Night vision
How digital night vision works, and what it cannot do
How digital night vision binoculars use a camera sensor and an 850 nm infrared lamp, how they differ from image intensifiers and thermal, and their real limits.
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Digital night vision binoculars and monoculars
Digital night vision devices use a camera sensor that picks up near-infrared light, plus a built-in infrared lamp that lights the scene with light your eyes cannot see. You look at a small screen inside the eyepiece. The same devices work in colour in daylight, and they can save what you see as photos and video.
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How digital night vision works
A normal camera sensor in a night vision device is sensitive to near-infrared light just beyond what the human eye can see. In low light the device switches to night mode and turns on its infrared illuminator, usually at a wavelength of 850 nm. That lamp floods the scene in front of you, the sensor records the reflected infrared, and the picture appears on the screen in black and white or green. Our guide How digital night vision works explains the technology and how it differs from image intensifier tubes and thermal imaging.
What to expect
- Range depends on the infrared lamp. The distances given in specifications are best-case figures. Animals stay recognisable at much shorter distances than the maximum.
- 850 nm lamps show a faint red glow at the front of the device when switched on. Animals and people looking straight at it may notice it.
- Fog, rain and falling snow reflect infrared back at the sensor, which washes out the picture.
- Glass reflects it too. Looking through a window with the lamp on usually just shows the reflection.
Good practice after dark
Watch badgers, foxes, deer and owls from a distance, stay on paths, and keep the lamp off people and their homes. Bring a spare power source on cold nights, because batteries run down faster in the cold.
Guides on this topic
Frequently asked questions
Do digital night vision binoculars work in total darkness?
Yes, within the reach of their infrared lamp. In total darkness the lamp provides all the light the sensor sees, so the picture fades with distance. Some ambient light, such as moonlight, helps the image at longer range.
Can I use night vision binoculars during the day?
Yes. Digital devices work in daylight and show a colour picture, so you can also use them as a camera with a zoom. Never point them at the Sun.
Can night vision see through windows or fog?
Not well. Glass reflects the infrared lamp straight back, and fog, rain and snow scatter it. Step outside, or switch the lamp off and rely on outside light when looking through glass.