The Important Stuff
Before going further, we should clear up the common misconceptions regarding thermal imaging and night vision. Thermal devices work by highlighting the differences in infrared energy emission between objects — in layman terms, it uses heat instead of visible light to paint a picture of the scene. This makes thermal units especially useful for finding game, especially downed animals. It can also see through dust and light fog, making it great for boaters or hikers. Unlike night vision, it works around the clock and in every way except cost, thermal beats night vision for most uses.
One other not-insignificant consideration for hunters: thermal imaging laws are all over the place. In some places you can use them for hunting and/or downed-game tracking, while elsewhere the mere possession in the field when hunting is a crime. Know before you buy, but where legal, for general scouting and finding downed animals, thermal is literally a game-changer.
The LTO-Tracker 2 HD is the next generation of thermal devices from Leupold, a more-tricked-out version of their earlier Tracker model. Upon opening the box, the most noticeable feature is the size — it looks exactly like an aluminum LED “tactical” flashlight. At 5.5″ long and weighing 7 oz., the imager is a study in outdoor-resistant simplicity.
Unlike most thermal imagers, you don’t hold the Tracker 2 HD to your eye. The 1.2″-round viewing screen is held a few inches from your face like a riflescope. This feels a little odd at first but you quickly realize such eye relief helps you orient to the surroundings, unlike most units which require you to place your eye against an eyecup. The only quibble is the image does wash out somewhat in bright sunlight but is still usable.
In terms of image quality, you won’t be spotting songbirds at 100 yards through the 320×240 resolution display refreshing at 25 Hz using one of six color palettes. Product literature says deer detection distance is 300 yards and I’d agree with the estimate. Keep in mind at such distances you’ll only see a blobby hotspot — you won’t find yourself saying, “Old Moses is standing by the old snag across the field, and it looks like he broke his left brow tine.” The unit does offer a 7X digital zoom that’s useful at the lower end. In fact, I kept the unit locked into the screen-filling 1.7X zoom most of the time rather than using the rectangular 1X setting.
