HIKMICRO Condor and Falcon 2.0: Every Model by Hunting Distance

The Condor and Falcon are HIKMICRO's two handheld thermal lines for serious spotting, and the lens is the first decision. Around 35 mm for scanning country out to about 150 m (Condor CQ35 or CQ35L 2.0, Falcon FQ35 2.0). Around 50 mm for open paddocks and foxes at 250 m (Falcon FQ50 2.0 or FQ50L 2.0, or the Condor CQ50L 2.0). The Condor is the rangefinder-first palm-grip unit. The Falcon is the cylinder-shaped, image-first one, with a laser on the FQ50L only.

Not sure which to buy? Start with the distance you actually glass, not the spec sheet. The table below lines up the main models, and the sections after it explain how to choose.

The main models side by side

Specs are from the HIKMICRO product data. Every model here has a 640×512 sensor, so the lens and the rangefinder are what separate them.

	Condor CQ35L 2.0	Falcon FQ35 2.0	Falcon FQ50 2.0	Falcon FQ50L 2.0
Lens	35 mm, F1.0	35 mm, F1.0	50 mm, F0.9	50 mm, F0.9
Magnification	1.9 to 15.2×	1.9 to 15.2×	2.7 to 21.6×	2.7 to 21.6×
Rangefinder	Built in, 1,000 m	None	None	Built in, 1,000 m
Runtime	About 6.5 hours	About 6.5 hours	About 6.5 hours	About 6 hours
Weight	About 458 g	About 486 g	About 570 g	About 583 g

The original gen-1 CQ35 is also in the family: same 35 mm lens and a rangefinder, but an older detector, a smaller display and an 18650 battery. The CQ35L 2.0 is the better pick if both are on the table.

Condor or Falcon?

Once the millimetres are settled, it's about how you like to carry and use the thing.

• Condor. A palm-grip body with a laser rangefinder across the current range. Pick it if ranging is part of how you hunt, and you want one unit that glasses and measures. Detail is in the CQ35 and CQ35L guide.
• Falcon. The cylindrical, image-first option. Pick it if you range with something else already, or you want the 50 mm lens without paying for a laser you won't use. The FQ50L adds the rangefinder when you do want it.

A laser doesn't turn a 35 mm lens into a 250 m fox optic. That's the single most common mistake with these two lines. Condor vs Falcon compares the platforms head to head, and Falcon vs Lynx is the one to read if pack weight matters most.

Falcon 2.0: FQ35, FQ50 or FQ50L?

All three share a sensor, so this is a lens-and-laser decision.

• FQ35 2.0. The 35 mm Falcon, for closer country around 150 m. Wide, easy scanning without stretching into open-country fox identification.
• FQ50 2.0. The same 50 mm reach as the FQ50L without the laser. If your hunt regularly asks for identification past 150 m, foxes at 250 m say, this is where you start.
• FQ50L 2.0. The 50 mm Falcon with a 1,000 m rangefinder. Worth it when ranging on the handheld is something you'll really use. Not a fix for choosing the wrong lens. If your hunting lives inside 150 m, it's still an FQ35 job.

Which one for which hunt?

• Foxes and rabbits in scrub, scans mostly inside 150 m. A 35 mm model: the CQ35L 2.0 if you want the rangefinder, the FQ35 2.0 if you don't.
• Foxes at 250 m across open paddocks. Go 50 mm. The FQ50 2.0 or FQ50L 2.0, or the CQ50L 2.0 if you'd rather have the Condor body.
• Pigs in scrub or crop. Field of view and fast scanning matter more than reach. A 640 sensor on a 35 mm lens keeps a mob in frame.
• A spotter that lives in the ute. Any of them will do. At 458 to 583 g, the weight difference is small, so pick on lens and laser.

Where the Condor and Falcon aren't the answer

If your hunting stays well inside 100 m, a smaller, lighter monocular from the HIKMICRO thermal monocular range will do the same job for less weight in the pocket. If you want a handheld to double as a clip-on, neither of these is it. And if you haven't bought a thermal yet, the spotter-first guide explains why a monocular comes before any rifle scope.

Scanning from the ute? How to mount a thermal monocular to a spotlight covers mounting a monocular to a spotlight. Never glass the paddock with the rifle alone.

FAQ

Condor or Falcon for Australian spotting?

Distance sets the millimetres. After that, Condor if you want the rangefinder built in and like the palm grip, Falcon if you want the cylindrical image-first body (with the laser on the FQ50L only).

Do I need a Condor or Falcon if I already own a thermal scope?

Yes, for spotting. Find the animal with a monocular, then take the shot with the scoped rifle. Scanning with the rifle itself means swinging a loaded firearm across the paddock.

Where do I look at the range?

The full Condor and Falcon collection has every model. The HIKMICRO Falcon 2.0 page is Falcon only.