Pulsar Thermal Monocular: Every Model Compared (2026)

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A Pulsar thermal monocular is a handheld heat-imaging device from the Lithuanian manufacturer that most people in thermal imaging treat as the benchmark. Pulsar builds three monocular families, and the differences between them are larger than the model names suggest. This guide decodes the naming, compares every current model, and tells you honestly where Pulsar is worth its premium and where it is not.

We sell Pulsar alongside every other major brand, so we have no reason to oversell it. Browse the Pulsar range or the full thermal monocular category for current stock.

Why Pulsar has the reputation it does

Pulsar is made by Yukon Advanced Optics Worldwide in Lithuania, which makes it one of very few European manufacturers in a category dominated by Chinese and American production. Four things help sustain that reputation.

Build quality. Magnesium alloy housings, IPX7 sealing, and a general sense that people who use the device designed it. Pulsar units survive being dropped in wet grass and left in a cold vehicle for a season.

Stream Vision 2. The companion app is the best thermal software anyone has ever written. Firmware updates, live streaming to a phone, remote control, and cloud storage for footage. Competitors have apps; Pulsar has an ecosystem.

Battery systems. Quick-swap APS5 packs on the Axion line and the newer LPS 7i on Telos, which supports USB-C and wireless charging. Swapping a battery takes seconds, so a Pulsar monocular never ends your night.

Resale value. This model is the one buyers underestimate. A three-year-old Pulsar sells for meaningfully more than a three-year-old competitor. If you upgrade every few seasons, the effective cost of ownership is lower than the sticker suggests.

Decoding Pulsar model names

Pulsar’s naming looks cryptic and is actually consistent once you know the pattern. This single table answers most of the questions we get.

Code	Meaning
Axion	Compact, pocket-sized monocular family
Telos	Flagship full-size modular monocular family
Helion	Previous flagship family, now discontinued and replaced by Telos
XQ	384×288 sensor at 17 µm
XG	640×480 sensor at 12 µm
XP	640×480 sensor at 17 µm
XL	HD sensor, 1024×768 or 1280×1024 at 12 µm
Number	Objective lens in millimeters: 19, 30, 35, or 50
LRF	Built-in laser rangefinder
Pro	Upgraded sensor within the same body
2	Second generation

So an Axion 2 LRF XG35 is a second-generation compact with a 640×480 12 µm sensor, a 35 mm lens, and a rangefinder. A Telos LRF XP50 is a flagship with a 640×480 17 µm sensor, a 50 mm lens and a rangefinder.

The Pulsar Axion range compared

Axion is the compact family. These are genuinely pocket-sized devices in magnesium housings, and they are what most people mean when they search for a Pulsar thermal monocular.

Model	Sensor	NETD	Lens	Detection	Magnification	LRF	Battery
Axion XQ19	384×288 17 µm	Low	19 mm	~750 m	1.5-6x	No	APS5
Axion XQ30 Pro	384×288 17 µm	<25 mK	30 mm	~1,050 m	2-8x	No	APS5
Axion 2 XQ35 Pro	384×288 17 µm	<25 mK	35 mm	~1,300 m	2-8x	Optional	~11 h
Axion 2 XG35	640×480 12 µm	<40 mK	35 mm F1.0	~1,750 m	2.5-20x	Optional	~7 h

Pulsar Axion XQ19

It’s the smallest and cheapest way to get into the brand. A 384×288 17 µm sensor behind a short 19 mm lens gives a wide field of view and detection to roughly 750 m. That short lens is the point: for scanning brush, timber, and tight ground where you need to find animals fast rather than reach across a valley, a wide field beats magnification.

It genuinely fits in a jacket pocket. No rangefinder. If you want one Pulsar to carry everywhere and you hunt close range, this is it.

Pulsar Axion XQ30 Pro

The middle compact. It has the same 384 sensors, a 30 mm lens, and detection that extends to roughly 1,050 m with 2-8x magnification. NETD under 25 mK is a genuinely good figure. No rangefinder on the standard model.

This model is the Axion most people should look at first, because the 30mm lens balances reach against field of view better than either the 19mm or the 35mm.

Pulsar Axion 2 XQ35 Pro

A 35mm lens pushes detection to 1,300 m while keeping the sensitive 384 17 µm sensor below 25 mK, with up to 11 hours of use from the APS5 battery. Weighs about 270g.

The known weak point is the display. Reviewers have consistently flagged the 640×400 screen as the limiting factor on an otherwise excellent device, and it is a fair criticism: a good sensor deserves a better display than this one.

Pulsar Axion 2 XG35

The high-resolution compact. It features a 640×480 12 µm Lynred sensor, a fast F35/1.0 germanium lens, detection to roughly 1,750 m, a proper 1024×768 AMOLED display, and 2.5-20x magnification, all in a 380 g body. The LRF version adds 1,000 m of range.

Read the next section before you buy it.

The Pulsar Telos range

Telos replaced the long-running Helion family and introduced something genuinely unusual: a modular design whose components can be upgraded after purchase rather than replaced wholesale.

Pulsar Telos LRF XP50

This is the model that professional thermal reviewers have called the best thermal monocular on the market, and the specifications support that claim.

Specification	Value
Sensor	640×480 at 17 µm, Lynred (France)
NETD	<18 mK
Lens	50 mm F1.0 germanium
Detection	~1,800 m
Display	1024×768 Super AMOLED
Magnification	2.5-10x
Rangefinder	1,000 m, ±1 m, continuous scan mode
Memory	64 GB
Battery	LPS 7i, 8+ hours, USB-C, and wireless charging
Design	Modular, user-upgradeable

An NETD of under 18mK is exceptional. Reviewers have noted that the sensitivity is of a kind normally found in professional and industrial thermal equipment costing many times more, and it is what makes the Telos hold a usable image in rain, fog, and the cold, low-contrast mornings that defeat lesser devices. Pulsar’s Image Boost processing handles low-contrast scenes such as grass, water, and sky particularly well.

The Telos LRF XL50 sits above it with a 1280×1024 HD sensor and detection beyond 2,300 m, for buyers who want maximum resolution and digital zoom headroom.

The Pulsar specification most buyers miss

The single most useful specification on this page, which Pulsar does not advertise, is the sensitivity of its sensors.

Pulsar’s sensors fall into two groups, and sensitivity does not follow resolution the way you would expect:

Model	Sensor	Pixel pitch	NETD
Telos LRF XP50	640×480	17 µm	<18 mK
Axion 2 XQ35 Pro	384×288	17 µm	<25 mK
Axion 2 XG35	640×480	12 µm	<40 mK
Merger LRF XL50	1024×768	12 µm	<40 mK
Krypton 2 FXG50	640×480	12 µm	<40 mK

The pattern is consistent: Pulsar’s 17µm sensors are far more sensitive than their 12µm sensors.

There is real physics behind it. A 17µm pixel is larger than a 12µm one, so it collects more infrared energy per element. More energy per pixel means a stronger signal against the sensor’s own noise, which is precisely what NETD measures. Smaller 12µm pixels let manufacturers fit more resolution behind a smaller, cheaper lens, but each pixel receives less.

What this means in practice. The Axion 2 XG35 has more pixels than the Telos XP50. The Telos has better sensitivity. On a cold, dry night, the XG35’s extra resolution shows more detail. On a wet, low-contrast night the Telos will be clearly better, and owners who have used both report exactly that: the Axion struggles in damp conditions where the Telos holds its picture.

So when you compare a Pulsar thermal monocular against another Pulsar, do not assume the higher resolution model is the better device. Ask what your typical night looks like.

Why People Regret Buying the XG35

On paper, the XG35 looks like the obvious winner because it packs a 640×480 resolution sensor compared to the XQ35 Pro’s 384×288. People drop extra money thinking “higher resolution means better overall image quality,” only to be disappointed in the field for two big reasons:

1. Terrible Performance in Humid, Foggy, or Cold Weather

The XG35 uses a 12-micron sensor, but its thermal sensitivity (NETD) isn’t as tight as the Pro line. When you hit heavy fog, high humidity, dew, or rain, the XG35’s image turns into a flat, gray wash. You lose background detail completely.

2. Low Base Magnification

Because the XG35 fits a 640 sensor behind a small 35mm lens, its base optical magnification is lower (around 2x).

• To identify a coyote or hog at 150+ yards, you have to digitally zoom in.
• As soon as you zoom in digitally, you lose that crisp 640 advantage, and the image pixelates.

The XG35 Buyer Regret Quote:

“I paid an extra thousand bucks for a 640 sensor, but as soon as the humidity spikes or I zoom in past base magnification, my buddy’s cheaper XQ35 Pro looks clearer than mine.”

Why People Rarely Regret the XQ35 Pro

The XQ35 Pro might only have a 384×288 sensor, but it carries a sub-25 mK NETD thermal sensitivity rating.

1. It Cuts Through Bad Weather

The “Pro” sensor is hyper-sensitive to tiny temperature differences. In wet, cold, or high-humidity conditions, the XQ35 Pro still draws clear outlines of trees, grass, and animal features.

2. Higher Native Optical Zoom

With a 2.5x base optical magnification, you get a clear, optical view of target identification before you ever touch a digital zoom button.

The Verdict

• Buy the XQ35 Pro if you want the best value, hunt in humid/rainy/foggy environments, and want solid native optical zoom without overspending.
• Only get the XG35 if you hunt in wide-open, dry/arid landscapes (like Texas brush or desert) where you need a wide field of view for scanning close-range targets on base power.

Pulsar versus the competition

We stock the alternatives, so here is the honest comparison.

Model	Sensor	NETD	Detection	Notable
Pulsar Telos LRF XP50	640 17 µm	<18 mK	1,800 m	Best software, modular, 1,000 m LRF
Pulsar Axion 2 XG35	640 12 µm	<40 mK	1,750 m	Compact, 1024×768 display
ThermTec Wild Pro	640 12 µm	<15 mK	Long	1600×1200 display, 1,000 m LRF
ThermTec Cyclone	640 12 µm	<20 mK	Short	255 g, 20 h battery, €899
AGM Sidewinder	384 12 µm	≤20 mK	Mid	64 GB, five-year warranty
HIKMICRO Lynx 3.0	256 / 384	Varies	Short	From €329

Where Pulsar wins. Build quality, software, battery systems, resale value, and, at the top of the range, genuine sensitivity leadership with the Telos. Nobody else offers a modular, upgradeable device.

Where Pulsar loses. Price and the sensitivity of its 12 µm compacts. A ThermTec Cyclone at €899 gives you a 640 sensor at under 20 mK and 20 hours of battery, which on paper beats the Axion 2 XG35 on both sensitivity and endurance for less money. HIKMICRO owns the budget end outright, starting from around €329.

The honest summary. If you want the best image in bad weather and the best long-term ownership experience, the Telos LRF XP50 is difficult to beat and deserves its reputation. If you want the most capability per euro, look at ThermTec. For your first thermal, especially if you’re on a tight budget, HIKMICRO is worth considering. Our full thermal monocular guide compares every brand in detail.

Pulsar’s other thermal lines

If you are researching a Pulsar thermal monocular, it is worth knowing what else the brand makes, because the right answer is sometimes not a monocular at all.

Merger is the thermal binocular line. The Merger binoculars have two eyepieces, which means much less eye strain over a long session, and they also use the same Stream Vision 2 ecosystem. The Merger LRF XP50 uses a 640×480 17 µm sensor at under 25 mK; the XL50 moves to a 1024×768 HD sensor but, following the same pattern described above, drops to under 40 mK. If you sit and watch the ground for hours rather than scanning in bursts, compare against our thermal binocular guide.

Krypton is the clip-on line that mounts in front of an existing day scope, converting it for night use without re-zeroing. The Krypton 2 FXG50 runs a 640×480 12 µm sensor at under 40 mK with a fast F50/1.0 lens, and like several ThermTec clip-ons, it doubles as a handheld monocular. See our thermal clip on guide for the cross-brand comparison.

Thermion is the riflescope line for when the monocular has found the animal and you need to take the shot. Compared in our thermal scope guide.

The standard setup for most hunters is a monocular for finding and a scope or clip-on for shooting. Never scan with a rifle-mounted device.

Using a Pulsar monocular in the field

A few things specific to these devices are worth knowing before your first outing.

Set the diopter properly. The eyepiece adjusts to your eye. Most people never touch it and then wonder why the image looks soft. Focus on the on-screen graphics first using the dioptre ring, then use the lens focus for the scene.

Learn Image Boost. Pulsar’s processing genuinely helps with low-contrast scenes, such as wet grass, water, and open sky. It is worth understanding what it does rather than leaving everything on default.

Use two palettes. White-hot finds animals fastest because your eye catches bright shapes quickly. Black-hot often shows more detail once you have found something. Most experienced users scan with one setting and identify with the other.

Carry the spare battery already charged. This is obvious, yet it remains the most common complaint we hear.

Let it settle. Bringing a warm device from a heated vehicle into cold night air degrades the image until temperatures equalize. Please allow a few minutes before making a judgment.

Common mistakes when buying a Pulsar

Assuming higher resolution means a better image. As the sensitivity table above shows, this assumption is often wrong within Pulsar’s own range.

Buying too many lenses. A 50mm lens narrows the field of view considerably. Finding a moving fox through a tight field is genuinely harder than through a wide one, and most people scan more than they reach.

You will be paying for a rangefinder that you will not use. If you scan and then shoot with a scope that has its own ranging, the monocular’s LRF is a duplicated cost.

Comparing a Pulsar to a competitor on price alone. Factor in resale value. A Pulsar costs 30 percent more but sells for 50 percent more three years later, making it the less expensive device.

Overlooking the display. A superb sensor behind a modest screen is a real limitation, and it is the known weakness of the XQ35 Pro.

Which Pulsar thermal monocular should you buy?

Buy the Axion XQ19 if you want something genuinely pocketable for close, brushy ground and you value a wide field over reach.

Buy the Axion XQ30 Pro if you want the best-balanced compact. The 30mm lens is the sweet spot of the Axion range.

Buy the Axion 2 XQ35 Pro if you want more reach while keeping the sensitive 17 µm sensor and you can live with a modest display.

Buy the Axion 2 XG35 if you hunt open ground in mostly dry, cold conditions and want maximum resolution in a compact body.

Buy the Telos LRF XP50 if image quality in challenging weather matters more than size or price. It is the best device Pulsar makes and one of the best handheld thermals anyone makes.

Add LRF versions only if you actually need distance readings. If you scan and then shoot with a separate optic, the rangefinder earns its cost. If you only scan, it will skip.

Pulsar accessories and batteries

APS5 powers the Axion line and swaps in seconds. Carry a spare, and battery life becomes a non-issue.

LPS 7i powers Telos, gives 8 or more hours, charges over USB-C from any phone charger or power bank, and supports wireless charging.

Stream Vision 2 handles firmware updates, live streaming, remote control, and cloud storage. Registered users get cloud space for footage.

Buy at least one spare battery with any Pulsar monocular. It is the single most useful accessory, and it costs a fraction of the device.

Frequently asked questions

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Browse the Pulsar range, compare it against ThermTec, HIKMICRO, and AGM, or read our complete thermal monocular guide. Also see thermal scopes, clip-ons, and thermal binoculars. Not sure which Pulsar is best for your hunting ground? Tell us where and what you hunt, and we will advise across every brand we carry.