Not so long ago, infrared binoculars and night vision goggles were only used by military forces and for night operations. They were also widely used as gadgets in the action, sci-fi and espionage film industries. Today, however, night vision binoculars are available to everyone, and at an affordable price, enabling you to get much closer views of your surroundings, day and night.

With this in mind, let's take a look at who night vision binoculars are for, and how everyone can benefit from them. We'll also look at what to look out for before buying your model.

Why use night vision binoculars?

You might think that night-vision binoculars are just a means to an end. for hunters only. While it's true that hunters have every interest use night vision binoculars to better distinguish their prey in the dark, they are not the only ones to consider night vision goggles as very useful tools.

Campers also appreciate the ability to see better in the dark. Nothing is more frightening than camping in the middle of nowhere, only to be awakened by a noise of unknown origin in the middle of the night. Night vision binoculars can play an important role in keeping you safe.as well as that of your family, friends and anyone else camping with you.

You may also be surprised to learn that some night vision binoculars can also be used in daylight. What's more, some models can record images and videos, making them an excellent choice for anyone looking to record their camping or hiking experiences, then publish them on social networks.

How do night vision binoculars work?

Night vision binoculars can work in several ways. L'thermal imaging is one possible mode of operation. It produces the kind of images you've probably seen in movies or on TV.

Many objects emit heat, in the form of infrared light. Thermal imaging detects this infrared light and displays it to the user.

This technology is excellent for observing people and animals, as their body heat stands out easily against a cold background. With these instruments, depending on the amount of heat released, certain areas of the target will appear in different colors. The disadvantage is that, if the environment is also hot, the binoculars will also detect the heat of background elements, making it difficult for the target to stand out.

Thermal imaging instruments therefore work best in particularly dark and, ideally, cool environments.

The infrared light detection is the second operating mode generally used by night vision binoculars. Except in rare circumstances, there's always a small amount of ambient light to help you see in the dark. Like objects also reflect infrared light, binoculars can detect and enhance it.

This is called optoelectronic image enhancement, and the result is an image with a strong greenish tint. This technology is now well-established and is the most common mode of operation for night vision binoculars.

A more recent, but less widespread, method is digital image enhancement. It works by capturing ambient light, then enhancing it to produce an image color image. The drawback? As this is a very recent, cutting-edge technology, it's also more expensive.

How to choose the best night vision binoculars?

There are a number of factors to consider when buying night vision binoculars:

• Range
• Image quality
• Weight

Range

Night vision binoculars have a range of than your own daytime vision. Specifically, your eyes can observe objects and detect movement from miles away, whereas night vision binoculars are generally limited to targets less than a kilometer away.

On average, the binoculars we've selected for you offer a range of around 700 m.

Image quality

Ordinary binoculars use a combination of glass lenses and prisms to reproduce the image, binoculars use light-sensitive chips. These chips capture incoming light and enhance it to produce a clear, sharp image. Added benefit: you can record what you see on an SD card.

Another advantage of using electronics to process the image is that many night vision goggles can zoom in digitallylike the camera on your cell phone (but usually not to the same extent).

The weight

As with ordinary binoculars, weight is an important criterion to take into account. when choosing night vision instruments. When you're out and about, you'll certainly want to be able to access your binoculars quickly and easily, and you'll also want to avoid them becoming cumbersome or tiring your arms if you use them for long periods.

On average, 10x50 binoculars weigh between 680 and 900 g. Pleasantly surprisingly, night vision binoculars generally weigh a little less, averaging 560 g.

Frequently asked questions