If anyone bothered to read the words I wrote ... you would know better ...
I had 4 neighbors ... not nv/thermal users ... just 4 neighbors ... look thru both apex xd50a, 2x, 50mm, 384(50) and zeus, 3x, 75mm, 640(30) ... none of them had any idea what a "zeus" or a "pulsar" might be. ALL of them said the Pulsar had the clearest image, their words are mentioned in more detail in the "practicing" thread.
I said they were about the same ... I said the Zeus had an advantage at longer distances.
The Apex nucs often in the first five minutes, the Zeus does not. This gives the Apex an advantage.
The Zeus doesn't focus as well on close up objects ... the 4 testers were all looking at objects (including some rats) all within 100yds.
The default brightness and contrast settings also favor the Apex, at short distances, IMHO.
After looking through the Apex xd50a 2x 384(50), the Zeus 3x 75mm, 640(30) and the IRD Mk2 640(60) ... I would rank the mk2 as #1 on image detail ... able to see through some woods on my land and into the next pasture out to 800yds ... something no other unit I've ever looked through can do ... all the other units can't see thru those woods on the other side of my alfalfa patch.
I think the Zeus beats the xd50a beyond 300yds ... but I think the xd50a beats the zeus inside 300yds ... net/net ... they are about the same to my eyes ... not my neighbors eyes ... they all picked the xd50a hands down ... but to my eyes about the same ... BUT the xd50a has a usable reticle ... with hashmarks ... due to having 4 moa and 3.4 moa reticles (hashmarks) and the PIP feature. The Zeus 75mm, 640 had none such.
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BTW, I let neighbors look thru IRD Mk2 and compare to xd50a ... in the first few mins they picked the xd50a (again those rapid initial nucs) ... but after I nuced the ird mk2 4 times ... they liked the mk2 better.
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Anyway, Frank has made it clear that my experience is no longer valued here, so I will not push the issue further. But if Todd would engage, I at least wanted to set the record straight from my perspective.