It’s essential to understand the different factors you should look into before making your decision, so you can make the most out of your purchase. The battery life is often limited, and the quality of the image can be adversely affected by colder temperatures.Īs we’ve discussed above, both night vision and thermal scopes have their pros and cons. They are also expensive and you might have to undergo training to interpret the images correctly. This is why firefighters use thermal technology.Ī primary disadvantage of thermal imaging is that it is quite heavy to carry. On top of that, you’ll be able to see through dust, smoke, and fog with ease. In fact, one of the most significant advantages of thermal imaging scopes is that they function correctly in day and night and don’t require infrared light. Thermal vision is a little more versatile since it can be used in any kind of lighting condition. This thermogram is then turned into electrical impulses that become a picture on your screen. Thermal imaging uses a special kind of lens that focuses on infrared light and creates a thermogram. Thermal scopes detect radiation or heat given off by any living object. It can’t be used in daylight either as it be permanently damaged if exposed to a bright light. So unless you have an infrared illuminator, it’s pretty much useless in completely dark environments. Its need for ambient light makes night vision limited.

Night vision scopes are used to being mounted on rifles and are overall more rugged, stable, and absorbs recoil like a champ. Night vision technology has been around a lot longer than thermal optics. Additionally, night vision scopes are cheaper and more compact in size. It allows you to differentiate between finer details. Night vision delivers a higher quality image. The regular night vision displays the traditional green and black while the updated digital night vision is typically displayed in black and white on the LCD screen. You’ll also see a newer classification of night vision scopes called Digital Night Vision. In simple terms, the higher the generation, the better the quality.

If you’re looking through the market for night vision optics, you’ll see different ratings for them - Gen I, II, or III. Newer models come with infrared illuminators that work like flashlights for the scope but aren’t visible to the naked eye. If you’re shooting at night, the moonlight and stars usually provide enough light. Therefore, it needs some sort of ambient light to function. Night vision works by taking light or reflections of light and intensifying them into a crystal clear image. Which one would work best for your needs and budget?īy the end of this guide, you’ll know exactly the answer to that. Instead of focusing on whether a night vision scope is better than thermal or vice versa, the real question is:

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