Is This a Gamechanger for Wildlife Photography? | Lynx Pro LH19

[@michaelingledew]

Absolutely changes things. I just bought one as I photograph small woodland creatures. I’ve used it already to identify where mice/voles run. Setup my camera with a remote and already getting better images. Unlike trap photography I can watch until the subject is exactly where I want it and take the image. And works in the day too, it’s awesome.

[@EspenHelland]

Excellent! I take it with me all the time now

[@broodjebeeld]

Thanks for this very great review. You give real information, instead of boring unboxing which is totally useless. You show how it works and what the possibilities are. And the quality. Thanks a lot!

[@gordonmcintosh3159]

As usual, I really enjoy your enthusiasm. Unfortunately it is a bit out of my budget range, but maybe one day.

[@mm8276352]

I have an LH15, which is the same but a bit wider field of view and no manual focusing. And it also allowed me to spot logs of animals, some of which were hiding in plain sight in daylight in front of me, and I didn't spot them because of their natural camouflage. Where it often fails is in snow, as everything's white in the image, though red hot mode might help. And sometimes foliage in direct sunlight gets so warm it's hard to distinguish from animals in the shadow. Still, a very nice tool.

[@EspenHelland]

Yes, I’ve found it’s a bit trickier in the snow as well

[@Bernies-Naturfilm]

This is exactly the kind of device that all wildlife filmmakers and photographers have been waiting for. Seeing the game before it sees humans and having time to align the lens. Thank you for your very informative video and yes, such a thermal imaging camera it is a game changer in wildlife photography. It was worth it just for the photo of the weasel, otherwise you would never have noticed it, let alone photographed it. Best regards from Germany, Bernd

[@JPWaldron5]

Love the Steelers lanyard. The thermal scope would be a game changer for finding wildlife, having a hard time with the cost, who knows I might have in my hands someday.

[@EspenHelland]

Hehe, vikings - stealers game in London a few years back 😁

[@phootoz]

i’ve been trying to get one for a few weeks now, but since i’m in california there is such a fine line on what i can or can not have.

[@stephenelderphoto]

I have one of these and it is amazing in low light, but it also works in the summer when the bird/creature is in a shaded environment where the temperature difference between animal and environment is still different enough. One thing I was disappointed about was that I thought I would be able to use it to spot birds in my garden through the window. The system doesn’t work through glass - who knew! It also does not work if the bird is deep in cover so that it could not be seen by the naked eye. The creature’s body has to be at least partially visible as the device can’t detect heat behind obstacles. I still love it though, as long as you are aware of the limitations of the technology.

[@EspenHelland]

Yes exactly, it’s very important to learn the limitations and knowing when it’s useful.

[@StevePorter_au]

I discovered the same with the IR sensor on my Pluto trigger. I was using it in a Pelican case to build a camera trap and it wouldn’t work the the UV filter I had on the front.

[@edwardrussell5413]

I would also be interested in use for summer time, it can see it is a great tool and tempted.

[@EspenHelland]

Looking forward to testing fit during summer

[@edwardrussell5413]

@@EspenHelland `bought one- fantastic help in the field .

[@alancampbell22003]

great tool I use a night vision most night checking on foxes

[@cy9nvs]

Got the new 2.0 version today. Might have been because it was about 23°C today, but when using "red hot" all trees are white (warm) and birds in the trees are also white. Not sure if this is because of the sun and warm weather, or because the sky often was in the background, which is shown as black (cold), but for that it was pretty useless today. Don't think you can really spot owls very well with it, but I'll keep it just for deers and other mammals. It'll probably be more useful during the cold months.

[@TinyTargetsBigAdventures]

How does the thermal for you now?

[@cy9nvs]

@@TinyTargetsBigAdventures Haven't really used it since. I think it'll be useful when it gets colder, or at night.

[@TinyTargetsBigAdventures]

@@cy9nvs alright. Im trying to get one to spot squirrel daytime. Just want to know if it would work well. I don't know if the sun or temperature affect the detection of critter

[@johnmead8437]

@@TinyTargetsBigAdventures The temperature contrast is what is shown. Different palettes help and some have options of brightness etc that enhance contrast. Warm wet conditions can be difficult when animals don't show so well and much of the background ha little contrast. On cold nights after sunny days rocks show up well & can be confusing. A serious danger when overexcited fools with firearms think there might be deer etc around and don't identify their targets adequately. A partially concealed person or anything can be mis-identified, and it's possible for a person & wild animal target to be adjacent. Some critters can be approached closely in the dark & someone could see & shoot at a deer, and give the partially obscured creature nearby one for the road. Very easy to do.

[@keithholland4322]

I've been wanting something like that for a long time. Back when I was in college, one of my classmates was a volunteer firefighter and sometimes they would take the fire department's thermal imager outside and she said you could see every bird and every squirrel in the forest and I always thought that would be super useful, but back then, I think they cost $20,000 or something like that. It's good to see that the prices are coming down now.

[@EspenHelland]

Wow!! Yes a bit cheaper now 🙂

[@ireallylovegod]

9:40 Amazing shot , wow.

[@arunasstaponas5704]

Thank you so much for this wonderful review about this product. I was actually looking for a wildlife photographers perspective. This was in my mind before buying it and now since I’m waiting for it to come and i also saw your video, it’s clear some fun is coming soon! Thanks again for honest thoughts.

[@EspenHelland]

Thanks for that 🙂 glad you found it useful

[@jabbafatt]

The device seems interesting enough, but I couldn't help but to notice the Steelers lanyard. That makes it 2x better.

[@EspenHelland]

Haha, Vikings - Stealers in London a few years back 😁

[@StevePorter_au]

We recently got a SiOnyx Aurora night vision camera second hand and it's fantastic to play around with, to the point my wife told me to make sure I leave it where she can find it. It looks like the bottom of the range Lynx costs the same new as I paid for the SiOnyx. Very tempted. 😀

[@27penmar]

Great Vid Aspen, I’ve got one coming, can’t wait, I’ll be using it to find a very difficult to find tawny that I hear most nights and I think it’ll be invaluable to find its roosting hollow👍🏻

[@murphyorama]

Thanks for the video. I'd love to have this device.

[@Helen_von_Holten]

Great video!

[@marcinstolarek8222]

I'm curious how it works during the day in spring or summer, if it works at all. For example, to spot the birds hidden in the reeds.

[@keithholland4322]

These devices work by detecting the difference in temperature between an animal and its surroundings, so the greater the temperature difference, the better it's going to work.

[@rschellie]

For using during spring and summer when temp difference between ambient and subject is much less it would be nice to have AI help detect animals from the surroundings.

[@tntytube]

It's not needed to find birds during the day. Day or night, if the bird is well hidden, too small, too far, too dark, essentially if you cannot see it clearly with your naked eyes, there's no good photo to be taken there. Use binoculars/scopes if you like bird watching.

[@marcinstolarek8222]

@@tntytube thx, I know how to use binoculars/bird watching. I was just wondering if this device could help me, and how it performed over the summer. Reeds are just an example.

[@EspenHelland]

Looking forward to trying out when the time comes

[@CheikoSairin]

After watching the entire video, I can imagine that this thermal monocular is very helpful for finding wild animals that sometimes hide behind trees or bushes in the night or day. Great shared. Thanks. Big LIKE from Singapore.

[@EspenHelland]

Thanks a Cheiko 🙂 really helped me out a few times now

[@johnmead8437]

Needs some part of the target to be in direct sight. They don't see through obstructions. But do highlight parts of a critter that are difficult to see without visual aids or the skill to know what to look for.

[@samknight8695]

I've been really into the idea of picking up a thermal monocular for wildlife photography after doing a stalking weekend last year when they used thermals to scan for deer. Really great to see its actually very useful!

[@EspenHelland]

It’s superb to use for deer 👍

[@Psiho007]

Is it good for day observing too ?

[@EspenHelland]

Yes pretty good, but tricky if you get light filtering through the woods and you get patches of cooler and warmer areas

[@simoneardley]

Nice one Espen, what a cracking little device.Amazing whats under your nose that you cant see. Like you say its going to give you so many extra opportunities for shots that you normally wouldn't have got. The Woodcock was a perfect example, the amount of those that I've flushed over the years!!! They always sit really tight till youre nearly tripping over em. Good review Espen, catch ya soon 👌

[@EspenHelland]

Cheers Simon! A handy device i a lot of situations 👍

[@ForbesPhoto]

Fascinating. I wonder how it would do in the summer months when the contrast in temperature between the animals and vegetation is not so great. Thoughts?

[@EspenHelland]

I will find out when the time comes 👍 I suspect it’ll do fine in many situations, I think the leaves might pose a bigger problem and animals being hidden behind them.

[@davidvdbroeck_nature8305]

I use the Pulsar Axion XQ38. It has put me in front of our Belgian wolves several times already. Also dear, fox, woodcock and badger are easy to spot and find out if dens are being used. Also holes in trees where owls rest during the day are easier to find. I like the Pulsar brand because you can change batteries when they are empty or not charging good anymore.

[@EspenHelland]

Nice!

[@KGsPhotography]

Great video Espen. I was with someone yesterday and we were talking about that type of kit. Really could have done with it to spot the Short Eared Owl that was only 20m away and didn't know it was there until it flew...lol.... Thanks for sharing cheers Keith

[@EspenHelland]

😅 yeah can be incredible for ex a que those kind of situations. I often find myself scanning with the thermal mono before I scan with binoculars these days, at least for certain species.

[@stefanostefani4273]

Fantastic, I see that it is also used during the day, right? This is useful for finding animals that blend in well with the environment.

[@EspenHelland]

Absolutely, thanks effect for finding camouflaged animals during the day

[@timclark2305]

I've got the LH15... Ticks all the boxes

[@katharinemovertonphotographer]

Interesting Video if I had one it would be useful aid to spot animals I am a wheelchair user and struggle to get close to some animals without spooking them

[@bamsemh1]

Imagine it having a camera mount so it actually show what's in front of your lens. Don't have to communicate with the camera, but so you actually can find stuff right away with your camera. Especially at night. Then it would be a serious game changer 😊

[@EspenHelland]

I’d like that 😁

[@peterjackhandy]

To be honest, that's the only way these monoculars can be any use to a photographer. As it stands you have to drop it & grab your camera, hoping you can recognise exactly where the heat signature was - Not easy when using a 400/600mm lens.

[@Juni41]

Thank you so much Espen for this great video. Since then I bought one of their Owl monocular and I spotted so many wildlife I would never have spotted without it.. It's a shame that the technology is still very pricey even today but imo it's also an invaluable tool to spot wildlife before they spot you. The only weird thing I have noticed and am disapointed with mine is that looking up toward branches it doesn't work at all because the sky is immediatly considered "coldest" then every branches are "hot", so spotting high perched birds is almost impossible with this. Not that great to find owls then.. ^^' Earlier this morning I spotted several deers and manage to get some of my best mamal photos so far. Today I can't see me going outside without one of these devices. :)

[@EspenHelland]

Awesome to hear it! I love using it for so many things, I haven’t come across what you describe, but I know there are some limitations to it. Have you tried to look at the trees from more at an angle instead of straight up?

[@Juni41]

​@@EspenHelland Mine does work if I am looking with a straight or downward angle when ground is visible behind the tree branches. But no matter what I try it doesn't work if the sky is visible behind the branches, then every branches are show super hot with no chance to spot a bird on these. I wonder if mine is defective. :(

[@tudora5498]

It looks like a great tool for finding wildlife. I have thought about acquiring one for a while and even went to the local hunting shop to check it out. As I have suspected, after chatting with the shopkeeper, I was told that it works excellent in cold climates/in winter. However, during the warmer months it becomes close to useless for a photographer since the ambient temperature is closer to the temperature of the creatures one is trying to spot. This obviously refers to daytime, but as a photographer I do not find that much use for spotting animals in the dark when my camera cannot take an image. Therefore, I decided to save the money for some other tool that could help me on my wildlife photography journey. Just to be clear: I am not saying that it is not worth getting it for wildlife photography, I am saying that one should be aware of the limitations of the device and think about the use-cases for the environment one is planning to use it in.

[@EspenHelland]

Good point, so far it’s been brilliant, but I will keep trying it through the year and see if it’ll be helpful to me during the summer months as well. Suppose it depends a bit where you live in the world.

[@marklaurendet1861]

Would you mind testing this on small macro insects day and night. I do a lot of macro / close up work mainly at night, but some during the day. How close can it focus, or be usable? Sometimes I go to a pond to try and see Dragon Flies. I have to guess where they be as sometimes the shoreline is not accessable all the way around. If it can see small things that would make the job of finding them much easier. If this could help find insects it may be worth the cost. . Talking about macro, wonder when that new 90mm macro lens is coming out

[@EspenHelland]

Yes that’ll be an interesting test 👍 info on the macro coming very soon I think 😁

[@GeoffCooper]

That's a great tool Espen! I've always wanted something like this, but the last time I looked into it (after seeing the one Jeroen Kloppenburg uses), they cost well over £2k... This is a good deal less, so I imagine the technology is improving / getting a little cheaper and in a few more years I'll be able to justify getting one :)

[@EspenHelland]

A bit pricey for sure, but as you say some of them are coming down a bit in price. Great for helping to find certain species

[@gotophotoarchive9131]

This is so cool. If I buy one, I will be spending all night in the forest 😅. But 1099 is too much.

[@EspenHelland]

Nice 👍

[@SFarqu7712]

Spooky, I just bought a HikMicro last week for the very same reason.

[@EspenHelland]

Nice! Hope you’ve been getting a lot of use for it

[@SFarqu7712]

Just awaiting the right opportunity. Looking for some fresh snow in the Findhorn Valley.

[@marklaurendet1861]

If you have the funds this looks very good for wildlife spotting Maybe one day

[@tonigenes5816]

In the past years I very often thought about the idea of using thermal vision, but never dig into it. This tool costs some money, so I will think about it. But what about you, Espen ? Would you buy one for you ? Would make a big difference for your wildlife photography ? Would you often use it ?

[@EspenHelland]

It’s definitely not something you just buy on a whim. I find more and more uses for it. I think if you specialise in certain species that are difficult to find like owls and other very well camouflaged species it’s something worth buying.

[@tonigenes5816]

Thank you, Espen !

[@tntytube]

A few flaws: No cap for the eyepiece; Diopter adjuster is not locked and keep changing annoyingly; Li-ion battery dies quickly in cold weather; Design is cumbersome to put in and take out of pocket. I got the same model for a while now and find it useful for some occasions when I lost track of the owls in the dark. If it's not dark, my eyes w/wo with binoculars are better to find and track birds. Talking of photographing in the dark, the OM-1 is really great along with the ZD 150mm/2.0. This combo shoots in the dark like in daylight, just slow AF of the lens. The PanLeica 200mm/2.8 is longer but not bright enough so AF slows down a bit when it's dark. Hope someday they bring back the 250mm f/2.0 at half the weight with built-in 1.4x TC. Better yet a 100-250mm f/2.0 w built-in 1.4x TC at half the weight of the Canon 200-500mm f/4. They can do it :)

[@EspenHelland]

👍

[@peterjackson2632]

Terrific video! So nice to see a lover of wildlife and not a boofhead who buys a thermal to aid in killing things. Very refreshing and thank you.❤

[@chrismartin7594]

Was that one the £1000 plus?

[@EspenHelland]

I think around that price point yes

[@Rob.1340]

👍📷😎

[@robertvantzelfde3162]

Where is the old wildlife Photography without this equipment. Go Back to the basic!!!!