With the delivery of the G45 magnifiers starting in early 2021, EOTECH has been ramping up production to meet demand. People have been very interested in the benefits the G45 provides over the tried and true G33. First and foremost, the G45 comes in with 5X magnification whereas the G33 was only 3X, and I am a big fan.
Many of you may be wondering what the differences are between the G45 and the classic G33. As with everything there are pros and cons, so I will list the differences between these two magnifiers below:
| G45 | G33 | |
| L X W X H | 3.9″ x 2.3″ x 3.3″ | 4.4″ x 2.2″ x 3.3″ |
| Weight | 12.8 oz | 10.6 oz |
| Water-Resistant | 33ft. | 33ft. |
| Mount | 1″ Weaver or MIL-STD-1913 rail | 1″ Weaver or MIL-STD-1913 rail |
| Operating Temperature | -40 F to 140 F | -40 F to 140 F |
| Fixed Magnification | 5X | 3X |
| Eye Relief | 2.6″ | 2.2″ |
| Field-Of-View | 4.4 Degrees | 7.3 Degrees |
| Sealing | Fog Resistant Internal Optics | Fog Resistant Internal Optics |
The G45 is solid and seems just as well built as the G33. Featuring a ruggedized rubber coating around an aluminum housing, the magnifier is durable and easy to grab for flipping up or down. An adjustable diopter allows the user to fine-tune the optic to their eye, and vertical/horizontal adjustments allow for centering the holographic sight in the magnifier. Once these are set, they are good to go and can be forgotten about.
With the G45 magnifier, EOTECH uses its standard quick detach mount. Having owned different scope mounts and magnifiers I have been a fan of this design. To remove the magnifier, the locking button must be pressed before the clamping lever is released. This gets rid of the chance of snagging the lever and getting the G45 ripped off from the gun. The mount is solid and locks up tight on a Picatinny rail. The pivoting mechanism offers good resistance to keep the magnifier from unintentionally flopping around. I tried to shake my gun to make it flip up, but it was too solid for me to overcome. This will keep the optic stowed how you left unless it gets hit by your plate carrier or something when it’s slung to your body.
The mount is reversible to accommodate both left and right-handed shooters. When fastening the optic to the mount, two screws allow for setting this magnifier up to fit your dominant side.
Included in the box is a spacer to perfectly align the magnifier with the HWS of your choice. I have the spacer installed in all of the pictures to align with my EOTECH EXPS3 since it sits higher offering a lower 1/3 co-witness with iron sights. If you have an optic that sits lower then the spacer may be unnecessary, but it is good to have available either way.
Eye relief for the G45 is listed as 2.6 inches. I have found this to be fairly tight, with not as big of an eye box and wiggle room as I would have liked, but very comparable to my 1-6 VUDU LPVO when zoomed in at 5X magnification.
The glass clarity is really good. At 5X, almost everything I see looks like a clear and sharp image. However, with my magnifier, I am noticing some slight distortion at around the far 5% edge of the glass around most of the border. It’s not bad, but slightly noticeable so not true “edge to edge” clarity. Nonetheless, this is still a great performing magnifier and I am still happy with my purchase.
A cool thing about magnifiers is that they just zoom in on what you are already seeing. They do not change the zero of your optic but instead magnify everything downrange. While looking through this G45 paired with an EOTECH holographic weapon sight, the reticle looks bigger, but it is still the same size. To me, this is kind of like a front focal plane scope. Any magnification just zooms in on the reticle, and all of your holds or hash marks remain the same. For those who train at distance and know their holds in relation to their reticles, a magnifier just lets you see more clearly while keeping all your previous holds. From just identifying things to being able to see your rounds hit or miss, a magnifier can provide a huge benefit for those trying to reach further out.
Recently I made a video showing what looking through the optic looks like and then shooting with and without it at about 150 yards. For those who want to see a little action through the magnifier, you can view it over on my Instagram page here.
Coming in at 12.8 oz, the G45 adds a little weight for a lot of capability. From being stowed to the side to keep your 1x vision for taking full advantage of the speed red dots or holographic sights provide, to being flipped up and adding that extra 5X for identifying targets or taking more precise shots at further distances, the EOTECH G45 is a nice addition for a “do-it-all” build. I believe EOTECH did a great job designing this optic and increasing the G33’s capabilities while reducing the size and slightly increasing the weight for the G45. I will take 5X over 3X any day when it comes to magnifiers, and the EOTECH G45 is a solid performer. You can find read more, or purchase it over on EOTECH’s website here.
I have the G45/XPS3 setup, as well as a 3x Trijicon magnifier for my T2z. The magnifiers add a lot of capability to the RDS-equipped carbine, SBR, or AR-pistol. If you are already running an EOTECH or comparable RDS, $715 is a lot cheaper than a good LPVO w/a Q.D. Mount and an offset RDS – and you do not give up the speed that the RDS gives you.
$715 FOR A TUBE MAGNIFIER???? No wonder you never mentioned price anywhere in your lengthy review. I wouldn’t have wasted my time reading it.