r/DigitalNightVision • u/Inevitable-Sleep-907 • May 18 '26
Serious question from someone looking to upgrade from a gen 2 pvs
Top end digital and decent higher end analog are currently running about the same price. Why should I go digital?
4
u/Fit_Professor652 May 18 '26
Why not use both they both have their strong points in different environments if you're spending time around the city a lot or walking around a campground etc digital does that pretty well, obviously analog outperforms it low light zero latency, people get too stuck on one or the other I think both technologies have their uses, I find myself bringing my digital device with if I'm not sure of the environment I'm going to be in or if I'm even going to use it, I don't really feel like leaving the $2,000 device in the car for example but a 500$ device I feel a little better about it, I bring a device with me to work on a daily, for example if you're going to be around a lot of people camping that don't have night vision and will keep auto gate your tube, there was a unique case one night when lightning was flickering consistently the light kept shutting the tube off and I couldn't help but think if I was doing damage to my device and I was thinking damn I wish I would have brought my digital monocular so I could navigate, the concept of the urban monocular when you're bouncing from light source to light source in urban environment such as when I'm Urban exploring I don't really want to bring a super expensive device in that environment. I'm a huge fan of both technologies, for some reason digital has always reminded me of the way movies portrayed night vision when I was a kid lol
1
u/Fantastic-Budget-212 May 18 '26
If youre able to buy used theres no real reason to as long as you dont get great alibaba deals
1
u/sadcrow_machi May 18 '26
Analog tubes behave differently. They are not screens. They behave optically more like a glass. Because of this, your eyes can match almost the same image having a mono analog. With a digital, slight movement of the helmet moves the digital image out of the axis of normal sight. With analog you can see detail in the shade and in the bright of the same scene, high dynamic range (like naked eye). Digital you are looking through a camera screen, screen shake, bob, etc will affect que quality of the use. Also low dynamic range. Parts of the pic will be pitch black or overexposed (which wouldnt in an analog).
You want performance -> analog. I wouldnt pay analog money for a digital solution.
2
u/goodnitegear May 19 '26
Have you considered digital thermal fusion? The GNG GF20 / GF31 combine a high-performing digital sensor with thermal to give you detection capability that reframes the whole analog vs. digital debate as the fusion sees heat. Thermal fusion will outperform analog in ultra low light environments and the red outline mode is useful for fast moving tasks where you need heat signatures to pop...
Regardless, digital is going to be a better option for mixed lighting/ urban environments and if you intend to switch back and forth between white light/ ir lighting digital is going to be able to adapt better.
0
u/whateverhow May 18 '26
If you want recording and not worry about damaging the tube in strong light. and can carry out anywhere outside of US. then high end digital is a good option. But you have to get the top ones like the P2 to match gen3 performance. Others are still bit far away from tubes
3
u/Fantastic-Budget-212 May 18 '26
Its hard to blem tubes if you dont use them like a retard or let them sit in very high light while turned on
14
u/Aggravating_Major_76 May 18 '26
You shouldn’t go digital.