WHAT HAPPENS?

EVERYTHING YOU SEE THROUGH THE PVS-14 GETS MAGNIFIED BY A FACTOR OF THREE, TO INCLUDE THE AIMPOINT DOT.

ON THE DOWNSIDE:

1. YOUR APPARENT RESOLUTION GETS CUT BY A FACTOR OF THREE.

2. YOUR FIELD OF VIEW GETS CUT BY A FACTOR OF THREE.

I LIKE THE 3X FOR HAND-HELD USE WITH THE PVS-14. I DO NOT LIKE THE 3X ON THE PVS-14 BEHIND THE AIMPOINT.

WES

THE LENS IS FINE. INDEED, IT'S GREAT.

LET'S SAY THE PVS-14 HAS A RESOLUTION OF 64 LINE PAIR PER MILLIMETER, AKA 64 LP/MM.

MAGNIFY THAT IMAGE 3X AND YOU ARE LOOKING AT 64 LP/MM DIVIDED BY THREE IN TERMS OF RESOLUTION. CALL IT 21.3 LP/MM.

IN OTHER WORDS, THE PICTURE IS A LITTLE COARSE.

ADD TO THAT YOUR FIELD OF VIEW IS CUT FROM 40 DEGREES TO ONLY 13.3 DEGREES. SOUNDS LIKE A THIRD, RIGHT? A THIRD IN DEGREES BUT NOT IN REAL FIELD OF VIEW IN TERMS OF TOTAL AREA.

THE PICTURE YOU SEE AT 3X IS ONLY 11% AS LARGE A FIELD OF VIEW AS SEEN AT 1X.

ADD TO ALL OF THIS THE LIGHT ABSORPTION OF YOUR UNIT POWER AIMING DEVICE (EOTECH OR AIMPOINT). SEE WHY IT'S ONLY GOOD FOR HAND-HELD USE?

WES

YOUR PERSPECTIVE IS AS ALWAYS APPRECIATED, CLINT.

AFTER THINKING IT THROUGH FURTHER, I WAS FLAT WRONG, TOO, ON THE "APPARENT" RESOLUTION.

I ATTRIBUTED THE HIGHER "GRAININESS" OF THE 3X VIEW TO A REDUCTION IN THE RESOLUTION. BUT, AS YOU STATE, THE RESOLUTION WOULD BE UNAFFECTED BY THE LENS ON FRONT.

I SUPPOSE THE DEGRADATION IN PICTURE QUALITY WAS SIMPLY DUE TO LIGHT BEING ABSORBED BY THE 3X OPTIC. ADDING THE AIMPOINT IN FRONT JUST BLOCKED MORE LIGHT.

WES