There are two main types of night vision: analog and digital. In this blog, we will mainly discuss analog night vision, as that is what our site offers.
Analog night vision amplifies light using a light amplification tube. Residual light is everywhere, but human eyes cannot always perceive it. These tubes are called, in all technical documentation, IITs (Image Intensifier Tubes), and we will adhere to this convention.
IITs are divided into 4 generations: Gen 0, Gen 1, Gen 2, and Gen 3. Attention! If you hear someone say they have Gen 4, they are 100% lying, as it does not exist, at least not for the current market. Thus, we will discuss each generation in turn.
Generation 0 - The first generation of intensifier tubes, initially used during World War II, relied on an active infrared illumination system to function, which made the devices visible and quite rudimentary compared to modern standards.
Generation 1 - Developed in the '60s, this represents the first major level of evolution, offering low performance by today's standards but superior to Generation 0. Generally, Generation 1 devices need infrared (IR) light. The advantage of these tubes is the low price.
Disadvantages are: the almost constant need to have a very powerful IR projector turned on; another disadvantage is that Generation 1 tubes distort a lot at the edges.
Generation 2 - Introduces the microchannel plate (MCP), which amplifies electrons much more efficiently, providing a brighter and clearer image. Gen 2 significantly improves the quality of night vision, with a lifespan between 2500 and 5000 hours and is more suitable for professional uses and law enforcement applications.
Generation 2+ - the differences between Generation 2 and 2+ consist of the fact that Generation 2+ has a higher level of light amplification and higher resolution. These small improvements make the night vision devices of Generation 2+ generally perform better in low light conditions compared to Generation 2 devices.
Generation 3 - Is the current standard for military applications and law enforcement in the USA, using a gallium arsenide photocathode for improved performance in extremely low light conditions. Gen 3 tubes offer a long lifespan (over 10,000 hours) and the ability to operate in a wider variety of lighting conditions.
These are the basics of night vision devices. Next, we will delve into a more complex topic, namely what you should look for when you want to buy an analog night vision device.