Most thermal imagers we sell will outperform any of the Generation 1 night vision units, and some will come closer to a generation 3 unit. If you are primarily looking at a night viewing device, you may want to consider the price difference between the two types of units. A good Generation 3 night vision unit such as the ITT PVS-14 will run you about $3,400 while a High end Thermal Imager such as the FLIR Thermosight will run at just over $10,000. This unit is about as good as it gets, and is also weapon mountable. _________________ Best Regards,