Night Vision Binoculars are the most popular type of binoculars available on the market. These binoculars help you see objects, people or animals in no light or low light conditions. Whether you are a security guard monitoring the grounds of a building or a civilian on a night safari game drive, night vision binoculars will come in handy.

There are currently multiple generations of night vision binoculars. These generations vary in price and performance. The bottom generation (gen 1) is the one typically used by civilians. These binoculars are the most inexpensive and therefore are affordable. The night vision binoculars in this tier amplify ambient light by a factor of 1000.

The second generation goes up in price and in performance. The images are sharper, brighter and clearer but with an increased cost for the binoculars. These binoculars are typically used by first responders such as police and rescue units.

The third generation is even better quality the the bottom two. These are the highest priced binoculars. The brightness and crispness of the image is superior to the other generations. These binoculars are typically used by military personnel.

So how will you know which night vision binoculars is right for you? To determine which binoculars is right for you, you will need to establish how you are going to use them.

Some of the more popular ways to use night vision binoculars include (but are not limited to);

- Night safari
- Night hunting
- Navigating at night
- Surveillance
- Security

Each of these uses has a specific requirement and may require a different model of binocular. Deciding what they will be used for and who will use them will help you decide which one to purchase. So now that we’ve decided what we’re using them for, how exactly do night vision binoculars work?

Night vision binoculars amplify exisiting light from the surrounding environment. What this means is that light, that exists in the area around the binocular, is enhanced so that it appears inside the binocular to be much brighter than the aurrounding darkness. The light used is not only the visible light but also light from the infrared part of the spectrum. The image then appears green inside the binocular. This does not mean that the image suddenly has turned into the Incredible Hulk. It just means that you are looking at the image as it is displayed on a phosphor screen.

The type of light you will be using the night vision binoculars in will dictate the type of binocular you will need to use. A full moonnight or one which has alot of stars in the sky will be perfect for the lowest generation ( gen 1). But as the available light is diminished (half moon, few stars) or eliminated (dark clouds or no stars) more powerful generations ( gen 2 or gen 3) of night visions binoculars will be needed.

Whatever your intended use, night vision binoculars will be able to bring to life those things that go bump in the night!