Night Vision Optics

Night Vision Optics

Whether you are a hunter, wanting to protect your home or business, or a keen amateur or professional photographer that likes to work in low light there is a night vision optics device available to help you. No longer just used by the military night vision optics devices can be found to fit almost any budget.

How do night vision optics work?

You will find that the majority of night vision optics products that you will find in the stores use image enhancement or passive night vision which means that they are very similar to cameras and binoculars. The front lens gathers light, which is funnelled through a photocathode tube where it is converted into electrons after being enhanced.

The electrons are made bigger and are then projected onto a phosphorous screen, which is why you will see a greenish tint when you look through them.

What can night vision optics be used for?

Security

Night vision optics can be used to help keep your home or your business secure though there are some additional factors that assist the night vision optics and ensure that they have the optimal conditions to work in:

The lighting that you need: night vision optics allow vision in the dark but you can help them with their job by providing infrared illumination otherwise the images that you end up with may be difficult to see, grainy images. This is especially important for digital night vision optics. The infrared lights cannot be seen by anyone that is breaking in but for the night vision optics they create a bright area for them to operate in;

Solar power in case of power failure: when you purchase a night vision optics security pack there is an option to include emergency solar power for backup. In case of power failure or if an intruder cuts the power, you will always have power available for your night vision optics camera and accessories.

Night vision optics for hunters

Night vision optics rifle scopes: these are an obvious use of night vision devices. They are very popular with hunters at night to be able to locate prey easily in the dark when some of their favourite animals are active;

Laser aiming dots: these are invisible to the human eye and help to improve the shooting accuracy of every hunter;
Weapon mounted infrared illuminator: this supports and enhances the illuminators that are fixed to the scope and they increase the range to between 100 to 200 yards;

Laser range finders: this piece of equipment will accurately tell you how far that your target is away from you;

Thermal Sensors: that will help you track down injured prey. You can scan large areas and look for signs of body heat to flush out your target.

For your camera

Do you want to take photographs or video in the dark and get a good, clear image? Here are some tips on how night vision optics can help you:

• Camera adopter: this allows you to connect your still camera to your night vision optics and the image that will be recorded is the image that can be viewed through the night vision optics when you utilise a macro setting;

• Video night vision optics photography: with most modern video cameras you can directly link your night vision optics to your camera through a standard RCA connection link. The image can then easily be downloaded directly to your computer;

• Camera night vision optics lighting: to avoid grainy images you will to employ infrared lighting to illuminate the scene.

There are many types of infrared lights available on the market and what you choose will be dependent on your photographic requirements.

What to look for when buying night vision optics

• Night vision optics sensitivity: the sensitivity of night vision optics is measured by photocathode and the higher the photo cathode the better it will be able to detect images in low light:

• Magnification: the higher the magnification or resolution the better image quality. You will find that the image is sharper and clearer;

• Resistance to water: where are you going to be using your night vision optics device. If you are planning to use it near water or it will be exposed to the weather when it is installed then it may be a good idea to look at water resistant models;

• Battery Life: Check out the anticipated battery life of the unit as their may be a large variation between the different models. If you are going to be using the night vision optics for extended periods of time perhaps purchase a spare battery or look at options for back up power;

• Size does matter: If your night vision optics are something that you will need to carry with other equipment, perhaps I difficult terrain, consider the weight of the devise that you purchase as well as the size so pick one that will fit your requirements;

• Cover yourself with a warranty: always buy equipment with a warranty and a decent one. You don’t like to think that anything will go wrong with your purchase but in case it does you are covered.

It is also worth seeing if you can buy a device that provides support in case you do have issues you are not on your own but have access to professionals who can answer your questions.