Meet the Pulsar Lumion monocular, a cutting-edge thermal device designed to reveal hidden life with stunning clarity.
Pulsar Wildlife ambassadors and expert observers, birdwatchers, and wildlife photographers, Liam Hale from the UK and Magnus Winjbork from Swedish Lapland, are discussing how the Pulsar Wildlife Lumion has enhanced their ability to locate, observe, and photograph elusive birds and wildlife, from dense foliage to the coldest nights.
When you first started using the Pulsar Wildlife Lumion for birding, what immediately stood out to you about its thermal image quality in the field?
Liam: What immediately stood out to me when I first started using Lumion for birding & for wildlife was just how clear and detailed the thermal image was. The sharp resolution made it easy to distinguish between species, even at a distance or through partial cover. Combined with the excellent thermal sensitivity, it provided a level of definition and contrast that made spotting and identifying birds and wildlife in challenging conditions feel effortless. Lumion delivers one of the most refined and natural-looking images I’ve used in the field.
Magnus: My first reaction was how astonishingly detailed the image was – you can clearly not only see that it’s a bird, but even distinguish what type of bird it is.
How does Lumion help you detect or follow birds that are usually hidden – for example, in dense foliage or during the low-light hours of dawn and dusk?
Liam: I find Lumion really comes into its own in tricky moments when birds are obscured by dense foliage or active in the low-light hours of dawn and dusk, such as owls. Its exceptional thermal sensitivity and high-resolution sensor allow it to pick up the smallest heat signatures. Because the image detail and contrast are so refined, it’s easy to trace outlines and movement through leaves or mist, especially where standard optics would struggle.
Magnus: Since I’m not only a birdwatcher but primarily a photographer, using thermal tools such as Lumion has opened up entirely new possibilities for me. For example, finding owls that sit deep against tree trunks has become much easier – and I can do so with the confidence that I won’t accidentally startle them, which greatly increases the chances of getting good photos.
Another situation where Lumion has helped me tremendously is when searching for and photographing white ptarmigans in snowy environments. Bright sunlight reflecting off the snow makes it hard on the eyes and very difficult to spot the birds. Often you see one, but as you move closer, another one you didn’t notice gets scared and flies off – and the photo opportunity is lost. With Lumion, it becomes very easy to spot the white birds against the white snow, allowing you to search comfortably for long periods without straining your eyes or risking snow blindness.
Lumion offers a detection range of up to around 2300 meters – how has that translated into your birding experiences? Have you noticed a difference in how far or how early you can spot movement?
Liam: Absolutely, the extended detection range has made a noticeable difference in my birding experience. With a detection range of around 2300 meters, Lumion enables me to detect movement or heat signatures far earlier than I could with traditional optics. Even at long distances, I can detect birds taking flight, gathering on distant tree lines, or moving across open fields well before I’d be able to spot them visually. Although at range it is not possible to necessarily discern different species, it can allow for that indication and allow me to close in and observe species that I didn’t know were there using standard optics. What’s impressive is that this range doesn’t just mean I can see further, it gives me more time to prepare and position myself for observation or mainly photography.
Magnus: I usually spot birds at very long distances, especially up in the mountains where there aren’t many trees – that’s where Lumion really excels.
Birding often happens in unpredictable weather – mist, drizzle, or cold mornings. How has Lumion performed for you in those conditions?
Liam: Lumion has been outstanding in unpredictable weather, especially in the dark and damp United Kingdom. Mist and drizzle on cold mornings can make traditional optics tricky to use, but Lumion cuts through those conditions effortlessly. In my experience, it performs exceptionally well on cold mornings, where the temperature difference between birds and their surroundings is more pronounced, making them stand out clearly against the background. Even in light rain or fog, the image remains sharp and stable.
Magnus: I’ve used Lumion in temperatures as cold as –37 °C, and it has always performed impressively well. It’s more up to me as the user than the Lumion itself – making sure I don’t accidentally breathe on it so it gets frosty or icy, and so on. I’ve never had any issues, and the image actually becomes incredibly crisp and detailed with warm animals in that kind of cold.
The Telos features several color palettes and fine image adjustments. Do you have a preferred setup that helps you pick out birds more effectively?
Liam: I’ve found that experimenting with color palettes makes a huge difference depending on the environment and time of day. For general use, I tend to rely on the White Hot mode, as it provides a natural high-contrast image that makes it easy to pick out birds against cluttered backgrounds like foliage or tree branches. When I’m scanning at dawn or dusk, I often switch to Red Hot mode since these highlight subtle heat variations and makes small movements or distant heat sources stand out more distinctly. I also make use of the sharpness and contrast adjustments quite a lot, fine-tuning them lets me adapt to different habitats, from open fields to dense woodland. This is all so easily done through the integrated menus!
Magnus: I almost always prefer the White Hot mode – it suits me very well. In snowy and cold environments, birds stand out very clearly in that setting. However, in forested areas, when it’s cooler outside and there’s a lot of trees and vegetation, I sometimes prefer using the Red Hot mode instead.
Can you recall a specific species or moment you captured with Lumion that really stood out to you?
Liam: One of my favorites was from the spring earlier this year. I had been given a tip-off that there were some young Tawney Owlets (young owls) in the area. However, it was dense woodland, and I was skeptical whether I would be able to find any. The late spring foliage was extremely dense; however, using Lumion, I was easily able to identify and find one of the owlets! I was then able to use my camera to take some lovely photographs.
Magnus: It’s probably all those moments when you hear the ptarmigans but can’t see them – you know there are several of them, but you just can’t spot them because they’re white and blend perfectly into the snow. Then, when you look through Lumion and scan the area, you immediately see a dozen of them as soon as you raise the device to your eye. I have such a vivid memory of the first time I experienced that. The same goes for those late evenings in March and April, when you hear the Tengmalm’s owl calling but can’t see it with the naked eye.
The Telos features several color palettes and fine image adjustments. Do you have a preferred setup that helps you pick out birds more effectively?
Liam: I’ve found that experimenting with color palettes makes a huge difference depending on the environment and time of day. For general use, I tend to rely on the White Hot mode, as it provides a natural high-contrast image that makes it easy to pick out birds against cluttered backgrounds like foliage or tree branches. When I’m scanning at dawn or dusk, I often switch to Red Hot mode since these highlight subtle heat variations and makes small movements or distant heat sources stand out more distinctly. I also make use of the sharpness and contrast adjustments quite a lot, fine-tuning them lets me adapt to different habitats, from open fields to dense woodland. This is all so easily done through the integrated menus!
Magnus: I almost always prefer the White Hot mode – it suits me very well. In snowy and cold environments, birds stand out very clearly in that setting. However, in forested areas, when it’s cooler outside and there’s a lot of trees and vegetation, I sometimes prefer using the Red Hot mode instead.
Can you recall a specific species or moment you captured with Lumion that really stood out to you?
Liam: One of my favorites was from the spring earlier this year. I had been given a tip-off that there were some young Tawney Owlets (young owls) in the area. However, it was dense woodland, and I was skeptical whether I would be able to find any. The late spring foliage was extremely dense; however, using Lumion, I was easily able to identify and find one of the owlets! I was then able to use my camera to take some lovely photographs.
Magnus: It’s probably all those moments when you hear the ptarmigans but can’t see them – you know there are several of them, but you just can’t spot them because they’re white and blend perfectly into the snow. Then, when you look through Lumion and scan the area, you immediately see a dozen of them as soon as you raise the device to your eye. I have such a vivid memory of the first time I experienced that. The same goes for those late evenings in March and April, when you hear the Tengmalm’s owl calling but can’t see it with the naked eye.
How comfortable do you find Lumion for extended birding sessions in terms of handling, focusing, and battery performance throughout the day?
Liam: Lumion is genuinely one of the most comfortable thermal devices I’ve used for long birding sessions. Its ergonomic one-handed design stands out straight away. The grip feels natural and balanced, which makes it easy to hold steady for extended periods without fatigue or tiring. The manual focusing ring is smooth and precise, allowing for quick adjustments with minimal effort. This is a big advantage when tracking moving birds or switching between near and far subjects. I also love the manual zoom ring, which adds some tactile control over the device, which a lot of devices do not have!
Magnus: I find it absolutely perfect for long birding sessions. The only thing I could wish for would be a zoom control that could be operated with the same hand you’re holding it in – that would be valuable in situations where you’re holding the camera in your other hand and don’t want to put it down on the ground.
For someone considering a Pulsar Lumion for birding, what kind of situations or species do you think it would make the biggest difference in detecting or observing?
Liam: I’d say Lumion makes the biggest difference in situations where birds are naturally elusive or conditions make visual detection difficult. For example:
- Owls and other nocturnal birds. Lumion is incredible for locating them at roost or during early morning and dusk activity, where you’d otherwise only hear calls. This is where I have had the most effective use.
- Small woodland birds. In dense foliage, the thermal contrast reveals them instantly, even when they’re motionless.
- Waders and ground-nesting birds. At a distance or in misty wetlands, their body heat stands out clearly against cooler surroundings. Short-eared owls, which nest on the ground and are a great seasonal visitor to the UK in winter, would be a prime example!
Magnus: It definitely makes the biggest difference in lighting conditions that are challenging for the human eye, when there isn’t enough light, as well as in extremely bright environments. Sunlight reflecting off white, snowy landscapes or shimmering water can make it very uncomfortable and difficult to see, but with a thermal device, it becomes so much easier and more comfortable to observe.
