Which L3 Unfilmed WP tube would you pick?

[titsonritz]

I am looking a a couple L3 Unfilmed WP tubes and am wondering which one to go with, tube one is cleaner with a much lower EBI, while tube 2 has higher specs (SNR/FOM) but has a small blemish. Which would you choose?

Tube 1:
Photocathode Sensitivity 2856k - 2193
EBI - 0.3
SNR - 31.3
Resolution - 72
Halo - 0.8
FOM - 2254
very clean, zero blemishes.


Tube 2:
Photocathode Sensitivity 2856k - 2545
EBI - 1.1
SNR - 34.7
Resolution - 72
Halo - 0.7
FOM - 2498
Very small blemish in Zone 1.

[mack7.62]

Really need to where the zone 1 blem is, in the zone, without that I think I would go with the first one.

[titsonritz]

Really need to where the zone 1 blem is, in the zone, without that I think I would go with the first one.

It is on the edge of zone 1 and 2 about 11 o'clock. I it not very dark and quite small but it not a clear as the other one, still quite clear though, honestly I think I'm more concern with the 1.1 EBI vs the 0.3 than the blem. At the same time I know FOM isn't the end all, end all.

[Lowdown3]

Tube 1 for being a more "well rounded" tube.

[GTF425]

You'll benefit from the lower EBI much more than you'd ever notice the SNR difference. Anything over 30 is "great".

[Aries144]

titz,

If those two are the only two to choose between, I'd go with tube 1. The lower EBI will mean better contrast and better ability to see the edges of things in conditions where you barely have enough light to see passively, including looking into shadowed areas like from a lighter room into a darker one or into the shadows under a treeline.

You would appreciate tube 2's added SNR a little more in a wider variety of conditions from high to low light, but I think tube 1 with the much better EBI will do more to improve your experience than the 3.4 extra points of SNR.

You could try and hold out for a unicorn tube, something with an SNR of 34+ and EBI of 0.1 would be approaching the ideal, but you'll be in line behind all the stat nerds and astrophotography guys for one of those.

One additional tidbit: If you exclusively use NV in environments below 50*F, the EBI matters a lot less. The colder the tube is, the lower the EBI will be. If in a hot climate, especially a humid one where things stay hot most of the night, EBI is much more important.

[titsonritz]

Thanks guys, I was thinking tube one was the way to go between these two. @Aries144 thanks for the additional tidbit I was not aware of that (still pretty new at this part of the game) and while hot/humid isn't a regular thing where I am now I go there quite a bit so that cinches it for me.

[WS6]

titz,

If those two are the only two to choose between, I'd go with tube 1. The lower EBI will mean better contrast and better ability to see the edges of things in conditions where you barely have enough light to see passively, including looking into shadowed areas like from a lighter room into a darker one or into the shadows under a treeline.

You would appreciate tube 2's added SNR a little more in a wider variety of conditions from high to low light, but I think tube 1 with the much better EBI will do more to improve your experience than the 3.4 extra points of SNR.

You could try and hold out for a unicorn tube, something with an SNR of 34+ and EBI of 0.1 would be approaching the ideal, but you'll be in line behind all the stat nerds and astrophotography guys for one of those.

One additional tidbit: If you exclusively use NV in environments below 50*F, the EBI matters a lot less. The colder the tube is, the lower the EBI will be. If in a hot climate, especially a humid one where things stay hot most of the night, EBI is much more important.

I had a 34.1 SNR 0.1 EBI tube with 0.8 Halo, as I recall. I currently have a 36.9/0.7 and 37/0.5 set of tubes in my binos. Honestly, they all work about the same, except I do agree that the EBI in that 0.1 tube has made it the best at uber low-light contrast of all the few tubes I've looked through.

[DefenderAO]

The first tube. Amazing EBI. SNR is almost imperceptible in difference after 30+.