Digital night vision devices can be used during the day. Unlike traditional image intensifier tube night vision devices, digital night vision devices use CCD image sensors, which are not afraid of strong light and can be used during the day and night. For example, the onick NP-1600 binocular digital night vision device has color imaging during the day and black and white and green imaging at night. It needs to be adjusted separately when used in the two time periods, using the day mode during the day and the night mode at night. Supplementary explanation: Traditional image intensifier tube night vision devices cannot be used normally during the day. Traditional night vision devices use quite fragile phase intensifier tubes. It is quite dangerous to be exposed to bright light. Moreover, as the frequency of use increases, the efficacy of the image intensifier tube will become lower and lower, and of course the life span will become less and less. Digital night vision devices do not have to worry about this problem at all. The high-performance CCD imaging system can provide all-weather observation.

Digital night vision devices can usually be used during the day, but there are some limitations and disadvantages. The specific analysis is as follows:

Feasibility from the working principle

Basic principle: Digital night vision devices mainly work through image enhancement technology or thermal imaging technology. Image-enhanced digital night vision devices use photocathodes to convert weak natural light (such as starlight and moonlight) into electrons, then amplify the electrons through microchannel plates, and finally convert the electrons into visible light images. Thermal imaging digital night vision devices generate thermal images by detecting infrared rays emitted by objects.

Feasibility of daytime use principle: During the day, although the ambient light is sufficient and exceeds the optimal working light range designed for digital night vision devices, from a technical principle, components such as the photocathode of image-enhanced digital night vision devices and the infrared detector of thermal imaging night vision devices can still work during the day and will not be damaged or completely unable to operate due to daytime light.

Problems with daytime use

Poor image effect

Image is too bright or overexposed: For image-enhanced digital night vision devices, the light intensity during the day far exceeds the range that it is designed to handle, which will cause too much light to enter the night vision device, making the image too bright and overexposed, and the picture will be white, losing a lot of details, and it is almost impossible to see a normal image.

Color distortion: Even though some digital night vision devices can generate images during the day, they are mainly designed to enhance monochrome images in low-light environments. Under normal daylight conditions, they may have problems such as inaccurate color reproduction and severe color cast, and cannot provide accurate color images like ordinary optical devices.

Thermal imaging interference: When thermal imaging digital night vision devices are used during the day, due to the high ambient temperature and the relatively insignificant temperature difference between objects, the contrast of thermal imaging will be reduced, the image may appear blurred, and it is difficult to clearly distinguish the details and contours of objects.

Possible damage to the device

Risk of damage to photosensitive elements: Continuous strong light exposure may damage the photosensitive elements and other components of the digital night vision device, shortening the service life of the device. For example, long-term use under strong light may cause the performance of the image intensification tube to decline, resulting in uneven brightness, increased noise and other problems.

Overheating of electronic components: When used during the day, due to the high ambient temperature itself and the fact that the electronic components of the digital night vision device will also heat up when working, the internal temperature of the device may be too high, affecting the normal operation of the electronic components, and may even cause failures.

Special circumstances and improvement measures

Specially designed digital night vision devices: Some digital night vision devices have specially added functional modes for daytime use or automatic light intensity adjustment functions. For example, they are equipped with variable apertures or automatic gain control circuits, which can automatically adjust the amount of light entering the night vision device according to the ambient light intensity, improving the imaging effect during the day to a certain extent and reducing overexposure and other problems.

With filter devices: Users can reduce the intensity of light entering the device by adding appropriate filters in front of the digital night vision lens, thereby improving the imaging quality during the day. For example, using a neutral density filter can evenly reduce the light intensity, allowing the digital night vision device to work in a wider range of light.