Comparing Night Vision Devices
If this is your first time shopping for a night vision device, you may find the choices overwhelming. Below, we review the 4 major types of night vision devices, their uses, and pros and cons of each to help get you started.
| Device | What They Are | What They Are Used For | Pros | Cons |
| Night Vision Monoculars | A single eye unit that has no magnification. | Extremely versatile, they can be mounted to rifle scopes, weapons, and cameras. | Often small and light enough to be carried in a shirt pocket. Allows you to switch back and forth between eyes, helping you maintain better awareness of your surroundings. | Having enhanced night vision in only one eye often does not feel natural to the user. |
| Night Vision Goggles | A device that allows viewing with both eyes, has no magnification, and can be mounted to your head. | Excellent for shorter duration navigation and stationary observation activities. | Better depth perception improves your ability to navigate while using them. | The increased size and weight makes them less versatile. |
| Night Vision Binoculars | A device having two eyepieces with magnification built in. | Primarily designed to magnify images at longer distances while staying stationary. | The best for viewing objects at a distance. | The majority have fixed magnification and are always “zoomed in,” making close objects appear too large. |
| Night Vision Scopes | A device that either attaches to or mounts directly in front of the objective of a regular daylight scope. | Long range night hunting. | Day/night version excellent when you need both day and night capability but cannot carry two rifles. | Day/night version does not gather as much light as a dedicated night scope. |
This is meant to be a very brief overview of your options. For a more in-depth analysis, please visit the Night Vision 4 Less “How to Choose Between Night Vision Devices” page at http://www.nightvision4less.com/education-center-night-vision-devices.aspx. You can also call us at 1-800-771-6845 if you have any questions.
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