However, it does fit Gen III tubes, and is typically significantly cheaper than the more popular options. They also generally don’t feature things like adjustable gain, and glass quality is mediocre. Don’t expect to be able to aim down a sight with these on - an IR laser is practically mandatory. It seriously hinders weapon use and navigation at night, and is much bulkier than its competition.

The goggle takes a single Gen III or II tube, and outputs the image to both of your eyes. PVS-7: The PVS-7 is outdated and definitely not tacticool.These cover the $1500-$4000 range depending on quality, specifications, and attached tube. I’m going to cover the PVS-7, ENVIS, PVS-14, and MUM-14 as viable beginner’s Gen III sets. Housings are what hold the intensifier tube, and can generally be rated based on their optical quality, weight, and feature set. There are a wide variety of mountable housings currently on the market. In addition, digital night vision is becoming a thing - see their section. This will be covered in more detail later. Functionally, Gen 3 devices offer better light intensification, clarity, with options for things like autogating and white phosphor rather than the standard green. The distinction between Gen 2 and 3 is more blurry, especially given the wide range of devices encompassed within Gen 3. This isn’t a concern for the majority of people, but since we’re on /r/tacticalgear I’m assuming it’s a concern for you. This means that anyone with a Gen 1 device is broadcasting their location to Gen 2 and 3 users, as these more modern devices can spot the IR light source. Gen 2 and 3 devices are both light-enhancers, which take in ambient light and amplify it to produce a usable image. Generation 3: mostly mil, advanced light-amplifying, with options for additional features.Generation 2: mix of civ/mil, basic light-amplifying (takes ambient light and magnifies it).

Generation 1: mostly civilian, and utilize an IR light source to illuminate the target.NVGs can be broadly separated into three generations, each with their own merits. This is mostly not the case, as higher quality housings are typically mated with higher quality tubes, but it’s something to keep in mind. you can have Gen 2 PVS-31’s, or Gen 3+ WP PVS-7’s. Something that a lot of people get confused about is the fact that the generation does not refer to the common name of a device, but rather the tube inside. These contain image intensification tubes inside - typically an MX10160 for modern devices, although there’s plenty of other compatible versions. The housing is something with a name you are likely familiar with - i.e. Your standard NVG is comprised of a housing and a tube. This guide will focus on helmet-mountable NVGs, as this is the category that I am most familiar with. Both handheld and helmet-mountable versions exist, with mountable versions typically being more expensive and more useful. These can be broadly separated into two categories of equipment: Night vision goggles/night observation devices (NVG/NOD), and night vision scopes/cameras. Night vision is a category of optical accessories which allow you to see at night. You should expect to spend between $1000-$5000 depending on the set of options you choose, as presented in this document. This is intended as a basic guide for people intending on entering the market. I am not an expert, and this should not be taken as gospel. In this guide, we will cover some housings, tubes, accessories, specifications, IR laser/illuminators, and mounts. This is intended to serve as a basic guide to NVGs, and is not intended to be comprehensive.

The night vision market has seen a huge increase interest recently, and with that has come a lot of bullshit. Thank you so much /u/Raven_Of_Chernobyl for putting this guide together.

Seen vs saw for dummies