Thanks so much for your speedy reply. I might keep the SiOnyx Black to play with, until I get more knowledge of a proper SLR kit to do video with. The skies in Northern New Brunswick at black . . . perfect for getting something decent to do work with at some point. Thanks for helping out! Looking forward to seeing what you do with your new SLR! Ian
Thank you, thank you, thank you…..I’ve been going back & forth on getting the pro explorer vs just the sionyx pro by itself. It’s a price difference of $240. I think the explorer provides that powerful IR light but for just having fun with the kids when going camping, a $15 IR light on Amazon does the trick. Thanks my friend for the easy to follow video. Getting the Aurora Pro!!
Carlo, 100% agreed. I recommend the Pro over the explorer pack for the reasons you mentioned. It does not take a lot of IR light to illuminate the the SiOnyx at night. I don’t get the $200+ addition for a usb wall changer ($10?) and IR light (even pricey 940nm ones top out around $100 unless your looking for zany military specs) so even if you wanted those items it’s cheaper to purchase separately. Here is the link to my review of the ~$15 IR light I’m using which you mentioned. ruclips.net/video/2q2qhQp9-3U/видео.html They are so nice I bought it twice! I mounted one directly to the SiOnyx and the other I have hand held for my other IR sensitive cameras for light painting.
@@EmberSkyMedia thanks for the reply, but guess what? So I was debating it still at checkout but this time to get the Illuminator kit (I know, we just agreed why pay the extra money) but in the end, I gave into reason and your make sense suggestion so I passed on it, well at check out they threw it in for free!!! So I bought the Pro & they threw in the $249 illuminator kit for free…I couldn’t believe it - Merry Xmas!!! And May you have a Blessed Holiday Season as well my friend….
The sport can be improved by removing front glass and scraping the black bonding material off then put back the glass and add a couple of tiny drops of gorilla glue to lock it back in on side of rim rather than under glass. Also before putting glass protector back in use a black sharpie on edge of that glass will cut out some of those annoying reflections.
Interesting, although I’m not one to suggest people start taking apart their electronics gizmos unless they know what they are doing. (Void warranty and all that jazz) if I had a sport I’d consider testing that idea against the pro, but alas I currently only have the Pro as I felt it was a good value for what I needed (and how dark it is out here in the country vs. Cities).
@@EmberSkyMedia being sensible is good.... I'm always taking vintage lenses apart to clean or modd yep, voiding warranty is a big thing ultimately best not to do what I've done.
@@vintageetherealoptics8808 if you know your stuff, go for it! I've still havent matered fine optics deconstruction, more electronics minded in that regard.
The sionyx aurora pro is as good as digital night vision gets unless you need specialized Night vision and have a lot of money 💰 great product I give it a few years before sionyx makes a true pvs-14 gen 3 equivalent but I Digress they are a sensor company first and foremost they could release one sooner but since I'm not in the know all I can say is they do make a good digital NVD I like the pro quite well 😀
Yes the pro does a great job allowing to see at "night adjusted" eyesight using electronics means (which is invaluable for astrophotography when you are often looking up from a computer / smartphone screen). I just wish they had a "red mode" and a few other features... maybe enough "things" I want in the firmware for another video!
Hello, Graeme , , , Thanks so much for all the info. you've provided about the SiOnyx and Night Vision videography. Just bought the SiOnyx Black. I might cancel the order, since I'm wondering about shooting better video with a modified SLR? The convenience of having a tiny cam like the SiOnyx is tempting, but I'm seeing people with Luna monoculars shooting 1080p video with a somewhat narrower field of view. Bottom line: Do you think the SiOnyx is still a good option for shooting the night sky (stars). It seems having something in the foreground of a setup, of samples I've seen on RUclips, seems to trip the image processor to help the camera render a less noisy image of stars and sky. Any advise would be awesome! Btw, congrats on your new SLR purchase! Ian
Hi Ian, Personally the SiOnyx is a great "walk around in the dark" terrestial optical aid when you are not able to get fully night adjusted (like most astrophotographers) for checking out if there is local wildlife (here is coyotes, rabbits, and deer) however the 720P video & photo features are not ideal for astrophotography because you still need a long exposure time to really draw out any depth in the night sky beyond stars/planets/moons (as I show in my other videos). I mean you could convert a video to JPEG and then stack them... but the quality would not be great vs. a DSLR, especially a modfied one. I've used it for star hoping and checking for sky conditions (it works really well to show clouds/haze) but not to actually image DSO objects. I have no experiance with the Luna Monoculars so I can't comment on those. Hope this helps in your decision.
I am a private investigator and need to know if this will do good with zooming from a distance to be able to get license plates at night and face shots from a good distance.
Depends on how far away you are and how much IR light you have with you, an option is to digi-scope this (which is to say place it behind a telephoto lens or telescope, or birding scope) and gain additional magnification. Alternatively you could always get the front lens removed and replaced with higher end optics, it voids the warrenty but several people have done so for longer distance night time imaging (with a panoramtic gimbal tripod).
I mean its not ITAR so there are limits to what it can do but I don't really see another option in the market place at this price point@@centraltexanonb8598
Please don't say that the Aurora is rated for "moonless starlight" because it's not, it falls apart at less than 50% moon in actual, non-ambient city conditions. Even on their website I believe that it says "near-moonless starlight", which is only possible using the Pro model and shooting at 7.5fps (which isn't practical). You can get away with less moon if you live in a city and there's a lot of glow.
You can use the SiOnyx Aurora to see stars at night and it does give some definition on the ground (although arguably not a lot) when there is no moon light in the countryside. Any “shade” from trees and you are looking at blackness static. In the light bubble of a city or town it’s mute because that light is far brighter than moonlight as you pointed out.
@@EmberSkyMedia Yes but, seeing stars in the sky with the Aurora and seeing "starlight" are two different things. Starlight means that the only illumination of the surrounding areas are lit by stars only. Even seeing stars when there is 0% moon looks grainy, at the very least with the Aurora. The Pro might fair better...
@@DjAlonDevil You can see the ground under JUST starlight conditions with the Pro, but its going to be quite dark and grainy as you are pushing the sensor to the maximum.
It means it can be attached to a rifle and handle the kick-back from being fired (which can be used as a trigger to record a picture or video clip). I don’t believe there is additional ruggedness, just gun specific sensor installed.
@@EmberSkyMedia Thanks. I want to make a film about wolves here near Berlin. You need a good night camera for this. If the pro variant is better, then I have to spend the money. Here the camera costs 1150 euros. It is a lot of money. All good !
Unfortunately no, the PRO does a slightly better job than the other three having the updated sensor (it’s noticeable but not significantly better). However the primary difference between the units is the extra abilities they each possess as you go up in cost.
Considering the other options, battery life is pretty on-par. There is talk of a new offering from Sionyx coming soon which will have external battery power option.
Yes, that is what I originally got to use and it does a good job when the milkyway is up. The Pro *is* better but for the slight increase sensitivity vs. the huge price jump the Pro more for airsoft/hunting people who are running around in the woods than stargazing.
I'm so grateful for your video Thank You!!
Glad you found it useful!
Thanks so much for your speedy reply. I might keep the SiOnyx Black to play with, until I get more knowledge of a proper SLR kit to do video with. The skies in Northern New Brunswick at black . . . perfect for getting something decent to do work with at some point. Thanks for helping out! Looking forward to seeing what you do with your new SLR! Ian
Glad I could help in a timely manner! Enjoy your new camera as well!
Thank you, thank you, thank you…..I’ve been going back & forth on getting the pro explorer vs just the sionyx pro by itself. It’s a price difference of $240. I think the explorer provides that powerful IR light but for just having fun with the kids when going camping, a $15 IR light on Amazon does the trick. Thanks my friend for the easy to follow video. Getting the Aurora Pro!!
Carlo, 100% agreed. I recommend the Pro over the explorer pack for the reasons you mentioned. It does not take a lot of IR light to illuminate the the SiOnyx at night. I don’t get the $200+ addition for a usb wall changer ($10?) and IR light (even pricey 940nm ones top out around $100 unless your looking for zany military specs) so even if you wanted those items it’s cheaper to purchase separately.
Here is the link to my review of the ~$15 IR light I’m using which you mentioned.
ruclips.net/video/2q2qhQp9-3U/видео.html
They are so nice I bought it twice! I mounted one directly to the SiOnyx and the other I have hand held for my other IR sensitive cameras for light painting.
@@EmberSkyMedia thanks for the reply, but guess what? So I was debating it still at checkout but this time to get the Illuminator kit (I know, we just agreed why pay the extra money) but in the end, I gave into reason and your make sense suggestion so I passed on it, well at check out they threw it in for free!!! So I bought the Pro & they threw in the $249 illuminator kit for free…I couldn’t believe it - Merry Xmas!!! And May you have a Blessed Holiday Season as well my friend….
@@carlotaboadamd366 WOW! That's amazing!
You will be one happy camper!
I have a gen 3 pvs14 but I am still thinking of picking up the pro for sky watching (UFO’s) and astronomy.
Its handy to have when you are on the go or want to record your observations.
Que camara recomienda solo para las estrellas y caoatar satélites y asteroides en grabación HD 1080p?
Thank you very informative. Cheers
The sport can be improved by removing front glass and scraping the black bonding material off then put back the glass and add a couple of tiny drops of gorilla glue to lock it back in on side of rim rather than under glass. Also before putting glass protector back in use a black sharpie on edge of that glass will cut out some of those annoying reflections.
Interesting, although I’m not one to suggest people start taking apart their electronics gizmos unless they know what they are doing. (Void warranty and all that jazz) if I had a sport I’d consider testing that idea against the pro, but alas I currently only have the Pro as I felt it was a good value for what I needed (and how dark it is out here in the country vs. Cities).
@@EmberSkyMedia being sensible is good.... I'm always taking vintage lenses apart to clean or modd yep, voiding warranty is a big thing ultimately best not to do what I've done.
@@vintageetherealoptics8808 if you know your stuff, go for it! I've still havent matered fine optics deconstruction, more electronics minded in that regard.
The sionyx aurora pro is as good as digital night vision gets unless you need specialized Night vision and have a lot of money 💰 great product I give it a few years before sionyx makes a true pvs-14 gen 3 equivalent but I Digress they are a sensor company first and foremost they could release one sooner but since I'm not in the know all I can say is they do make a good digital NVD I like the pro quite well 😀
Yes the pro does a great job allowing to see at "night adjusted" eyesight using electronics means (which is invaluable for astrophotography when you are often looking up from a computer / smartphone screen). I just wish they had a "red mode" and a few other features... maybe enough "things" I want in the firmware for another video!
Hello, Graeme , , , Thanks so much for all the info. you've provided about the SiOnyx and Night Vision videography. Just bought the SiOnyx Black. I might cancel the order, since I'm wondering about shooting better video with a modified SLR? The convenience of having a tiny cam like the SiOnyx is tempting, but I'm seeing people with Luna monoculars shooting 1080p video with a somewhat narrower field of view. Bottom line: Do you think the SiOnyx is still a good option for shooting the night sky (stars). It seems having something in the foreground of a setup, of samples I've seen on RUclips, seems to trip the image processor to help the camera render a less noisy image of stars and sky. Any advise would be awesome! Btw, congrats on your new SLR purchase! Ian
Hi Ian,
Personally the SiOnyx is a great "walk around in the dark" terrestial optical aid when you are not able to get fully night adjusted (like most astrophotographers) for checking out if there is local wildlife (here is coyotes, rabbits, and deer) however the 720P video & photo features are not ideal for astrophotography because you still need a long exposure time to really draw out any depth in the night sky beyond stars/planets/moons (as I show in my other videos). I mean you could convert a video to JPEG and then stack them... but the quality would not be great vs. a DSLR, especially a modfied one. I've used it for star hoping and checking for sky conditions (it works really well to show clouds/haze) but not to actually image DSO objects. I have no experiance with the Luna Monoculars so I can't comment on those. Hope this helps in your decision.
Great show, thank you.
You mentioned being able to connect to iphone and i was wondering if it can be connected with Samsung phones.?
There is an app on the Google play store, but I don’t have an android to directly test on each device unfortunately.
@Ember Sky Media
Ok thank you.
Thank you!
Glad you enjoyed the video!
I am a private investigator and need to know if this will do good with zooming from a distance to be able to get license plates at night and face shots from a good distance.
Depends on how far away you are and how much IR light you have with you, an option is to digi-scope this (which is to say place it behind a telephoto lens or telescope, or birding scope) and gain additional magnification. Alternatively you could always get the front lens removed and replaced with higher end optics, it voids the warrenty but several people have done so for longer distance night time imaging (with a panoramtic gimbal tripod).
I mean its not ITAR so there are limits to what it can do but I don't really see another option in the market place at this price point@@centraltexanonb8598
Please don't say that the Aurora is rated for "moonless starlight" because it's not, it falls apart at less than 50% moon in actual, non-ambient city conditions. Even on their website I believe that it says "near-moonless starlight", which is only possible using the Pro model and shooting at 7.5fps (which isn't practical). You can get away with less moon if you live in a city and there's a lot of glow.
You can use the SiOnyx Aurora to see stars at night and it does give some definition on the ground (although arguably not a lot) when there is no moon light in the countryside. Any “shade” from trees and you are looking at blackness static. In the light bubble of a city or town it’s mute because that light is far brighter than moonlight as you pointed out.
@@EmberSkyMedia Yes but, seeing stars in the sky with the Aurora and seeing "starlight" are two different things. Starlight means that the only illumination of the surrounding areas are lit by stars only. Even seeing stars when there is 0% moon looks grainy, at the very least with the Aurora. The Pro might fair better...
@@DjAlonDevil You can see the ground under JUST starlight conditions with the Pro, but its going to be quite dark and grainy as you are pushing the sensor to the maximum.
You mentioned the black is “weapons rated.” Does that mean it’s more rugged than the original Aurora (green)?
It means it can be attached to a rifle and handle the kick-back from being fired (which can be used as a trigger to record a picture or video clip). I don’t believe there is additional ruggedness, just gun specific sensor installed.
Hi there,
thanks for the video.
Does the Pro have the same sensor as the Black?
Greetings from Berlin
The Pro has a better sensor than the Black, how much “better” is a continuous debate.
@@EmberSkyMedia Thanks. I want to make a film about wolves here near Berlin. You need a good night camera for this. If the pro variant is better, then I have to spend the money. Here the camera costs 1150 euros. It is a lot of money. All good !
@@kameramann07 If you only need it for a specific project, is renting an option? There is also 3rd gen nightvision stuff... depends on your needs.
No image comparation? 😞
Unfortunately no, the PRO does a slightly better job than the other three having the updated sensor (it’s noticeable but not significantly better). However the primary difference between the units is the extra abilities they each possess as you go up in cost.
would great but the battery life not good
Considering the other options, battery life is pretty on-par. There is talk of a new offering from Sionyx coming soon which will have external battery power option.
Would the cheapest one be sufficient for sky watching?
Yes, that is what I originally got to use and it does a good job when the milkyway is up. The Pro *is* better but for the slight increase sensitivity vs. the huge price jump the Pro more for airsoft/hunting people who are running around in the woods than stargazing.
@@EmberSkyMedia thank you for the info! Great content you got my sub!
@@Guap303 Glad I could help!