REVIEW: OPTIX Bidentifier 100 thermal imaging device

Seeing heat is a very useful ability, not only for superheroes from Marvels. None of us here have this superpower naturally. Therefore, we rely on a professional thermal device day and night. The company OPTIX from Bulgaria manufactures night vision and thermal imaging devices (WBG). Today, we want to introduce you to the OPTIX Bidentifier 100 in detail. This binocular is used in large quantities by FRONTEX, among others.

There it is in all its glory. As always, we have the technical details for you:

• Uncooled thermal imaging device
• Sensor resolution: 640×480
• Focal length 100 mm
• Objective diameter: 85 mm
• 8x magnification
• Digital zoom (additional): up to 4x
• Video output
• Weight with batteries: 1.95 kg
• Dimensions: 22 x 16 x 8 cm
• Weather display modes
• Tripod mounting possibility
• Human detection range: up to 2,700m
• Human identification range: up to 900m
• Vehicle detection range: up to 6,700m
• Vehicle identification range: up to 2,200m

Inside the package with the Bidentifier 100 device, you will find: eight pieces of 18650 Li-Ion batteries, the appropriate charger, a USB connection cable, the video output cable, and of course, a user manual.

The transportation also includes an elegant black nylon bag. An extra hard case for secure storage is available as well. With a valuable thermal device, we would always opt for the hard case. It's somewhat of a precious item after all ... Attention, there's a hole! The Bidentifier 100 offers a 1/4 inch mounting possibility for tripods on the bottom. This is a standard feature for all common cameras. Therefore, the user has the choice of which tripod to use. In the video, you can see that we are using it with a tripod for practical observation.

The Bidentifier 100 is a binocular, with an objective and two oculars. Unfortunately, this doesn't provide three-dimensional perception, but it prevents eye strain as fast as with a monocular. The activation toggle switch is also visible in the image. By flipping it, the device powers up; flipping it back immediately turns off the Bidentifier 100.

On the top side, the observer will find three control buttons: Z, N, and Sun. These buttons have multiple functions, allowing the user to adjust everything on the device. "Z" is the zoom button for digital zoom. "N" stands for "Non-Uniformity Correction," or "NUC." This normalizes the sensor, re-calibrating it. The "Sun" button regulates screen brightness.

By pressing "N" and "Z" simultaneously, the user can access the menu for further settings. We won't list everything here, as it would exceed the scope of the review, but users can choose from various weather filters, display filters, and calibration settings. By long-pressing the "Z" button for five seconds, the observer can also take a screenshot, more on that below.

Let's further examine the device itself: next to the objective on the front are the battery compartment and ports for the USB or video cable. The covers are securely fastened to avoid loss.

The Bidentifier 100 is powered by four 18560 Li-Ion batteries or only two with reduced runtime. Currently, with four batteries, the runtime is approximately six to seven hours.

The oculars are equipped with rubber covers, which can be easily removed. The oculars also have a diopter adjustment function, simply turn to sharpen the image.

On the front side, the most important part after the sensor is the Germanium lens. It has a diameter of 85 mm and a focal length of 100 mm for the Bidentifier 100.

But what can the device do? In field testing, we captured this image. To the left of the center of the image, in front of the left hill and at the foot of the right, you can see fields, along with a few standalone trees and houses.

Here is the same village through the Bidentifier 100 in "White Hot" mode. The roads and roofs of the houses practically glow with solar heat, making them easy to identify. The 8x magnification also works well for deeper observation.