The Ultimate Guide to Thermal Scopes in Australia →
Pixfra Australia Field Journal · Buying Guide
The step from a 384×288 sensor to a 640×512 is the single biggest price jump in most thermal ranges, and it’s where a lot of buyers freeze. More pixels sound obviously better — but “better” costs real money, and for a lot of Australian hunting a good 384 is plenty. Here’s the honest breakdown of what the extra resolution actually buys you, and when it doesn’t.
Quick verdict
640 buys cleaner identification at distance, not just “more range”. Step up to a 640 sensor if you regularly identify and shoot past ~200 m, or want the crispest picture for target ID (boar vs sow, target vs non-target). Stick with 384 if most of your shots are inside ~150–200 m — a good 384 like the Cetus C335 ($1,890) or Pegasus 2 P335-LRF ($2,890) will find and account for game confidently. The 640 Cetus C635 is $2,690.
What the extra pixels actually do
A 640×512 sensor has roughly 2.9× the pixels of a 384×288 one. Those pixels don’t magically see further — detection range is driven more by the lens and sensitivity than raw resolution — but they do put more detail on whatever you’re looking at. That means the image holds its shape further out before it turns to a soft blob, so you can tell what an animal is at a greater distance, not just that something warm is there. The practical payoff is in recognition and identification range, which we break down fully in detection vs recognition vs identification range.
384 vs 640, in the field
| Sensor | Pixels | Genuinely good for | Pixfra example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 384×288 | ~110,000 | Confident detection and shots at close-to-moderate range; the value sweet spot | Cetus C335 ($1,890), Pegasus 2 P335-LRF ($2,890) |
| 640×512 | ~328,000 | Positive ID at distance and consistent shots past 200 m; the clearest picture | Cetus C635 ($2,690), Pegasus 2 P650-LRF ($4,490) |
All prices AUD incl GST, genuine local stock. Correct at time of writing.
When 640 is worth it
If you hunt open country — cropping paddocks, river flats, cleared grazing — where you spot and shoot at longer range, the 640 sensor earns its price. Positive identification at distance is where it shines: telling a boar from a sow, a fox from a farm cat, or a target animal from a non-target one, before you commit to the shot. It also gives you more room to zoom in digitally while keeping a usable image. For serious, frequent hunters who value the cleanest possible picture and shoot past 200 m, the upgrade is money well spent.
When 384 is genuinely enough
Most pest and pig control in Australia happens at moderate range, in country you know, where you’re finding warm animals and taking honest shots inside a couple of hundred metres. A good 384 sensor with a fine NETD and a decent objective does that job every night of the week — and a 384 with a keen ≤15 mK sensor and a quality lens will out-perform a 640 with a coarse sensor and a small objective. The pixels are only one of three levers. Put the money you’d save into a rangefinder or a scanning monocular and you may get more real-world benefit than from resolution alone.
Don’t buy resolution in isolation
The most common mistake is treating sensor resolution as the number. Range and clarity come from three things working together: resolution, thermal sensitivity (NETD) and the objective lens. A 640 with a small lens and a coarse sensor can be beaten by a well-specified 384 — which is exactly why Pixfra keeps NETD low across the whole line (≤15 mK on the 384 and 640 builds). Before you fixate on pixels, read resolution vs lens vs sensitivity, then place your budget where it does the most for how you actually hunt. Still weighing models? Start with which Pixfra thermal is right for you.
Compare 384 and 640 builds
Cetus and Pegasus 2 in both sensor sizes — genuine local stock, GST included, backed by C.R. Kennedy.
Going deeper: for the full breakdown of what 256, 384, 640, 1024 and 1280 sensors actually change — and why the number alone never tells the whole story — read Thermal Resolution Explained.
Frequently asked questions
Is a 640 thermal sensor worth the extra money?
Worth it if you regularly identify and shoot past about 200 m or want the cleanest picture for target ID. For most shots inside 150–200 m on familiar ground, a good 384 sensor is enough, and the savings can go toward a rangefinder or a scanning monocular.
Does a 640 sensor see further than a 384?
Not dramatically for pure detection — that’s driven mainly by the lens and sensitivity. What 640 adds is detail: the image holds its shape further out, so you can recognise and identify what you’re looking at at greater distance, not just detect that something warm is there.
Can you hunt with a 384 thermal scope?
Yes — a 384×288 scope like the Cetus C335 ($1,890) or Pegasus 2 P335-LRF ($2,890) will find and account for pigs, foxes and other pests confidently at moderate range. It’s the value sweet spot for most Australian hunting.
What matters more, resolution or NETD?
They work together. A fine NETD (low millikelvin) with a good lens can make a 384 out-perform a poorly specified 640. Chase a balanced scope — a low NETD, a suitable objective and enough resolution for your range — rather than resolution alone.
What’s the cheapest Pixfra 640 scope?
The Cetus C635 at $2,690 — a genuine 640×512 sensor for well under three thousand dollars, without a built-in rangefinder. If you want ranging with a 640, the Pegasus 2 P650-LRF is $4,490.
Ready to put thermal on the rifle?
When you are ready to put thermal on the rifle, Pixfra Cetus, Pixfra Pegasus 2 LRF and Pixfra Volans are built for the job — Dahua sensor lineage and PIPS image processing. Every one is genuine local stock with full Australian warranty, serviced right here through C.R. Kennedy and never sent overseas.
The Ultimate Guide to Thermal Scopes in Australia
