This is a product overview and review of the Pard DS35 70RF night vision scope. In this article we will look into the design and function of the scope and it's use in the field.
Pard has been manufacturing night vision scopes for some years now, and the DS35 is it's latest incarnation, but with a new traditional tube format design, this brings mounting benefits and overall makes the unit more versatile..
Lets take a look at the actual design of the scope, the Pard DS35 has a 30mm tube housing, this allows the user to fit dovetail, weaver, low, medium, high, offset mounts to suit every scenario and rifle action available, it also allows a much more rigid fixing to the rifle. The DS35 scope is supplied with high weaver mounts also within the package, these are of good build quality, perfect for a bullpup style rifle with the extra height, maybe a little high for a standard rifle action, but for myself I actually prefer them high, so I can swap between any setup, without issue.
The Pard DS35 in comparison to other tube scopes in the market is much more compact, shorter in length and much lighter in weight, even with the built in LRF and IR unit, the whole package only weighs 720gram !
So what is the appeal with the new DS35 series, lets take a look at some of the performance improvements that this new model has up its sleeve.
All new 2K resolution Sensor
The DS35 now has a 2560 x 1440px resolution display, this brings a sharper overall image for day time and night time use, stepping beyond the 1080P resolution offered by it's predecessor models. There is a defined difference over the 1080P sensor and the image improvement is noticeable.
Upgraded IR Illuminator
The new illuminator is not only adjustable in terms of flood and zoom by pulling the IR emitter, but know by turning the outer adjustment collar, the direction of the beam can also be adjusted to centralise or adjust to your own desire. This is the first time this adjustablity has been offered in a Pard model. Now let's discuss the IR range, the IR is 850NM and the power has been increased over previous design, the DS35 is well capable of 350m distances without any additional external illumination.
Circular IPS Eye Display
The new 800px x 800px circular eye display allows a normal optical scope style view, showing crisp imaging, this new option provides a lot of eye relief and you gain a full view of the display with lots of eye relief, in addition to this you gain menu that relay around the circular display, these can be visible with a simple left turn of the turret main control another turn will remove these from the display.
The new circular format allows the reticule to be centralised perfectly in the middle of the display, say goodbye to the various mounts required by other models to get the reticule in the right position, this new interface resolves this totally. The reticules are shown to the full extent of the display and further embrace the traditional tube scope style.
Reticule Design
The reticule designs are precise with graduated reticule options available, these run to the full extent of the display, some of the reticule options provide windage and elevation style holdover points. There is also the option for PIP (picture in picture) functionality to keep the wide field of view of the main display, whilst allowing more precise aiming at a higher magnification within the PIP display.
Ballistic Function - The Icing on the Cake
The NV008S LRF models brought us the first ballistic application from Pard, this really was a revolution in the digital world, taking all the guesswork out of holdover and range estimation. The new DS35 includes this feature, utilising the integrated 1200 yard LRF and ballistic software application to place an aim mark on your chosen reticule. The application requires you to enter your details, some of these include scope height, projectile weight, speed amongst other variable entries.
Recording and WIFI
The DS35 70 and 70RF both have WIFI ability, Pard have also just released a dedicated IOS Pard app. The DS35 has recording function, this also incorporates sound, this can be set to activate via recoil so you don't miss that important moment. Power is supplied via a 18650 battery cell, this can be removed and charged or charged within the device itself, using the USB C port.
Review Summary
Overall my own opinion is the DS35 offers a lot at it's price point, you get a tube design that offers verstatile mounting, a compact lightweight body, that includes built in IR and LRF, the overall weight is 720 gram ! There is no requirement for an extra IR torch, there is no guessing distances, the ballistic application provides an accurate aim point, although you will have to setup this up and ensure the correct data is used. If your shooting rabbits with a rimfire or airgun with loopy trajectory at longer ranges these are a lethal combination, the ballistic app removes that barrier. If your shooting foxes at longer ranges again , the IR provides tremendous distance and the LRF provides reassurance of distance.
Would I buy a DS35 70 LRF myself ? It's a little late for that, it's already on the rifle !
To purchase a DS35 model, visit our store via the following links, Pard DS35 and Pard DS35 LRF
Review Points
The 2K sensor provides a very sharp overall image. Day time image is super sharp, due to the sensor and longer focal length lens system. Night vision performance is also much improved.
This is the best built Pard unit to date, slick buttons and rotary wheel are all well finished, and the IR / LRF function are more solid than they appear.
This is the most adjustable IR unit Pard have built on there products offering full adjustability in terms of flood and spot control and including adjustable direction. Combine this with uprated power that allows you to view in night mode out to 350 yards and it's a clear winner against comparable products.
The Pard DS35 70RF weighs in at 720 gram ! Thats with the IR and LRF system, which is considerably lighter than anything else with a tube based chassis.
The unit is feature packed, IPS eye display, 2K sensor, LRF system, ballistic calculator, 18650 battery power, inbuilt recording with sound, WIFI, angle and incline indicator, FFP reticules the DS35 has it all.
