Night vision for birding

Guest · Posted: Mon Mar 26, 2007 11:26 am Post subject: Night vision for birding

Hello,

I'm interested in using night vision goggles (or monocular) for birding and other wildlife observations; I'm particularly hoping to track down owls in the forest.

I have never used night vision equipment, but I am quite familiar with binoculars and the general qualities associated with more expensive optics. Let's say my price range is around $1200 (of course less is best), and I'm leaning towards lightly used equipment.

I'd love any recommendations, including general features to look for, or specific models. I am aware of the differences between Gen 1, 2, and 3.
Would Gen 2 be sufficient, or do you think gen 3 would be necessary?

Is there much out there that is compatible with binoculars, or zoom-able?

Thanks for any advice.

opticsplanet.com · Posted: Mon Mar 26, 2007 11:36 am Post subject:

Hi

The first thing you need to keep in mind is that NV is low resolution technology and adding too much magnification simply degrades image quality to the point of being useless, especially if you are trying to study fine detail, as with birds. Forget adding an NV to a bino or a zoomable NV. Not an option.

Also be aware that you are not going to see natural colors with an NV, so if you need color for an ID on owls, NV is not going to be much help. Just depends on how much detail you need to see. If you are just trying to locate owls, NV will definitely work.

At that price, you can move into Gen 2, but not gen 3. If you are just trying to locate owls, I'd say Gne 2 will certainly work. If you are studying detail, I'd try to budget for Gen 3.
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