Godzilla M Thermal Imager: Open Box Review

The Godzilla M in a nutshell

The Godzilla M is a multi-purpose thermal unit, a successor to the Jerry YM 2.0 from IR-Monster, with a 30mm objective lens, and it's the first new device in a while to go after the RH25 V2 head on. I've spent the last few months with one, running it next to the RH25 V2 and the Jerry YM 2.0 to see where it really fits.

On image alone, it holds its own. At long range, and especially with the magnification wound up, I found it looked slightly sharper than the RH25 V2 in some situations. In dense New Zealand bush it stayed crisp. Where it falls short is everything around the image: stiff buttons, a loose stock mount, an unfinished menu, and no automatic flip when you turn it over.

I spent a few months running the Godzilla M alongside the Pfalcon 640 V2 (sold in the US as the RH25 V2, and called the RH25 V2 from here on) and the Jerry YM 2.0. These ratings are my opinion from real-world use, not lab testing. If you're after raw thermal footage and image quality, have a squiz at the side-by-side video on our Night Raider YouTube channel.

First Impression

The image. This is its best trick. The picture is crisp, and at very long range the screen looked a touch clearer than the RH25 V2. Dense New Zealand bush is a hard place to pick out a person, and it coped well there while I was hunting for an prey. I'd rate the performance on par with the RH25 V2, which is a big call for a new unit.

In the hand. The metal body feels solid, and the dedicated on/off lever is a great idea. The buttons are the real problem. They're stiff enough that pressing them is a chore, and next to the RH25 V2 the whole unit feels clunkier. 

Size. It's the biggest and heaviest of the three. I didn't try it bridged on a helmet for that reason, even though it's advertised as helmet mountable. Like the RH25 V2, the side-by-side layout can stop you sliding it far enough for your IPD when it's over one eye, which is the right eye on the Godzilla M.

The stock mount. A flip-to-side mount comes in the box, which is a nice touch. Mine was sloppy and needed tape shims to stop it moving, so I wouldn't rely on it when your zero has to return every time. The Godzilla M takes RH25 V2 mounting screws, which opens up better options.

**After Version V1.0.8. The flip to side mount has been abandoned and have went back to traditional QD mount). The foot print has not been changed. You can still use aftermarket flip to side mount like Falconclaw QDA & QDF

Software. It needs more time in the oven. The image doesn't flip automatically when you swap between helmet and rifle orientation (Fixed after version V1.0.8), which the other two do, and the menus are harder to make sense of. With those stiff buttons, getting around the settings is a slog. 

On a rifle. The large objective lens pays off through a magnified optic. It also zooms out below 1x, so the display fits inside the field of view of a high-power zoom optic that start with 3x power. Where RH25V2 or other units will struggle with mangified scopes that can't lower to 1x power. Outline mode is underwhelming on its own, but paired with night vision it suits anyone who likes passive aiming. The Night Raider founder spoke with Ukrainian volunteer fighters on a recent trip who run their thermals this way.

Accessories. It's the newest unit, so there isn't much yet. However, it uses the same footprint as the RH25V2, so most RH25V2 accessories should be compatible. Night Raider already makes a lens protector for force-on-force, which is good news for airsofters.

How does it stack up to other units?

RH25 V2. My benchmark for civilian multi-role thermals. It's a refined version of the original RH25 with a rugged build, excellent thermal performance and the most mature software here. It's everywhere, so mounts, lens protectors and camo wraps are easy to find. Devices like the Pixels on Target Voodoo-S can beat it, but they sit in another price bracket altogether. Pick it if you want a proven unit and don't mind paying for it.

Jerry YM 2.0. The cheapest of the three, the preccesor of Godzilla-M, and it still delivers most of what the RH25 V2 does. I've owned one for two years and use it as my personal unit. You turn it on and it just works, with no manual needed. It's also the lightest and smallest, which matters a lot on a bridged helmet setup. The trade-off is a simpler menu and fewer features.

Godzilla M. Priced a bit under the RH25 V2 and clearly aimed at the same buyers. Detection was about level with the RH25 V2, and the bigger 30mm lens (versus 25mm) may be why it looked sharper at distance. I also like the dedicated power switch. An AI-powered mode that sharpens the visible image has reportedly been promised.

Build quality

The RH25 V2 wins. It has a tough metal housing, a weighty feel, buttons that click nicely and precise focus rings, plus a solid 1.93 stock mount. The one niggle is the small front focus ring, which is awkward to turn on a rifle, so use the included focus lever or a front lens protector big enough to grip. The Jerry YM 2.0 is second. Its rubber panels cheapen it a little, but the buttons give good feedback, which helps when you're working the menus by feel in the dark. The Godzilla M comes last. The metal body is solid, but the stiff buttons and the wobble in the power lever let it down.

Mounts and accessories

The RH25 V2 wins again, with the Jerry YM 2.0 close behind. The RH25 V2's 1.93 mount suits an LPVO well, and nothing beats its aftermarket range: lens protectors, flip-to-side mounts, dovetail shoes and camo wraps. The Jerry YM 2.0 ships with a 1.54 (lower 1/3 co-witness) mount, a hard case, a Wilcox-style mount and an adjustable dovetail. Aftermarket options are decent, including the Night Raider titanium and germanium lens protector, though camo wraps are harder to find. The Godzilla M is new, so choice is thin. The included flip-to-side mount needed shimming, and RH25 V2 screws fit if you want something better.

Looks

This one is a matter of taste. I pick the RH25 V2 for its clean lines and the way it sits on a rifle. The Godzilla M is second: it clearly borrows from the RH25 V2 with a mirrored layout, but the grey finish isn't my thing and the housing looks a bit bulbous in places. The Jerry YM 2.0 comes last. The rubber panels, tilted curved housing and mismatched front and rear lenses make it the ugliest of the three, though I still love using it.

Menus and software

This is a tie. The RH25 V2 has the most polished interface and heaps of settings, which power users will love and newcomers may find overwhelming, so plan on reading the manual. The Jerry YM 2.0 menu looks dated but works, it's easy to navigate, and it switches quickly between helmet, handheld and clip-on modes. The Godzilla M finishes last. It has no automatic flip, the menu structure is less intuitive, and the stiff buttons don't help.

Helmet use

The Jerry YM 2.0 wins. It's the smallest and lightest, which matters in a heavier bridged dual-band setup, and its vertical lens and battery layout are easier to position on a bridge. The RH25 V2 is noticeably heavier but manageable, though the side-mounted battery can limit IPD adjustment over the left eye. The Godzilla M has the same issue over the right eye, and it's the biggest and heaviest. I didn't try it bridged.

Rifle clip-on

The Godzilla M wins this one. The big objective lens gives better clarity through a magnified optic, and zooming out below 1x lets it work with high-power zoom optics. Outline mode pairs well with night vision for passive aiming. Run it on RH25 V2 mounting hardware rather than the stock mount. The RH25 V2 is second, a proven clip-on in front of an LPVO with plenty of mounts, though the collimation settings are a pain to find when zeroing. The Jerry YM 2.0 is third. Detection is good, but its smaller display looks more pixelated through a magnified optic.

Multi-role use

The Jerry YM 2.0 is my pick. The simple menus, light weight on a helmet and strong clip-on performance make it easy to recommend if you want to use every configuration. The RH25 V2 is still the safest all-round buy. The Godzilla M is harder to rate here, as its size and weight suit a rifle better than a helmet.

General performance

The RH25 V2 wins on detection, clarity and shutter speed at close and long range, and its record in places like Ukraine speaks for itself. The Godzilla M is a close second. The image is crisp, slightly clearer at very long range, and it did well in New Zealand bush. The Jerry YM 2.0 gives you about 90% of the RH25 V2's detection, but the image is more pixelated and the smaller screen makes small targets harder to identify at distance.

Colour palettes

Red hot is the weak spot: no gradient through yellow, orange and red, just a pixelated red patch over white hot. Highlight mode is better. It works like a smart contrast boost that pulls warm and cold objects further apart. Handy if you run white hot or black hot. (Improved after V1.0.8 added gradient)

The RH25 V2 wins, with plenty of control over brightness and contrast and warm and cool tones in white hot. Its red hot grades smoothly from black to white to yellow, orange and red, and it picks out warm bodies rather than just the warmest thing in view. The Jerry YM 2.0 is a solid second with a nice gradient, but it always paints the warmest object red, even tree leaves against cold ground. The Godzilla M comes last because of its pixelated red hot, though highlight mode is a useful extra.

Value

The Jerry YM 2.0 wins. At full RRP it's considerably cheaper than the RH25 V2 and does about 90% of what it can. The RH25 V2 is the priciest, and you're paying for refinement, proven performance and flexibility. The Godzilla M sits slightly above the Jerry YM 2.0 and below the RH25 V2. Against the Jerry YM 2.0 you get better image quality for a small bump in price, and for rifle clip-on use it's close to RH25 V2 image quality for less.

Is the Godzilla M for you?

It depends on where you'll mount it. If you want a rifle clip-on with the sharpest and clearest image, particularly behind a high-power optic, the Godzilla M is a strong option and costs less. Budget for a better mount, and expect the software to keep improving.

If you want one thermal for everything, the other two make more sense. The RH25 V2 is the safe all-rounder with the best aftermarket support. The Jerry YM 2.0 is the value pick, easy to use and light on a helmet, and it's my own choice for a multi-role device.

None of the three is a bad buy. They're just good at different things, and the Godzilla M's thing is looking sharp on a rifle.