Sight Zoom Levels

Comparisons between zoom levels of the in game weapon sights.

Intro

There are several sights available for use in Payday 2, And while they can make target acquisition and aiming easier, you have to play around with the different sights to find what you like as you cannot preview their sight picture without entering a heist. So I've put together a quick little reference for comparing sight pictures and zoom levels. Most sights are available to most guns, and most of those are available for the Riktpunkt Magnifier gadget. Some sights are weapon specific, and some are categorically specific.

the Sights will be listed the Categories: Common, Gadget, Sniper, Pistol, and Other
Modeled on the JP36 since it accepts all common sights and has a specific sight as well.

Common Sights

As a baseline; here is the JP36 with the default ironsights:

And the available sights in order from least to highest magnification. The Magnifier gadget has a flat magnification across all applicable sights but the sight picture changes based on how far forward the sight sits. Sights farther forward will have more peripheral available, but smaller reticle.

Surgeon Sight
While the Surgeon sight provides the smallest increase to zoom, it still gets the same level of magnification with the Riktpunkt Magnifier giving it the largest difference between zoom levels while in a heist. (It's still a tiny sight though)

--DLC--Compact Holosight

Holographic sight

Professionals Choice Sight

--DLC--See More Sight

--DLC--Speculator Sight


These next two sights have the same level of zoom as the rifle scopes: Reconnaissance, Milspec, and Military Red Dot yet the Trig sight only decreases concealment by 1 and the Solar Sight by 2.
--DLC--Solar Sight

--DLC--Trigonom Sight

Rifle Scopes

These sights are unavailable in conjunction with the Riktpunkt Magnifier Gadget. Offering a higher than normal magnification (and higher concealment penalty) these sights offer a zoom on par with the sniper scopes. In order from least to most Zoom:

--DLC--Combat Sight
This sight does not magnify as much as the default sniper scopes, but does only reduce concealment by 1.


Military Red Dot Sight

Milspec Sight

---DLC---Reconnaissance Sight
This sight includes a range finder.

Acough Sight
Oddly enough, The Acough offers a zoom level higher than the default sniper scopes but not as high as any of the common sights magnified with the Riktpunkt Magnifier

Gadget Sights

These are sights available as an additional "Gadget" sitting on an offset canted rail. Pressing the gadget key will swap your view between the primary sight and these offset sights while aiming. Their usefulness is limited to presenting a quick swap to an unmagnified sight while maintaining a magnified primary sight or scope.
Note; you cannot use one of these angled sights with a laser on the gun as they both occupy the same "slot"

Riktpunkt 45 degree sight

--DLC--45 degree red dot sight

--DLC--Sniper Angled Ironsights
This sight is available only on Sniper rifles

Sniper Sights

Each sniper comes with a default magnified scope, with two optional Sniper specific scopes that include range-finders and automatically mark specials while aiming. (there is currently a bug that prevents marking guards in stealth.)

Each snipers default scope has the same level of magnification, with some slightly differing Black levels. Oddly enough, The Repeater 1874 "optional" scope has one of the highest magnification levels.

Optional Scopes:
--DLC--Theia Magnified Scope

--DLC--Box Buddy Sight


Default Scopes and Ironsights (where available)
Platypus

Rattlesnake

R93

Thanatos

Nagant

Repeater 1874

Lebensauger

Desertfox

Contractor .308

Grom

Pistol Sights

Model pistol is the Bernetti 9
At the baseline, Pistol Ironsights:

The Bernetti 9, Crosskill, and Deagle pistols have an optional Marksman Ironsights with a slightly increased zoom with no concealment detriment.

Most semi-automatic pistols can take the Pistol Red Dot Sight (--DLC--) with a comparable magnification to many other sights.

The Contractor and Akimbo Contractor pistols have an optional Tritium Ironsights (--DLC--). These glow red and buff accuracy without a cost to concealment, though do not increase zoom.

Other Sights

Herein are other sights Specific to certain weapons.
The JP36 used to showcase the majority of the common sights has an optional "JP36 Original Sight" with a magnification level similar to the Acough (better than default sniper zoom) with the standards +4 stability but No drop in concealment. It does, however, have a large body around a small sight picture. and the magnifier is not available, though 45 degree sights may be used.

The Broomstick pistol is a funny one. The pistol can take the Pistol Red Dot, but there is also a specific Barrel Sight 44 (--DLC--) available with one of the highest zoom levels in Payday2. This ridiculous sight sits on the side of the gun and essentially turns the pistol into a pocket sniper, but you will need to mod appropriately and use Accuracy buffing skills to make sure the gun fires true enough to snipe with.

And Everyone's favourite Shotgun, The Raven, has a set of "flip up" sights. While they do not flip up in game, they do improve concealment by 2 and in my opinion provide a wider viewing aperture while maintaining a singular focal point.
Default:

Flip-Up:

[Helikopterhandmann]

Another thing: Some sights (like the Original Sight of the JP36) actually are two sights in one. In normal gameplay, only one can be used (for the JP36 it's the red dot sight), in VR, you can use both (one magnified, one unmagnified).

[Corvo]

If i'm not mistaken, to recap it on few worlds :

Zoom level 0 : most iron sights
Zoom level 1 : Chirugical, pistol sights
Zoom level 2 : Speculateur, holographic, holographic compact, Professional choice, See more, combat sight
Zoom level 3 : Trigonom, Solar, Reconnaissance, milspec, millitary red dot, JP36 Original Sight, most sniper defaults sights
Zoom level 4 : Acough
Zoom level 5 : Theia, Box Buddy, Broomstick Barrel Sight 44, most sights combined with Riktpunkt Magnifier

[SinpaiKuronan]

Could use some updating but still by far the most helpful of all Sight/Scope guides.

[RICK BO]

@Love Thanks, already noted in the sniper scope introductions. There was a bug that prevented the Theia and Box Buddy from marking guards while the heist was still in stealth, but that has been patched and works properly now (as of 2018 June 20)

[mentibee]

just a heads up: theia and box buddy have rangefinders that auto-tag enemies, immensely helpful

[Chewatch]

thanks for the info m8 :)