This is a difficult question to answer. Night vision and thermal imagers have similar applications. You’ll probably find uses for both, but here are a few things to think about:
Price will be a major consideration. A good night vision unit, even weapon-mountable models, can be had for a few hundred dollars, but thermal imagers will set you back at least $2,000, and often much more for a model that can be mounted to a rifle and withstand recoil. If you’re on a budget, you’ll probably opt for an image intensification night vision device over a thermal vision device.
Environment – Knowing what conditions your thermal imager or night vision unit will be used in can make a huge difference. Is there a significant amount of fog? Is it extremely cold? Is there a lot of foliage? Thermal imaging is required when there is a lot of fog or foliage. In extreme cold, night vision is the better option. To improve the effectiveness of their technology, the military is beginning to create favorable environmental conditions. Helicopter pilots in desert operations can create mini-sandstorms that thermal imagers can see through but the naked eye cannot.
Consider the lighting situation where you’ll be using image intensification night vision, as it requires light to operate. You won’t need much light, so even a small amount should suffice; however, keep this in mind before investing in night vision when thermal vision may be preferable.
- As previously stated, thermal imaging is excellent for detection but not for recognition. The problem with night vision is that once an object is detected, it is easy to figure out who the person is or what kind of animal it is, but if the person is wearing camouflage or the animal is standing still at a distance, it can be difficult to locate. Using a thermal imager to scan the field and a night vision rifle scope to take the shot is a great way to get around these issues. Hunters will be familiar with this, as it is common practice to use a spotting scope or binocular during the day to locate animals before switching to a rifle scope. Hunting at night follows the same principle. In these situations, a handheld thermal imager is the best option.
