INTRODUCTION

“Given the growing interest of readers in AGM Global Vision products, I am again happy to share my impressions of the AGM ADDER TS50-640 Top of the Range thermal scope, which is sold at a price of €4,283.00 and benefits from a three-year warranty. As usual, I conducted a range test but also went out at night to evaluate its performance, both observing and recording some videos of deer and roe deer.

n this article, you will also find an integrated video review from my YouTube channel. To support my work, I invite you to subscribe to the YouTube channel  for free to stay up to date. let’s begin

TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS DECLARED BY THE PARENT COMPANY

THE HISTORY OF AGM GLOBAL VISION

AGM Global Vision, based in Sofia, Bulgaria, is emerging as a major player in the night vision and thermal imaging device market. The company enjoys considerable respect from professionals and enthusiasts, boasting a leading sales position in the United States of America. Their ambitious vision is to stand out in the industry through the development of advanced products that exceed customer expectations.

The founders of AGM Global Vision have solid experience in the electro-optics industry, having established and developed several successful companies. These companies are recognized for producing high-quality products for commercial and military users. After years of working as OEMs with major players in the industry, they decided to establish a new company geared toward a global vision and marketing strategy, aiming to establish themselves as leaders in this competitive market.

STANDARD EQUIPMENT

The product’s standard equipment is remarkably extensive, offering much more than one might expect. In addition to the sturdy black hard cordura bag with red detailing that not only provides protection but also adds a touch of elegance, the package includes: the 30mm rings, a CR123A battery, a USB cable, a power transformer, various adapters, (depending on the sales region), shoulder strap, USB cable, a lens cleaning cloth, and a detailed user manual and leaflet regarding ISO 9001:2015 quality control.

OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES

To optimize the use of the AGM ADDER TS50-640 thermal scope, three optional accessories are available. The hard case, made of solid and sturdy materials, is specially designed to ensure safe storage and transport of the device. The AGM solar power bank is a versatile accessory that includes a solar panel to capture solar energy and power the device with a handy kit including USB Type-C and micro USB cable. Finally, the QR AGM-2116 ADM quick attach that is precision crafted from 6061 T6 aluminum and finished with a T3 Mil-Spec anodized hard coating. This attachment offers excellent stability and quick release thanks to the QD Auto Lock™ lever system, weighing only 238 g

THE ADDER SERIES

The ADDER series is offered in AGM’s extensive catalog in four models: the series with 384×288-pixel sensors, AGM ADDER TS50-384 and AGM ADDER TS35-384 (which varies according to 35 mm and 50 mm lens diameter) and the series equipped with a 640×512 sensor, also in two diameters: AGM ADDER TS50-640 and AGM ADDER TS35-640. You can view the technical specifications of these models directly on AGM’s official website.

MECHANICS AND FOCUSING SYSTEM

The AGM ADDER TS50-640 has a classic optical riflescope design, but inside it houses state-of-the-art electronic components. The optical tube, made of aluminum, boasts a high-quality satin black paint finish.

The device is waterproofed to the IP67 standard, providing excellent water resistance with an operating temperature range of -30°C to +55°C. Filled with nitrogen, it is designed to easily withstand recoil from the most powerful calibers.
My electronic scale recorded a weight of 985 grams (without the additional battery), evenly distributed over a length of 40 centimeters, including the bellows hood.

The exterior features a ‘pseudo turret’ on the right side, which houses the USB-C port for internal battery charging and data transfer. The vertical turret incorporates the additional CR123 battery, while the one on the left side features a large knurled wheel for managing the main menu and digital zoom.

Near the eyepiece, a small silicone-protected area houses three buttons for on/off/standby, color palette management, and photo and video recording. Although these buttons are compact, they offer just the right amount of tension and precision for fairly easy use, even with winter gloves.

Dioptric adjustment of the display is handled by a knurled dial, while there is a knurled dial on the 50 mm lens bell for focusing. The latter proved to be mechanically precise, with no play or uncertainty, easily handled even with winter gloves, and with the right tension to prevent accidental rotation during field use. For the sake of completeness, the minimum focus distance detected is 170 centimeters, and turning the bezel about 3/4 of the way to infinity focus is achieved.

OPTICS

LENS

The AGM ADDER TS50-640 features a Germanium lens with a diameter of 50 mm, distinguished by a large bright aperture of F/1 and a high-quality optical coating. It is the largest and most powerful model in its series. It offers a field of view of 8.8° × 7.0°, in perfect sync with the sensor, while the native magnification is 2.5x, with the possibility of reaching up to 20x thanks to the digital zoom function, which includes magnification ranges of 1x, 2x, 4x, and 8x. The remarkable detection capability reaches 2600 meters, giving the thermal scope high versatility and advanced performance.

EYEPIECE AND DISPLAY

The field lens of the eyepiece built into the AGM ADDER TS50-640 boasts a remarkable 34 mm diameter, providing a wide and detailed view. The eyepiece features a state-of-the-art OLED screen with a maximum resolution of 1024×768, ensuring vibrant colors and exceptional visual quality. Brilliant colors and excellent visibility are evident even in daytime conditions, particularly accentuated by using the built-in bellows hood. With a refresh rate of 50 Hz, the display ensures a smooth and responsive image, contributing to a superior viewing experience. Excellent pupillary extraction of ≥ 60mm which is superior to many competitive products offering 40-50mm.

SENSOR

In the current landscape of civilian thermal technology, AGM has made a choice of excellence by adopting a high-quality sensor for its AGM ADDER TS50-640. The device is equipped with an uncooled 640×512-pixel VOX sensor, featuring a pixel size of 12μm. A refresh rate of 50Hz and a NETD (Noise Equivalent Temperature Difference) value ≤35 mk (@25°C), together with an aperture brightness of F#=1.0, give the sensor advanced performance and good thermal sensitivity.

MEMORY

The presence of an integrated 64 GB EMMC memory is an excellent feature of the AGM ADDER TS50-640. Video analysis shows that pictures have an average size of about 150 KB, while a 60-second video takes up an average of 15 MB. This ensures that users have ample internal storage space, avoiding rapid saturation. It should be kept in mind that for data transfer, it is necessary to connect the viewer to the computer via the USB-C cable. However, it is also possible to transfer via the dedicated application, thus offering additional flexibility in managing stored data

BATTERY

This thermal rifle scope features a highly efficient power supply system: it incorporates two rechargeable 18650 batteries built into the optical tube. To further extend the lifetime, a common external CR123 battery can be added, providing up to 13 hours of system operation at an outdoor temperature of 20°C.

The device also offers the option of external power supply (5 VDC/2 A), and as previously mentioned, a solar power bank option is available. During my testing, I noticed high energy efficiency, practically managing to use the thermal scope for many hours by recharging it only a couple of times. Even without the use of CR123, I could safely verify an average of 6-7 hours, even at fairly low temperatures, ranging from 0 to -2°C.

RAPID OPERATION OF THE THERMAL DISPLAY

The AGM ADDER TS50-640 activates fairly quickly, about 6-7 seconds for the first calibration and operation of the display.It is then necessary to wait a few more moments to have all functions available.

I publish below the button operation and the various functions available.

USE OF THE BUTTONS

MENU OPTIONS

I report the names of the settings translated into Italian to make it easier for the reader to understand

MAIN FUNCTIONS

• Contrast:
  • 5 menu levels
• Brightness:
  • 5 levels
• Scene Mode:
  • Recognition and the Jungle
• Pi.P.:
  • On and Off
• Lattice Group:
  • 5 groups
  • 5 lattices in each group
• Pattern:
  • Off, White, Red, Green, Black
• Video pre-recording (7 seconds before and after recoil):
  • Off – On
• Image Calibration:
  • Auto FFC
  • FFC manual
  • External
• Hot Pixel Correction
• Automatic Shut-Off:
  • OFF
  • 30 min
  • 45 min
• Stadiametric rangefinder:
  • 0.8
  • 1.2
  • 1.8
  • 3.0 (target height)
• Hot Tracking:
  • On
  • Off
• Burn Prevention:
  • ON
  • OFF
• Tongue:
  • 17 languages
• Time Sync:
  • Time(date) format
• OSD:
  • OSD / Time / Date
• Version
• Restoration
• Unit:
  • Yards o Meters
• Net:
  • Worn out
  • Hotspot

MAIN FUNCTIONS

Palette

The color palette of the AGM ADDER TS50-640 offers a detailed and intuitive visual experience with its various options. The “Warm White” mode presents the warm part in white color, with a color gradation that becomes lighter as the temperature increases. Alternatively, the “Warm Black” mode renders the warm part in black, becoming darker as the temperature increases. “Warm Red” mode uses the color red to indicate the warm part, with more intense hues as the temperature increases. “Fusion” mode provides an image that colors from the highest to the lowest temperature, allowing a complete and detailed view of thermal changes in the surrounding environment.

Various display modes

The many functions offered by the AGM ADDER TS50-640, as highlighted in the detailed list above, make it a versatile and powerful instrument. Among the most intriguing features, brightness and contrast can be adjusted to adapt the viewing experience to different conditions. “Recognition” mode enhances object details, making edges more distinct, while “Jungle” mode proves ideal for the hunting environment, highlighting small objects in particular.

The Picture-in-Picture function of the AGM ADDER TS50-640 allows you to view an enlarged image within a larger area, improving detail accuracy. On the other hand, the Hot Tracking function provides dynamic tracking of moving objects through a small redo regard, allowing efficient and intuitive monitoring of potential targets. Also very interesting is the video pre-recording ( SAR function) that automatically captures 7 seconds before and after recoil. Additional notable functions include Manual, Automatic and External calibration modes, each offering specific options for correcting non-uniformity in display and a mode for adjusting burned pixels. It is, of course, also possible to capture photographs and record video, and to decide at how many minutes to set the automatic shutdown.

Stadiametric rangefinder

The stadiametric rangefinder of the AGM ADDER TS50-640 offers decent accuracy in measuring distances to animals during observation. To use this function, simply follow simple steps. By holding down the wheel button, you enter the menu, where you can select the “MEASURE” item by turning the wheel. Next, the target parameters can be set, selecting four modes that are based on set heights of the subjects to be observed, including a customized one.

After confirmation, the user aligns the upper and lower markings with the edges of the target plane. Precise distance measurement results and target height are displayed in the upper left corner of the image, offering immediate assessment of surrounding conditions. Versatility extends to the ability to select the desired unit of measurement, giving the user personalized control.

USING THE T-VISION APP

To connect the thermal scope to the T-Vision app, it is recommended to follow some simple steps described in the manual. Initially, I recommend installing the T-Vision client software on your cell phone. Then, you can connect your phone to the thermal scope hotspot, following the detailed instructions provided in the original manual.

The device password (the last 9 digits), set by the user during the first activation, can be reset in case of loss or forgetfulness by performing a reset procedure through the device menu. Once the application is installed and the device is connected, the live view can be viewed directly on the phone or tablet. The scope interface can be conveniently managed through the T-Vision app, allowing the user to adjust parameters such as brightness, contrast, zoom, and palette directly from the mobile device. In addition, video can be recorded directly to the phone or tablet memory for convenient content management.

MANAGEMENT OF RETICLE GROUPS AND RETICLES

The use of reticle groups is another plus of the AGM ADDER TS50-640. Users can store their customized settings within different “reticle groups,” allowing quick switching between preferred configurations. To access this feature, simply press and hold the button on the left pseudo turret wheel while in viewing mode. By turning the wheel, the menu item dedicated to reticle groups can be selected, offering the ability to change, save and exit desired settings. In the upper right corner of the image, clear information about the reticle in use is displayed, showing, for example, the reticle number and the range set. With a total of 5 reticle groups and the ability to configure 5 reticles for each group.

To customize the reticles, you need to select a reticle group in the display mode by holding down the wheel to enter the menu. Then, by turning the wheel, you can select the menu item “RETICLE” to enter the reticle setting interface. Here, by pressing the wheel, you can choose the desired reticle number, with the option to turn off the reticle by selecting “OFF.” Once the reticle is selected, the type can be configured, by turning the wheel to choose from 5 available types, and the color, with options of white, green and red. The user can repeat this process to set the color of other gratings in the same group. It is important to note that while changing the reticle number, a prompt appears on the interface. By selecting “OK,” the parameters of the current reticle are saved. Finally, by holding down the wheel button, you can exit the interface, with the option to save or cancel the changes made.

HOW TO ZERO THE RETICLE

Zeroing the AGM is a decidedly simple procedure that allows for accurate aiming at the target. Initially, select the desired reticle group in viewing mode by holding down the wheel button to access the menu. Next you will have to select “RETICLE” and select the number of the reticle to be corrected, set the distance and if you wish, also activate the freeze function to adjust the cursor position on a frozen image, preventing the image from shifting. Very useful for me who simply zeroes on a shooting table with spartan sandbags.
To zero the scope and move the reticle to the screen, you will have to move the large reticle to the target, adjust the zoom ratio and X and Y coordinates, then move the reticle to the desired position. You can’ also do this operation with other reticles in the same group. The important thing will then be to press “OK” to save the results or “ESC” to cancel the changes.

PRACTICAL FIELD IMPRESSIONS

As a mere observing instrument

During December and January, I had the pleasure of using Gamma’s Top thermal spotting scope for both general observation and a few sessions at the range. The combination of the large 50 mm lens, sensor, and excellent algorithm allows animals to be clearly discerned even at considerable distances. The optimization for shooting sessions is remarkable, allowing rapid photo, video and zoom capture through the dial and buttons even if not its primary purpose. The display offers excellent quality, and although the color palettes are not numerous, they are sufficient to adapt to various weather and terrain conditions. Battery life is highly satisfactory. I did not encounter any problems with the algorithm or software management; the Adder never crashed during the several days of testing. Menu management is easy, and the app is a good tool for easily managing settings, especially when observing in pairs or using the thermal scope as a spotting scope attached to a photo tripod. The stadiametric system provides sufficient estimates of distances, although your stability while measuring is essential. Storage space also ranks among the best.

Deer and roe morphology recognition test and distances in play

On the subject morphology recognition test, the scope demonstrated an excellent ability to distinguish morphological differences between a doe and a roe deer at distances of 300 to 350 meters, and sometimes more, depending on familiarity with the surroundings and local wildlife. The ability to discern heat at long distances is remarkable; I was able to “activate” two to three pixels on a subject placed about 2,500 meters away, observing a snow-capped mountain.

Practical impressions at the shooting range

Although the daytime test presents a more selective challenge for thermal sights, I can confirm without any doubt that the sharpness of this scope is so high as to allow accurate zeroing at 50 yards without any difficulty. Shooting at 100 yards, although obviously more accurate with the thermal target, presents such a minimal deviation, even under hostile conditions, as to suggest excellent nighttime performance for its intended use. Mounted on the TIKKA T3X TAC A1 in .223 caliber with a Contessa quick mount, I appreciated the ease and speed of focus adjustment offered by the large knurled ring. The use of a pseudo turret for menu and zoom management proved efficient and fast, outperforming the traditional dial system for the magnification range typical of optical scopes. The pupillary extraction proved sufficient to handle the recoil of common calibers such as the .308 while zeroing was considerably smoother than with classic turrets. It should be confirmed that reticle adjustment involves a shift of one pixel per click, corresponding to 1.5 cm at 100 meters. In my case, I had to compensate with 12 clicks on the horizontal axis and 10 on the vertical axis after the first test shot.

PROS AND CONS

Pros:

• 50mm lens opened at F1
• Latest generation 640×512 sensor
• Classic riflescope design
• High quality display
• Performing algorithm
• Excellent mechanical quality of the focusing ring
• Quick management of the menu and functions using the wheel and buttons
• Excellent duration thanks to the three batteries
• Possibility to record and save the reticle settings in the various groups
• Ease of zeroing
• Excellent ability to discern subjects with extreme ease even at distances greater than 300 meters
• Eye relief among the best in this category
• Excellent standard equipment

Cons:

• Audio cannot be recorded
• The stadiametric measurement system is obviously not as precise as a dedicated LRF
• I would have preferred slightly larger buttons for winter use with gloves

IN SUMMARY

The AGM ADDER TS50-640 stands out as one of the best thermal riflescopes tested. With a classic design, ruggedness, waterproofing, and a bright lens combined with a state-of-the-art sensor, it delivers sharp, contrasty images at long range without unnecessary excess. Fast and accurate zeroing makes it perform well at medium and long distances, overcoming the limitations of scopes with smaller sensors. The result of experience and attention to the real needs of enthusiasts, it is a mature and recommended product.

PRICES

In January 2024 it is currently available , here in Italy,  at a price of  4,283.00  Euro and offers a three-year warranty. It can be purchased directly from AGM’s official website

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I thank George Radev of AGM Global Vision for providing the specimen subject of this test, leaving me free to quote my personal impressions from the field.

DISCLAIMER

“Termicienotturni.it” is an editorial project of Piergiovanni Salimbeni – Independent Journalist. The tested products are not for sale, are returned after viewing and I do not receive any percentage on the eventual sale of the reviewed model. AGM GLOBAL VISION sent me the product for viewing leaving me free to quote my unbiased impressions as is the duty of any journalist. For information on discounts, promotions or anything else you can contact the European distributor, using the following link: