Pulsar Axion 2 XG35 review

What a night out with it looks like

Pulsar lists a 640×480, 12 µm, 50 Hz sensor behind a 35 mm F1.0 germanium lens, 2.5 to 20x with 2x/4x/8x digital zoom, and a 1024×768 AMOLED screen. The APS5 pack (4,900 mAh) is rated at 7 hours at 22 °C, and the whole thing weighs 0.38 kg with it.

Reach is the reason to buy it. By our calculator, a person-sized target is detectable at about 2,600 m and a coyote recognizable at about 365 m. Pulsar quotes 1,750 m (1,914 yd) for a 1.8 m object. In practice that means you can glass a whole quarter-section from the truck and know which heat signature to walk toward.

Pulsar adds three levels of signal amplification with a smoothing filter, a 16 GB recorder, Wi-Fi to the Stream Vision 2 app and 16 GB of cloud storage for registered users.

The catch

No laser and no stock. The rangefinder version costs $500 more and does the one thing this model cannot: tell you 240 yards instead of "about 250". And on November 9, 2026, both versions were sold out on the Pulsar US store.

Sensor NETD is listed at <40 mK, the same as the TOPDON models and behind the ≤20 mK sensors of the AGM 384 models. It is still a 640 sensor with a fast lens; just do not expect the Telos's contrast on a muggy night.

Great if…

• you want 640 resolution and long reach in a pocket body, and you judge distance yourself
• you hunt around water (IPX7, submersion-rated)
• you value a 5-second start-up and simple in-line buttons

Skip it if…

• you need it this week from the official store (sold out when we checked)
• you want the sharpest contrast on damp nights: <40 mK sensor NETD
• a $1,195 384 model would cover your distances (most woods hunting)

What Pulsar promises

Points taken from the official US product page.

• 640x480 sensor with 12 µm pixels behind a 35 mm F1.0 germanium lens, according to Pulsar
• Pocket body, 380 g with the battery, IPX7 submersion rating
• Swappable APS5 battery rated at up to 7 hours, 16 GB recorder and Wi-Fi to the Stream Vision 2 app

Sensor, power and recording

Sensitivity: Sensor NETD <40 mK (Pulsar US spec table). Battery: Pulsar APS5 Li-ion pack, 4,900 mAh, up to 7 h at 22 °C (Pulsar figure). Photo and video recording to 16 GB of built-in memory.

Price and availability

US price checked on November 9, 2026 at the Pulsar US store: $2,499.97. Shown as sold out on the Pulsar US store on November 9, 2026. The price at the store is the one that applies.

Buying advice

Listed at $2,499.97 on the Pulsar US store, shown sold out on November 9, 2026. Pulsar offers a 3-year warranty, 5 years with registration for US purchases, and 15-day returns on new-condition units. If it stays out of stock, the Nocpix Vista H35R and the Telos LRF XP50 are the in-stock 640 options.

The verdict

Pick the Pulsar Axion 2 XG35 if you want a 640 picture with long reach and can live without exact distances. It is the Axion 2 LRF without the laser: the same 640×480 sensor, 35 mm F1.0 lens, 1024×768 AMOLED and IPX7 body, 380 g with its battery, for $2,499.97 ($500 less). It scores 8.8/10. Like its LRF sibling, it was sold out on the Pulsar US store on November 9, 2026.

Pulsar US store