SIONYX Aurora Black Night Vision Camera (C011600)

Works like I was told. I have used it on a scope or as a spotting scope at night.

It's great, on a night with even a little bit of moonlight i can see perfectly out to probably 300yrds. I do wish however that it was easier to find accessories, i.e. a belt pouch. Also, 1 Feature that would make it just the best thing ever: A reticle or dot function (even if it doesn't work that well, why not turn it into a scope) 2

Excellent product. Works well. Really useful in neighborhood with lots of IR surveillance equipment (Ring etc.) on other houses near by. Its like day time out there without any advertising. Would like to see the AC dongle included instead of just the cord. Would make it more out of the box useful with the illuminator kit as well. Minor suggestion for an excellent system.

I am not experienced with nvg or thermal optics so I cannot compare this to other products. I can say that on its own the Aurora Black meets my expectation based on product description and I am happy with my purchase. I am still learning its capabilities and uses. I am looking for affordable helmit mounts and trying to use it with weapon optics and laser sights. I mostly bought it to look for predators at night.

We got an Aurora Black a little over a year ago and was very pleased with the performance especially at near dark late in the afternoon. We can see deer in the field behind our house at 200 yards and see them at 100+ yards with the IR security flood light all night.

Unbelievable, the ads don't do it justice. There are a few aftermarket companies that specialize in different add-ons to make it fit your specific needs to make it your own. Customer service and support is quick and friendly, the user manual is in the chat icon on the website and now my neighbors are wondering why im taking the dogs on so many night walks.

So I got the Aurora black and it seems durable. When I first got it I wasnt too impressed with the night vision quality at first for I have this mounted on my ar 15 for the pourpus of coyote hunting. But after spending 30 bucks on a cheap IR illuminator I can see clearly at 100 yards no problem. Now I can see my target and re view my hunts. Just wish the camera mount was just a little shorter in height profile

I was very excited to receive delivery, but unfortunately my Aurora Black arrived during a waning crescent moon and a week of overcast so my first impression upon taking it outside after dark was not stellar. I'm an old Green Beret, and my last interaction with NVGs was back when the PVS-7 was brand new technology, so I realize what passive NV is, but I did expect somewhat better than what I found when I looked through the viewfinder that first night. But...hey...it was REALLY dark out. So a few days later I brought it out during the twilight hour. I was much happier, and my enthusiasm about having made the expenditure returned. I'm still waiting for the moon to grow and the clouds to disperse so I can give it a good night-time test, but the late twilight was probably a good approximation. One of the main reasons I purchased NV (aside from the fact that it's just a really cool toy) is that I live on a horse farm, and we sometimes have to find a horse (or something else) in the middle of the night in the middle of several hundred acres. Obviously, that's a whole lot easier if you can see long distances in the dark, and in the last light of the dayI was able to see well enough out to about 300 meters. Again, have to see how effective it will be under, say, a 1/4 moon, but I suspect I will also be purchasing a good long-range IR illuminator to supplement my Aurora. Beyond that, I was a little frustrated by the fact that you can only change the view between B&W, color, and green while you're in WiFi mode connected to your phone. It seems to me that this would be a switch you would build into the device itself, but I suppose if most people just pick the one they like best they won't be changing it very often...and not to mention that it's actually a lot easier to see the image on a phone screen than through the viewfinder anyway. But what happens if you're not near a wifi source...? I haven't yet tried to see if the Aurora will connect to my phone if I'm also using the phone as a personal hotspot...have to wait until the moon comes up... Ergonomically, I'm also a bit frustrated by the adjustment/scroll buttons; I'm a big guy, so maybe my fingers are larger than optimal for Aurora manipulation, but I never seem to stop fumbling to find the right one in the dark. I think giving the buttons a more positive tactile feel (maybe just make them a little bit taller?) would help immensely. I also found the Day/Twilight/Night adjustment ring to be oddly difficult to find in the dark, as well. Again, I think giving the fingerhold a little extra height would go a long way to addressing that. I also wish it came with lens covers - I can probably find something to fit the objective lens, but the finding something to protect the square viewfinder screen will be significantly harder. Would also have been nice if it came with a neck strap, or a wrist loop, or a carrying case... It does come with a picatinny mount; I haven't tried it on a rifle yet but I'm looking forward to finding out how well it interacts with a red-dot sight. So I've concentrated to this point on shortcomings, but I am happy with plenty of things about the Aurora Black, as well. I really like its small footprint and light weight. The clarity of the image, as well as its effective range, is truly surprising given the price point. I'd love to have a top-of-the-line thermal imaging device, but I'm not willing to pay ten or twenty times as much to get it. Honestly, for all the purposes I intend to use it, I think the Aurora is a very, very good value. I'm glad I bought it...as well as the pelican case and neck strap I ordered from Amazon...

The quality of Aurora Black's performance is excellent for its price point. What prevents me from giving a perfect score is two issues. One is that the battery has to be charged while inside the camera. It would be nice to have an external battery charger to charge the second battery. Second, is the connection to the device is Micro-USB and most mobile devices are moving to USB-C so it would have been nice to use the same connection that use for all my current mobile device and not have to worry about the orientation of the connector since USB-C is reversible. While I admit the second issue is a bit trivial, but taken together with external battery charger item. I can only give it 4 stars, because as I said its performance is excellent.

You pay $700 for something, you should at least get the neck strap & microfiber bag included. Instead, you have to pay for the $800 camera to get those basics. Also, not even a quick-start guide is included but the CYA notice in 24 (yes: twenty four) languages is printed & in the box. It kinda makes me wonder: if the budget is evidently so tight that these small items are purposely excluded & they want to cover themselves in 24 languages, where else were corners cut?