Firefield 5×50 Nightfall 2 Night Vision Monocular Review

When it comes to night vision monoculars, bigger is not always better and the Firefield 5X50 Nightfall 2 proves this expertly. Compared to some of the other night vision monoculars on the market, the Nightfall 2 looks almost tiny, but don’t let its size fool you into thinking that it can’t get the job done.

Everything, from the durable design to the high quality optics on the Firefield 5X50 Nightfall 2 surpass what you would expect from a product in its price class. If you plan on venturing out after dark and don’t own a night vision monocular, yet then read on to see why this is an essential purchase.

Design

The body of the Nightfall 2 might be a bit more compact than other night vision monoculars, but it still packs a 50mm lens, which gives it a very distinctive shape. After seeing the design, I was a bit concerned that it would be a bit front heavy and cause fatigue during extended use, but much to my surprise it turned out to be quite ergonomic and comfortable to grip.

The buttons on the side are placed perfectly and are large enough to locate in the dark without fumbling around and making a noise. The housing is made from a durable rubber which looks like it can withstand a few bumps, but care should be taken not to drop the device as the lens would probably not survive the impact intact. The Nightfall 2 is fully weather resistant so even when the elements are against you out in the wild you will still be able to depend on it. Some night vision devices are not fog resistant, so it is nice to see that the Nightfall 2 has this feature incorporated into its design.

Interestingly enough I have seen sites that state the Firefield 5X50 uses CR123 batteries, which is incorrect. It actually requires two AA batteries, which will provide you with about twenty hours of use. Of course, if you don’t use the infrared light you can probably triple this number and unless you plan on spending days out in the field without a spare set of batteries you won’t have any problems. The overall design of the Nightfall 2 might not be as flashy as some of the competition, but that should be the least of your concerns for something that is meant to be used in the dark.

 Features

During testing I had no trouble seeing up to about 75 feet in the dark with very little light and obviously the distance and clarity increased quite a bit when I activated the infrared light. The red glow of the infrared light will attract attention in the dark if seen from the right angle, but I doubt if this will matter much during typical nighttime hunts. The Nightfall 2 offers 5 X magnification and a field of view of about 15 degrees. Resolution wise, you will be looking at about 36 lines per mm which is really good for a monocular in this price class. I had no trouble identifying objects in near total darkness and no matter what your nocturnal requirements are, you will appreciate how the Firefield is able to illuminate your surroundings.

Pros & Cons

The Firefield 5X50 Nightfall 2 Night Vision Monocular is a pretty well-rounded piece of equipment with a lot of good aspects and not much that I can really criticize. Depending on your budget, you can obviously buy something with more features, but at the end of the day the Nightfall 2 is more than up to the task of simple nighttime surveillance.

Firefield 5X50 Nightfall 2 Night Vision Monocular Pros

• 5 X magnification
• Very ergonomic design makes it much more compact than similar monoculars
• Built-in high power infrared illumination with power saving feature
• Estimated twenty hour battery life
• Easy to grip design
• Fully weather resistant
• Large objective lens
• Durable rubber-armored housing
• Lightweight and easy to operate
• Uses AA batteries instead of more exotic and expensive battery types

Firefield 5X50 Nightfall 2 Night Vision Monocular Cons

• Infrared Light is visible to observers from the right angle
• Batteries are not included

Conclusion

The Firefield 5X50 Nigthfall 2 is very easy to use, which along with the competitive price and long list of features make it a winner in my books. It’s not as flashy as some of the other gear that I have tested, but it is durable and reliable, which counts for a lot more.