Vortex Enters Thermal Market with Veil 400 Monocular

Vortex Optics have announced the Veil 400, their first thermal monocular ever. The Veil 400 is positioned at close- to mid-range nighttime hunting applications, primarily predator and hog hunting, with secondary uses including game recovery, property monitoring, and low-light navigation. The MSRP is $2,299.99, and the fine details are inside this article.

For those in the know, this technical part is most likely the most important part of the release. The Veil 400 is built around a 400x300 detector with a 12µm pixel pitch and a 50 Hz refresh rate, paired with a 1024x768 OLED display. We have some images to share, to show what the end result might look like. Base magnification is 2.3x with digital zoom options at 1x, 2x, and 4x (counted from the base magnification).

According to Vortex, the 25mm objective lens delivers a linear field of view of 57.8 feet at 100 yards, and the manufacturer states a detection range of 1,100 yards based on a 0.5-meter target matched to a single pixel. The unit weighs 13.3 ounces and measures 4.9 inches in length.

Four color palettes are available: White Hot, Black Hot, Red Hot, and Multicolor. Three viewing modes cover different field conditions: Balanced for open ground and fair weather, Contrast for backlit conditions or targets behind foliage, and Brush for dense cover and humid nights with subtle heat signatures.

Power comes from two rechargeable 18650 batteries, which can be charged in the unit via USB-C or removed and charged with the included battery charger. The unit is also compatible with standard 18650 cells, though Vortex notes that batteries with integrated charge ports may prevent the battery cap from seating properly.

The Veil 400 is waterproof, fogproof, shockproof, and rubber armored, with an integrated compass and tripod adaptability. Photo and video capture is available via a quick-press button, with files transferable to a PC or Android device via direct USB-C connection.

Notably for a thermal product, the Veil 400 is covered by Vortex's VIP Warranty, which extends unconditional lifetime coverage, including electronics. There’s no mention of where the product is made.

Priced at $2,299.99 (MSRP) with a 400x300 thermal detector, where do you see the Vortex Veil 400 sitting relative to the competition in the thermal monocular segment? What do you think of Vortex’s entrance into the thermal market? Was this anticipated, and what you wanted, or are you surprised? What’s next? The Vortex Thermal rifle scope?