ThermTec Wild 650 DL PRO review: the dual-lens thermal monocular tested

Thermal technology continues to change the face of fieldsports, and the thermal monocular is now seen by many stalkers as essential kit. ThermTec is carving its name into the European hunting market and, although it feels young, it was actually founded 15 years ago, initially in temperature monitoring and thermal security cameras. In the UK it is best known for its thermal riflescopes, clip-ons, monoculars and multispectral binoculars. Having been genuinely impressed by the brand’s Hunt 650 PRO clip-on, I was glad of the chance to spend the spring with its latest flagship spotter, the Wild 650 DL PRO, and the short version is that the dual-lens design and the joystick control make it stand out from the crowd.

ThermTec Wild 650 DL PRO specifications

Prices are RRP at the time of publication and may since have changed.

What does the “DL” in Wild 650 DL PRO mean?

ThermTec keeps to the industry’s usual naming, so the “6” tells you it has a 640×512 sensor and the “50” refers to its maximum 50mm objective, giving the “650”. The clever twist is the “DL”, which stands for Dual Lens: this monocular carries two objectives, 25mm and 50mm. Much of my stalking is in dense woodland, where a small objective suits the work. I normally reach for a 35mm monocular and it serves me well, but dropping down to 25mm genuinely helps with close-range scanning.

The dual-lens system comes into its own when you move from one environment into another, for example stepping out of a wood to search the hedgelines of a large arable field. Pick up a distant heat source on the 25mm lens, give the front dial a quick twist to bring in the 50mm, and you gain instant magnification and the extra clarity you need to identify what you are looking at. It is a neat answer to a real problem.

The orange joystick and control layout

The bright orange joystick is the next thing on my list of plus points. Most monoculars use a row of buttons and, with regular use, you do learn where they are, but I have still caught myself pressing the wrong one when my finger was not quite where I thought it was. The joystick removes that guesswork and gives you an exact, ergonomic link between your fingers and the device. Push it left and the laser rangefinder fires; a long push left turns the LRF off. Push right to scroll the colour palettes, and push forward or back to zoom in and out. It really is that simple.

Directly in front of the joystick sits the focus dial, and it could hardly be better placed. Many monoculars put the focus ring around the objective, which is an obvious design fault because the heat from your hand tends to blur the view just as you try to adjust it. Positioned as it is on the Wild 650 DL PRO, the dial keeps your hand away from the lens and falls perfectly to the fingers, so moving between focus and joystick is effortless.

Build quality and battery life

First and foremost, the Wild 650 DL PRO has proved durable and robust. The main body is magnesium alloy under a tough but tactile rubber layer, and on the occasions I have had to crawl through dense understorey it has taken the rough and tumble in its stride. On one of those crawls the joystick was knocked and quietly switched the palette from white-hot to black-hot without my noticing, which threw me for a second or two on my next scan. It is a small thing, but worth being aware of.

The unit comes with two rechargeable 18650 batteries and a charger, and battery life has been remarkable. The stated six hours per battery may even be an underestimate in good conditions. The battery compartment follows the same one-handed thinking as the rest of the controls, with a simple soft-push, pop-open lid rather than the usual screw-down cap. It is far easier to open and close in the dark with a gloved hand.

Image quality in the field

Image clarity is always a difficult thing to judge with a thermal imager, mainly because ambient temperature is so variable. I used the Wild 650 DL PRO from April through to June, with plenty of mild nights and warm, sunny days to contend with, and even against those warm backgrounds it clearly picks out living creatures, right down to tiny mammals. The image can be fine-tuned in the menu to suit your own preferences, but for this test I left it on the factory settings and was more than happy with what I saw throughout.

Strengths

• Dual 25mm and 50mm objectives switch instantly with a twist of the front dial, covering close woodland and open fields from one unit
• The orange joystick is quick and intuitive in the dark and removes the button-hunting of linear-button rivals
• The focus dial sits in front of the joystick, away from the objective, so hand heat no longer blurs the view as you focus
• Genuinely long battery life from two 18650s, with an easy one-handed, pop-open battery compartment
• Tough magnesium alloy and rubber body that shrugged off crawling through dense cover

Weaknesses

• At 653g without a battery it is a little heavier than some rivals
• The exposed joystick can be knocked in thick cover and change the palette without you noticing
• At £2,699.95 it sits firmly at the premium end of the monocular market

Verdict: should you buy the ThermTec Wild 650 DL PRO?

Overall I have been really impressed by this thermal monocular. I am not a techie by nature and my interest is purely in whether a thing works in the field, and I found the Wild 650 DL PRO genuinely easy to use without ever needing to dig repeatedly through the menus. Set against rivals such as the HikMicro Falcon FQ50L 2.0 and the Nocpix Vista H50R, it certainly holds its own on features and specification. Add in the joystick control and the dual-lens system and it has the potential to outshine them. It is a premium buy at £2,699.95, but for the deerstalker who wants one spotter to handle both tight woodland and open ground, it makes a very strong case for itself.