Night Vision report page 5 of 7

Characteristics of Night Vision

Using intensified night vision is different from using regular binoculars and/or your own

eyes. Below are some of the aspects of night vision that you should be aware of when you

are using an image intensified night vision system.

Textures, Light and Dark

Objects that appear light during the day but have a dull surface may appear darker,

through the night vision unit, than objects that are dark during the day but have a highly

reflective surface. For example, a shinny dark colored jacket may appear brighter than a

light colored jacket with a dull surface.

Depth Perception

Night vision does not present normal depth perception.

Fog and Rain

Night vision is very responsive to reflective ambient light; therefore, the light reflecting

off of fog or heavy rain causes much more light to go toward the night vision unit and

may degrade its performance.

Honeycomb

This is a faint hexagonal pattern which is the result of the manufacturing process.

Black Spots

A few black spots throughout the image area are also inherent characteristics of all night

vision technology. These spots will remain constant and should not increase in size or

number. See example below of an image with black spots.

Equipments

Night-vision equipment can be split into three broad categories:

Scopes - Normally handheld or mounted on a weapon, scopes are monocular (one eye-piece). Since scopes are handheld, not worn like goggles, they are good for when you want to get a better look at a specific object and then return to normal viewing conditions.

Goggles - While goggles can be handheld, they are most often worn on the head. Goggles are binocular (two eye-pieces) and may have a single lens or stereo lens, depending on the model. Goggles are excellent for constant viewing, such as moving around in a dark building.

Cameras - Cameras with night-vision technology can send the image to a monitor for display or to a VCR for recording. When night-vision capability is desired in a permanent location, such as on a building or as part of the equipment in a helicopter, cameras are used. Many of the newer camcorders

have night vision built right in.