The world at night is a mysterious place, with many things that we can’t see during the day. Have you ever thought of using some high-tech devices to explore the secrets of the night? For example: you can use night vision binoculars to observe animals, human bodies and other targets, or you can use Thermal imagers binocular to see the heat radiation emitted by objects, and find and track some heat-emitting targets, such as human bodies, animals and other objects. These are all very cool and interesting experiences, aren’t they? But do you know how night vision binoculars and thermal imaging binoculars work? What are their advantages and disadvantages? How to choose the right device according to your needs and budget? If you are interested in these questions, then this article is written for you.

We hope this article can help you learn more about night observation devices, and let you choose the right device according to your needs and budget. We take the example of urban police fighting crime to illustrate.

Working principle

Have you ever wondered why we can’t see things clearly at night? This is because our eyes need light to see objects. Light is a kind of electromagnetic wave, which has different wavelengths and colors. The light we can see is called visible light, which has a wavelength between 380 nanometers and 760 nanometers. Visible light includes red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and purple. When light shines on an object, the object reflects or absorbs some of the light, and then sends the remaining light to our eyes. There is something in our eyes called cone cells, which can sense different colors of light and convert them into electrical signals. These electrical signals are the images we see.

But at night, there is very little visible light, so our eyes don’t receive enough light signals, and we can’t see things clearly. At this time, we need a device to help us enhance the night image. This device is night time binoculars. night time binoculars are devices that use weak visible light or near-infrared light to enhance night images. Near-infrared light is a kind of light with a longer wavelength than red light, which has a wavelength between 760 nanometers and 3000 nanometers. Near-infrared light is invisible to humans, but visible to some animals and plants. Near-infrared light can also be reflected or absorbed by objects, just like visible light. This can make us see farther and clearer at night.

Did you know that everything emits heat, even ice cubes? This heat is like a kind of light, but we can’t see it. Only some special devices can see it, such as thermal imaging binoculars. Thermal imaging binoculars are like a camera, they can collect this heat light and then turn it into electrical signals. The electrical signals contain a lot of information, such as the temperature of each point. There is a small computer inside the Thermal imagers binocular, which can analyze this information and then assign a color to each point. For example, the places that are hot are red, and the places that are cold are blue. Then, the Thermal imagers binocular show these colors on a screen, so we can see how hot or cold things are. This is how thermal imaging binoculars work.

Night vision binoculars

Night vision binoculars are suitable for night observation with certain light sources, such as starlight, moonlight or artificial light sources. They can be used to observe distant targets, as well as close-range observation.

Here are the advantages and disadvantages of night time binoculars:

Thermal imaging telescope

Thermal imaging telescope is suitable for night observation regardless of the presence or absence of light source, and can even see through obstacles such as haze, smoke, etc. It can be used to detect and track heat-emitting targets, such as human body, animals, machinery, etc. It can also be used to detect and diagnose some faults or leaks, such as circuits, pipes, etc.

The following are the advantages and disadvantages of thermal imaging telescope:

Based on the above comparison and analysis, we can draw the following conclusions:

Night vision binoculars and Thermal vision goggles each have their own advantages and disadvantages, there is no perfect device, nor is there a useless device. They have different performances in different application scenarios, and you need to choose the appropriate device according to your own needs and budget. Night time binoculars and Thermal imagers binocular can also complement each other, using both devices can get more comprehensive and accurate information.

So, in the city, how should police choose nite vision binoculars and Thermal imagers binocular for crime fighting applications? Here are some reference suggestions:

In the city, the lighting is often bad, and sometimes there may be bright light or glare that makes it hard to see with night time binoculars. Thermal vision goggles can see in any light, and they can look through stuff like fog, smoke, and so on. This is really important for the police, because they have to find and chase bad guys or targets in all kinds of places. Even if the image of thermal imaging binoculars is not very clear and real, they can use other things to know who or what they are looking at, like sound, smell, and so on. When there is some light, they can use night vision binoculars to see the color and shape of the target and other things. When it’s dark or there are things in the way, they can use thermal imaging binoculars to see the heat and location of the target and other information. This can help the police see better and more accurately and catch more criminals.

However, for most ordinary people, using Thermal vision goggles is completely unnecessary. Not to mention the high price of thousands of dollars, but also the high cost of subsequent maintenance. And choosing night time binoculars will not have this problem at all. For example, WildGuarder’s Owler1 is very good: https://www.wildguarder.com/owler1-night-vision-binoculars/.

FAQ

Q: What is the difference between night vision binoculars and thermal imaging binoculars?

A: Night vision binoculars are devices that use weak visible light or near-infrared light to enhance night images, while thermal imaging binoculars are devices that use the thermal radiation emitted by objects to form night images. nite vision binoculars need a certain light source to work, while Thermal vision goggles do not need any light source, as long as there is a temperature difference between objects, they can work.

Q: What are the advantages and disadvantages of night vision binoculars and thermal imaging binoculars?

A: Night vision binoculars are good because they are cheaper, have clear and real images, and can zoom in more. But they are bad because they need light, can be messed up by other things, and are heavier. Thermal vision goggles are good because they don’t need light, can’t be messed up by other things, and are lighter. But they are bad because they are more expensive, have weird and fake images, and can’t zoom in as much.

Q: In what situations should night vision binoculars or thermal imaging binoculars be used?

A: In night observations with a certain light source, nite vision binoculars can be used to observe the color and shape of the target and other details. In night observations without a light source or with obstacles, thermal imaging binoculars can be used to observe the temperature and position of the target and other information.

Q: Can night vision binoculars and thermal imaging binoculars be used at the same time?

A: Yes. nite vision binoculars and thermal imaging binoculars can complement each other, and using both devices can get more comprehensive and accurate information.

Q: How to choose the right night vision binoculars or thermal imaging binoculars?

A: Choosing the right night vision binoculars or thermal imaging binoculars depends on your own needs and budget. Generally speaking, you need to consider the following factors:

• Usage scenario: Choose the suitable device type according to the target and environment you want to observe.
• Performance indicators: Choose the appropriate image intensifier tube generation or detector resolution according to your requirements for image quality and observation distance.
• Brand reputation: Choose a brand with good reputation and guarantee according to your trust in the device quality and after-sales service.
• Price budget: Choose a product that meets the cost-effectiveness according to the cost range you can afford.

Q: Will solar panels affect the effect of thermal imaging binoculars?

A: No. Solar panels are devices that convert sunlight into electricity, and they do not emit a lot of thermal radiation. Therefore, when using thermal imaging binoculars to observe solar panels, you will not see obvious temperature differences. On the contrary, using solar panels may cause reflection or glare, which will affect the effect of nite vision binoculars. Therefore, if you want to observe solar panels, it is recommended to use thermal vision goggles instead of nite vision binoculars.