Night vision equipment is highly valuable on hunting expeditions and tactical excursion. The ability to see in the dark is often the difference between life and death or serious injury. But before you buy night vision equipment, you must consider a few things that would determine the kind of night vision equipment you need.

Probably the most important aspect of night vision equipmentto consider before you buy a night vision device is the generation. Night vison equipment is divided into four generations and the generation of a night vision device is the deciding factor when it comes to performance and price of the device.

Generation 1

Generation 1 is the oldest technology in night vision equipment and therefore the least expensive. The performance is lowest as compared to other generations. The features include objective size – which means that large objectives supply more light, magnification – which can’t go too high because Gen 1 devices have low resolution which means that at high resolutions the distortion would be too great, and an IR (infrared) illuminator. These devices require a few seconds to power up and don’t have a lot of range. The ideal conditions are full moonlight in which they have a little more than a 100 yards of range. They have pronounced optical distortion on the edge of the field of vision and are not too good on overall performance.

Generation 2

Generation 2 is miles away from Gen 1 in terms of performance and also price. The Gen 2 night vision equipment has much less distortion on the edge of field of vision thanks to a higher quality tube and a screen with much better contrast and resolution. This means more range and better detection. Gen 2 devices allow you a variety of options in both resolution and tube type. This allows you to buy a device that has the specification you desire, with the price being proportional to the resolution of the device – which is the most common measure of tube performance and should always be checked when buying a night vision device.

Generation 3

Gen 3 is the highest generation of night vision equipment commonly available, and is the generation of choice for serious users. Gen 3 is able to detect human sized objects up to 300 yards or more under ideal conditions. There are many grades and options available, which makes choosing the right equipment for you easier. Just like Generation 2, Generation 3 also offers many grades and options – with the grading system being based on letters.

Generation 4

Gen 4 night vision equipment had the major drawback of reduced tube life, which made it unpopular with users and that is why it not commonly found or produced. On the other hand it was not affected by bright light as devices from other generations and all other specifications were the same as Gen 3. But it did not gain traction because of tube life and that is why Gen 3 remains the popular generation of night vision devices.