Well, I'm debating increasing my budget to get into a mark II but I'd like to hear more owner reviews first.  What are the pros and cons of this unit?  I've read what I can find out there and most seem really positive.  How big a deal is not having an auto NUC?  How often do you find yourself needing to NUC this unit?  One reviewer seemed like it was a big deal, but others do not.  Do you find yourself wishing it had more reticle options or color palettes?  


Do any other brands out there have a comparable/better unit for the price?  Armasight Zeus comparison?

I have a line on a used 35mm unit, but how would that compare to the 19mm unit should that deal fall through?

Thanks in advance.

I have the MK II 35mm...  I use it almost weekly... I also have a pulsar 19hd for scanning... The Image with the IRD is amazing.  Yes, I wish it had auto NUC, but I've heard the reasoning is that you don't want it auto NUCing as you are about to take a shot.  In the beginning it bothered me somewhat, but honestly, it hasn't been a problem.   When I first go out, I might have to NUC it several times, but once it reaches a good temp equilibrium, I really don't have to mess with it much.  I ran lithium batteries and would get a full nights hunt out of them.   Lately, I have been using the UNV USB power pack adapter and can go a full weekend.  It's a bit of a PITA, with all the extra cables and such, so I am thinking about just going back to battery.

My main complaint, and it is with all thermals... I would like it to be able to record video internally.  It's a hassle to deal with attaching a mini DVR.  I've had 2 go out on me and have pretty much given up on recording my shots.   I am sure that will be in the future  though

I like it so much, I am saving my pennies for a second one.  VERY good bang for the buck!

Color pallets work great for tricky situations teasing hot spots out but mostly I use back hot for increased targeting contrast on the contour of the hog/dog. The new FLIR color pallet Graded Fire also works primo for that too.

Some units have despicable reticules that cover the entire target blocking it out, a fine high contrast one MOA reticule is much more precise for accurate sniping instead of just blasting.

Manual and auto NUC both have their place and are not a deal breaker, they both work very well. Some auto NUC like the FLIR RS can be switched to do both if you prefer one over the other.

Thanks for the info!

Excellent, thanks.  I hadn't really thought about recording ability.  I have heard that the IRD line loses a lot of resolution when recording, but that may be true with most units, I don't know.

Great info, thanks.  Do you have personal experience with the Mark II?  What are your thoughts on it compared to other units in it's price range?

MKII is a great unit with good contrast and hardcore build, controls are a little funky for what I am used to, but overall an excellent investment and should last a long time. Many of my thermals are 6 years old now and they all still work great, never had any problems with any of them, buy once - cry once and forget about it.

My personal night hunting setup is to use a hand held thermal for detection, helmet mounted NV for locomotion, and thermal TWS for targeting. Sometimes I use helmet mounted FLIR M-24 for locomotion and detection, but only in places I am well familiar with.

I do not mess around with the thermal controls like many seem to prefer to do, I only turn on the TWS to shoot to kill and then turn it off, so try to keep it simple and sweet.

Oh, and won't leave the batteries in them if you are not using them....unless you want to buy a new one!

I had a the MKII35 and now have the MKIII/60. I have been using them since Fall of 2014 when they first came out.

Manual NUC is a non-issue. NUC it on boot and done. I prefer grayscale so do not want more pallets. Too manual useless reticles as it is, so no need for those either. I wish it did SD card record in the unit, I am sure a future unit will do that eventually. How big a lens you need depends upon how far you want to shoot.

I would say go on the used unit if its in good shape.
I don't have a ton of time on thermals like some of the guys here but from what I've seen the MkII is about as good as it gets for the price range.
I use mine for hogs and beaver and it provides the best picture while looking at water of all the units I've looked thru.

As far as automatic NUC, I'm happy with the unit as it is.  The view doesn't just get all crappy at once, it takes a while so you have plenty of opportunity to calibrate at your convenience.  I've shot plenty of pigs and beaver with a less than perfect picture with no problem.

I sold my 35mm MK2 to help fund my 60mm MK3 a few months ago. It didn't take long for it to sell in the EE , about a week it think. So if you decided you did not want it, it would probably sell quick. The 35mm has less FOV than the 19mm by the way.

That's what I was thinking and why I decided to up my budget.  I know I would always wish I had bought a better unit.

Thanks for the tip about batteries.

Awesome, thanks.  What are the major differences in the mkII and mkIII?

Just wanted to follow up here....

MkII arrived and I am highly impressed so far.  I played with it last night and this thing rocks!  Hopefully I'll have the opportunity to shoot some vermin with it this weekend.

Anyone know if it's rated for use on 458 socom?