HIKMICRO Alpex 4K Guide: A50E vs A50EL vs Lite vs Alpex Pro A50PL

The HIKMICRO Alpex line is the answer to a question a lot of Australian hunters ask: "I want one scope that works in daylight and after dark — without buying thermal." The Alpex is a digital day/night scope: full-colour 4K through the day, classic black-and-white night vision with an IR torch after sunset, all in a familiar 30 mm tube. This guide explains how the five current models differ — A50E, A50EL, the Lite A40E and A40EL, and the new flagship Alpex Pro A50PL — and which one fits your hunting.

Quick answer

All Alpex models are digital day/night scopes that mount in standard 30 mm rings and double as a legal, full-colour day scope. Choose by two questions: do you want the built-in laser rangefinder (the "L" models — A50EL, A40EL, A50PL — add an LRF plus ballistic calculator), and how much scope do you want to carry. The A40E/A40EL Lite (40 mm F2.0, from ~474 g) suits rimfire, airgun and lighter rigs; the A50E/A50EL (50 mm, F1.2–2.5 adjustable aperture, 4K sensor) is the all-round centrefire pick; and the Alpex Pro A50PL steps up to a 12 MP sensor, brighter F1.8 glass, the Light Pro low-light algorithm, a 1200 m rangefinder and an AMOLED display — the most capable digital scope in the line.

How a digital day/night scope works (and how it differs from thermal)

A digital scope uses a CMOS camera sensor behind conventional glass. In daylight it behaves like a video day scope in full colour. At night the sensor switches to a high-sensitivity mode and sees infra-red light from an IR torch — you get a clean black-and-white (or green/yellow tinted) image with enough detail to identify the animal, not just spot it. That identification strength is the trade-off against thermal: a thermal scope finds game instantly in total darkness, but a digital scope at night shows you whiskers, antlers and body condition. Many hunters run both — there's a full comparison in our thermal vs digital night vision vs tube guide.

Two practical notes that catch first-time buyers:

• You need an IR torch at night. The Alpex's published detection figures (800–1500 m) are daytime figures; after dark, reach depends on your illuminator. Torches generally trade brightness for discretion — 850 nm units give a brighter image with a faint red glow at the emitter, while 940 nm units are invisible to game but shorter-reaching. The A50E and A40E ship without a torch, so budget for one (or grab a bundle with the IR kit included).
• It's also your day scope. Because the image is digital, switching day/night is a mode change, not a hardware swap — one zero, one scope, around the clock.

The five current models compared

All five: 30 mm tube, IP67, 1000 g/0.4 ms recoil rating, recoil-activated video with audio, replaceable 18650 external battery, five zeroing profiles with freeze zeroing.

Which Alpex should you buy?

• Rabbits, foxes and airgun pest work → A40E Lite (or the A40EL if you want ranging). At roughly 474 g and 28 cm it doesn't unbalance a light rimfire, and the wide 18.7 m field of view makes close, fast shots easier.
• One do-everything centrefire scope → A50E. The 50 mm objective with adjustable F1.2–2.5 aperture pulls in more light at night and stops down for crisp daytime images, magnification runs to 28×, and runtime stretches to 11 hours. Remember the IR torch is not included.
• Same scope, smarter shooting → A50EL. The built-in 1000 m rangefinder (±1 m) feeds the onboard ballistic calculator, which moves your aiming point for the measured distance — a genuine advantage on longer night shots where distance is hard to judge.
• The flagship → Alpex Pro A50PL. The 12 MP sensor holds noticeably more detail under zoom, the F1.8 lens plus Light Pro algorithm lift dusk and low-light performance, the LRF reaches 1200 m with a wind-aware ballistic solver, and the 0.6" AMOLED display is bigger and richer. It's also lighter than the A50EL at 889 g with battery.

Setting an Alpex up right

All Alpex scopes use standard 30 mm rings — pick height the same way you would for a tube thermal (our ring height guide walks through measuring clearance and keeping cheek weld low; note the Alpex's 55 mm eye relief on the 50 mm models). Zero with the freeze-zero function, store up to five rifle profiles, and if you run an IR torch, mount it so the beam tracks your point of aim — HTN stocks windage/elevation torch mounts sized for the Alpex.

FAQ

Is the HIKMICRO Alpex a thermal scope?

No — it's a digital day/night scope. It sees reflected light (including infra-red from a torch) rather than heat, which means full-colour daytime use and detailed night identification, but it won't find game by body heat the way a thermal does.

Do I need an IR torch with the Alpex?

Yes, for night work. Daytime use needs nothing extra. The A50E and A40E don't include a torch; 850 nm illuminators generally give a brighter image while 940 nm ones are invisible to game but shorter-reaching.

What's the difference between the A50EL and the Alpex Pro A50PL?

The Pro moves from a 4K (3840×2160) to a 12 MP (4512×2512) sensor, swaps the F1.2–2.5 lens for a brighter fixed F1.8 with the Light Pro low-light algorithm, extends the rangefinder from 1000 m to 1200 m, adds wind inputs to the ballistic calculator, and upgrades to a 0.6-inch AMOLED display — while shaving roughly 290 g.

Can I use an Alpex as my only scope?

That's its main appeal: it's a genuine full-colour day scope and a night scope in one, with one zero. Hunters who mainly shoot at night over longer ranges, or who need to detect game in total darkness, should weigh a thermal — see our HIKMICRO thermal guide.

Related: shop all HIKMICRO · best night vision scopes in Australia · thermal vs digital NV vs tube · best HIKMICRO thermal scopes