Hunting and wildlife observation is like the start of the classic recipe for rabbit stew – first catch your rabbit or, at least, find it. The new Thermal Master T2 Max thermal scope makes that job a bit easier with its high resolution system. Let's take a look.
Hunting, whether with a gun or camera, is a highly skilled affair – and one that's equally important if you want to avoid animals as well as find them. It isn't just a matter of wandering into the bush and hoping you stumble across (or avoid stumbling across) something with fur or feathers. It requires understanding the lay of the land as well as a knowledge of game trails, animal habits, food and water sources, and animal tracks and signs.
Even then, wildlife have an aggravating talent for camouflage and concealment to the point where you can be unnervingly close to even a large animal and not even be aware of it. This is especially the case when looking for nocturnal animals at dusk or at night. Then you might need a bit of technological help.
An example of this help is the Thermal Master T2 Max. It's essentially a thermal camera that picks up heat images, though it's of a rather specialized variety. Where most thermal cameras are tuned to show off narrow gradations of temperatures across a wide range, the T2 Max focuses on those frequencies most likely to be given off by a warm-blooded creature like a bird or mammal. This way, the subject stands out much more clearly against the cooler background.
It's a fairly simple device out of the box, consisting of the small camera mounted inside a plastic case, which is attached to a handle containing a removable rechargeable 5,000-mAh battery that can run the T2 Max for up to 18 hours. Along with it comes an extension USB-C cord, protective camera case for when not in use, tools, an envelope of spares, and a hard case to hold the lot.
In addition, the company also sent along for review one of its Titan Pad interface units that looks rather like a smart phone and is capable of connecting to Wi-Fi networks, though the camera is also supposed to be able to work with a regular Android 9.0 smartphone using a proprietary app. There's also a Quick Start guide, though it's a bit minimal so assembling the T2 Max and figuring out the buttons and interfaces takes some experimentation and deductive reasoning.
In terms of construction, the T2 Max is sturdy and balances well when assembled. It also feels like it could be dropped easily, so there's a loop for installing a wrist strap or lanyard, which I would recommend taking advantage of. There are also tripod mounts on both the handle and the camera proper. The camera itself, which is quite small, can be removed completely to be installed in a helmet mount or some other mounting. However, the makers warn against exposing it to vibrations and damp.
The monocular camera has an adjustable focus and has a 15x digital zoom capability, which I've never found very useful compared to an optical zoom on standard cameras. Inside, there's a 256 x192-pixel resolution 12μm high performance detector thanks to the FPGA+ASIC dual-image processor. This supports the X³ Super Algorithm, Razor X, and Insight+. It has an advertised range of 1,640 yards (1,500 m), though I was able to see the heat signature of a cement works across a bay at a distance of about three miles (4.8 km). Using the interface, it can record both still images and videos at a rate of 50 Hz.
One interesting feature is the incorporation of Picatinny rails on the T2 Max. There are two on the case for attaching an optional range finder, a torch, or other accessories. There's also a third rail that's used to attach the camera to the handle and can be used to mount the camera and interface device on a rifle, crossbow, compound bow, or anything with a compatible rail.
The downside is dealing with the mount. Though a hex wrench is included to help with tightening or loosening the mounting screws, an electric precision screwdriver is more practical. It's also very hard to install because the mount is a bit finicky and the tiny nuts for holding in the retaining screws are very easy to lose. At least it explains the little envelope of spares that came in the kit. I tried installing the camera on a rifle, but one really needs to have the rifle or other recipient in a vise to keep it properly steady for the job.
Field testing the T2 Max was a frustrating exercise, though this didn't have anything to do with the device. It's the dead of winter where I am and unseasonably cold, so all the game has gone to ground. That meant a lot of chilly evenings stomping about in woods and fields that normally should have had plenty of deer, elk, raccoons, rabbits, owls, coyotes, and heaven knows what else running about. Instead, the scope brought up loads of blue/gray nothing.
To add insult to injury, just before I sat down to write this I stumbled across a family of deer standing in an open lawn as if they knew I didn't have the camera with me.
Finally, I managed to get the cooperation of a corgi and went to a seaside park where the wily Homo Sapiens like to recreate even on a freezing winter night. The corgi gave insights into the T2 Max's limitations by showing that a thick coat of winter fur confined the heat signature to the dog's face and closely-clipped belly. Meanwhile, watching the walkers in the park confirmed that people really should wear woolen trousers in the winter because their legs and backsides were so bright red as to be downright comical.
On a more practical note, the T2 Max took very good high-resolution images that showed a great deal of detail. Even if a proper heat signature was absent, details like clothing folds and the fall of fur were very evident. Of course, this depended on distance, with farther objects showing much less detail.
With luck I also found a flock of ducks sitting on the shores of a lagoon at low tide. The T2 Max was very good at picking them out when to the naked eye they were quite invisible. And by switching the color palette between white-hot, black-hot, red-hot, iron red and night-vision green it was possible to select the scheme best suited for detection and then switch to one better suited for observation.
Since this is a scope designed for hunters, the image interface includes eight tactical reticle modes with five colors for aiming a rifle, bow, crossbow, or other device. None were used for this purpose for this review, however, there is also a laser pointer built into the handle that makes picking out a spot to observe much easier in very bad light conditions.
Though made for hunters and wildlife observers, the makers point out that the T2 Max is also suited for search and rescue, security work, hidden camera detection, and can even be mounted on a vehicle for off-roading.
Available in a variety of configurations, the T2 Max is available for US$399, which is $100 off the regular price.
Product page: Thermal Master
