV monocular's visibility is minimal unless you have total darkness. My first attempt to use one of these, so maybe my expectations were too high for a low end product.

I bought this item with my own money. This product suffers same fate as many others on amazon with the 5 star got this product for free review.the product is not terrible and does help you see in the dark. BIG TIP----only works to see things in video mode. The default mode is camera and the image / viewfinder image is very poor. Not acceptable quality. Not until you switch to video mode can you get better resolution.But I do not find this glitch acceptable. I return the product.I think this product would do better if it focused on one thing only instead of camera/ video/ night vision .That brings to another point if someone gets this product for free they should not be able to give it a star rating onAmazon. They can leave a review but no star rating . Maybe this would help decrease the fake reviews and maybe the company would work on making the product better.

I have four NV units by four different manufacturers. Three are Gen 1, the last is Gen 3P. These are well-built, lighter, more efficient, and have more clarity than the other Gen 1 units I have, but only up close. Inside the house, the view is amazing for this price. But outside is another story. Tonight (actually 10 minutes ago) I went out to walk the property, carrying a separate IR handheld flashlight. DISMAL performance. Dim picture, haze, and lots of sparkly flashes in both tubes. I could write a volume here, but I kid you not, when I lifted them off of my eyes, the so-so moonlight through the overcast was brighter than what I was straining to see through this unit. I took them off (my head was killing me in less than 6 minutes, by the way. The head mount is a torture device) and came inside and logged on to see how much longer I had to return them. I can't see a practical use for them in the least, unless checking out my bedroom at night during a power outage would be considered practical.

I have an other pair from another manufacture for the same price and these suck! DONT BUY THEM!

We found the buttons incredibly frustrating to use. The do not reliably work. We spent more time pressing buttons to get it turn on and off than we did using the googles and ended up returning them.

You see more with your naked eye than with this device. I purchased to use it as a night view support for my boat ay night, and I could see more without it. I returned the device. It's less than a toy!

Purchased this for my husbands birthday in July, and it's already stopped working four months later

Defective - worked for two hours, then screen went blank-white.Would not turn-off unless took-out batteries. Returned.

This product is of very poor quality. When in infrared mode it was VERY grainy. You could not hardly see anything. My husband who is the Army stated is was if the poorest quality. It was really like a toy for a child at a whopping $142.00DONT DO IT!!

It was missing parts when I received it.

It did not work at all, not to mention the price. It was like they sent me a reject.

For what I paid for these they only lasted a year and a half with minimal use. Now they don't even turn on. 2 different types of batteries just to make sure that wasn't the issue. Very unhappy about that. I hope someone from this company makes this right.

Not worth it save your money returned it back the day after I got it expected more

Junk like a kids toy a total waste of hard earned money, you'll have to spend a lot more to get what your expecting from this piece of crap

Wish I had my $400 back. Expensive mistake. Going into the trash. Useless. Night vision lights everything the same- trees, ground, fence, cat, dog, etc. Can't even see the cat or dog from 30 feet because the surroundings are as visible as the animal. Night vision is supposed to pick up heat, this picks up everything. Useless junk. Amazon has a lot of nice things but this is not one of them. Feel cheated.

I will be completely honest. I am not a competitor or someone just trying to bash the product. I purchased for hunting use and thought they would be decent with all of the 5 star reviews. There were very very disappointing. While they are on the cheaper end of night vision googles, they are not worth the $500. They are very cheaply made. Feel very flimsy and are just not worth it. The quality of the image/optics is poor. Night vision function works but not well enough to be at all practical. As another reviewer mentioned, they feel more like a toy than anything.

pure junk