Sionyx Opsin Pros & Cons
Pros
- Color display
- Heads up display
- GPS
- Native video
- Live streaming
Cons
- Fairly expensive
- Grainy in very dark settings
The Bottom Line
The Opsin offers a much wider array of features compared to analog and good color display too, though struggles in very dark settings.
Sionyx Opsin Specs & Features
Specs
Features
There’s a growing trend in the shooting community that echoes professionals in the same field — use of night vision.
Like suppressors, various military units and even SWAT teams are beginning to leverage the tactical advantage of seeing in the dark.
Thankfully, the prices of analog units are getting more reasonable, but this field is also getting some competition from the digital sector. Not relying on the anodes, photocathodes, or phosphor screens of old, the new technology from Sionyx is widening the capabilities of night vision.
We can agree more competition in this market ultimately benefits the consumer, but is the Opsin the right choice for you?
Sionyx sent us one, and we braved the things that go bump in the night to test it. So keep reading as we talking about its specs and features and test it out at the range!
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Why You Should Trust Us
Sean Curtis has been shooting since childhood but really began to delve into guns more during his law enforcement career of over two decades. He received continued training for his roles in SWAT and as a POST-certified handgun instructor.
He began writing in 2014 for Police1.com, covering many topics, including firearms reviews. From there, his works spread to Guns.com, American Survival Guide, Gun World Magazine, and the Glock Annual.
Sean wrote freelance reviews for Pew Pew Tactical since 2018, then came on board full-time in 2021, where he soon began focusing on videos.
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
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Source: Sionyx
Sionyx Background
As referenced in the introduction, night vision has followed a progression common to many other technologies. It has gotten smaller, lighter, more affordable, and better overall.
For example, I used an outdated Starlight scope from the Vietnam Era early in my law enforcement career. It weighed a ton, was the size of a small bazooka, and really didn’t work that well.
There have been noteworthy advancements in the field through different mediums such as thermal vision, and light amplification. Though digital night vision is a relatively new area and is something entirely different.
Specifically, the Opsin uses an XQE-1350 Black Silicon CMOS sensor, which still amplifies detectable light without many of the limitations found in analog units. Because it is digital, it opens up a whole world of features.
Who Is It For?
Anyone wanting to explore color night vision would do well to check out the Opsin.
While it isn’t cheap, the price is not the tens of thousands you’d expect to pay for some higher-end analog units.
Being digital, you get the benefit of many features not seen in analog night vision. Additionally, you can mount the Opsin to a helmet using standard hardware.
Fit & Feel
Opsin’s body is made from glass-reinforced polycarbonate and feels sturdy, yet only tips the scales at 10.6 ounces.
Mounted on a Hard Head Veterans ATE Light helmet, it felt well-balanced with the battery pack countering on the rear.
There are three buttons on the lower left side of the body that provide access to internal menus as well as quick access features like shifting framerates, digital zoom, and recording videos or capturing still-frame camera shots.
In the front, a radial on-off switch also controls brightness. Additionally, a lens cap offers protection on the objective, while a rubber cup offers some protection for the eyepiece.
How Well Does It Work?
The Opsin shines in a few categories, though the main one is the vibrant color display in low-light settings. When compared to the “everything is green” tint of traditional night vision, it is a refreshing change of pace.
In that same low-light scenario, the Opsin offers a pretty crisp picture, too. Refresh rates can be toggled to range between the quality of picture versus a slight smearing effect with quick head movements.
The range of features inherent in the Opsin also distinguishes it from analog units. Onboard video, photo, and microphone are very handy and dumped onto an SD card housed in the body.
Viewing through the Opsin, you’re treated to an informative heads-up display (HUD) that gives you info on recording, wifi, and even GPS location if you wish.
Digital zoom comes in three levels and works well in brighter settings. However, things change when the lights dim.
Our test was conducted in rural Texas, well away from any ambient lighting, during a waxing crescent moon offering only 5% illumination and clear skies. When we began, it was dusk, and the Opsin performed admirably.
As the evening wore on and light faded into the championship rounds, targeting became difficult at best. Image crispness faded, and pixelation became an issue as the unit struggled to gather less and less available light.
Pistol use was fairly easy once the red dot was dialed down from eye-splitting, sun brightness. I chalk this up largely to the ability to push it out in front of me further.
Rifle use was more challenging, even with a GBRS Group Lerna-mounted Trijicon MRO. Granted, this is not a type of shooting I do regularly.
As the light receded, I activated the IR illuminator and pointer feature of the Steiner DBAL. This helped quite a bit at first, though once the light was totally gone, I really had a hard time distinguishing steel targets, even with illumination, at a distance of roughly 25 yards.
After popping on my Cloud Defensive Rein, the amount of visual clarity and color instantly rushed back in. I was able to engage any and all targets fairly easily.
Sionyx recently released a download for the Opsin that updates its software, making it also compatible with an app for your phone. I downloaded and installed both to try out these features.
One upgraded feature is the ability to stream live to your phone, provided you have access to WIFI. Testing this out, I moved around my house with the shades drawn.
The features work, though image quality and lag vary. I also question the need to transmit video streams to your phone as opposed to someone else’s phone, or a computer.
Regardless, the tech works, though currently is limited to WIFI. I think this holds much promise for future applications.
Finally, battery life promises to be fairly robust, with the Sionyx website listing 10 hours run time with all features on.
Worth noting, I left the unit plugged in, though turned off, and over the course of a week, the battery drained.
What Sets it Apart?
Without a doubt, the capabilities of the digital realm separate the Opsin from analog night vision options. Native video recording, color, GPS, digital zoom, live streaming, and more are the future of this technology field.
By the Numbers
Reliability: 5/5
The Opsin was tested over the course of a couple of weeks and with one outing to the range. It activated each time, and every function performed as advertised.
Ergonomics: 4/5
The power switch is located in the very front on the bottom and is easy to reach with either hand. Other controls consist of three buttons located on the bottom left side. This works well for the left hand, though would be awkward for the right.
Optics: 3/5
On a sliding scale of darkness, the Opsin does really well in low light. But the closer you get to no light, the more it struggles. This can be said of all non-thermal night vision, though the Opsin begins to pixilate when it’s super dark.
Value: 4/5
Night vision is a tactical advantage that does not come cheap, but in a world where you can spend tens of thousands of dollars, $2,500 seems fairly reasonable. Considering the suite of digital features you get with the Opsin, and the ability to download even more in the future, it’s a good value.
Overall: 4/5
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
-
25% off all OAKLEY products - OAKLEY25
Copied! Visit Merchant
Sionyx Opsin Accessories & Upgrades
Final Verdict
For a straight-up streetfight between analog units and Opsin in very dark settings, I’d give the edge to analog for its light gathering and crispness of picture — even if it’s completely green.
That said, the Opsin is a great stride in digital night vision, hosting an entire suite of options unavailable to its analog siblings. It offers good color picture, a HUD, GPS, native recording, digital zoom, varied frame rates, (recently) the ability to live stream to your phone, and ultimately, the possibility of future upgrades you can download—things analog just can’t do.
Are you considering adding an Opsin to your helmet? Let us know in the comments below. For even more night vision goodness, check out Best Night Vision Goggles!
4 Leave a Reply
Did you operate in pure darkness with an IR illuminator? And if so how well did it preform?
Cool to see new tech. But from what I’ve seen this tech can have some tracking lags. Such as when running or moving fast.
The list of extra features are great for those playing soldier but useless to a real soldier.
I'm not so sure this is true. Special Forces are live-streaming some events already so there's at least a precedent.