Originally Posted By: Chip556There is night vision and then there is NIGHT VISION. I won't waste your time telling you that Gen1 stuff is any good. It isn't. There are no "ifs, ands, or buts" about it. It just isn't worth it. The bottom line is that the money wasted on Gen1 could have been better used on ammo or putting it towards a decent or awesome unit. The problem with night vision is that there is a ton of crap out there and buyers see stuff at big box stores or in magazine ads and think it's great.
Unfortunately, good night vision isn't cheap. We can say it until we are blue in the face. But, time and again, guys buy cheap stuff. I can't tell you guys how many times I've talked to customers who bought cheap Gen1 stuff because it was "all they afford" at the time. They realized it sucked after seeing real night vision. Unfortunately, they also realized that they couldn't sell the one they bought and they ended up with being out the money they could have put towards the real deal and ended up being set back. Honestly, if you can only spend "x" right now, you have 2 good options. 1. you should save more and end up getting something that will last and perform. 2. if you have to spend right now, buy ammo instead.
Gen3 Night vision is really where you should aspire to because of its excellent image quality, long tube life, incredible light-gathering ability, etc. When you set Gen3 next to anything else, it is immediately apparent why it is superior. Our Gen3 D740 and D760 scopes are capable of identifying targets out to a 1000 yards. You can engage them out to 600 yards (longer if you are a good shot
But, I realize there are a lot of guys out there that just can't swing the Gen3 price right now. Well, there is an answer. Gen2 is still very respectable. The differences you will notice are a drop in edge-to-edge clarity (the outer edge - zone 4- will be slightly fuzzy. Gen2 is not as bright as Gen3 because of its decrease in light gathering capability. And, it has half the lifespan of Gen3 (5000 hours instead of 10,000).
Not all Gen2 is created equal, though. Gen2SHP (Super High Performance) is as close to Gen3 as you will get without paying the Gen3 price. It is a very respectable tube and a great value for the price tag.
Our core business is night vision. We have seen it all and thoroughly test everything we sell. Our clients range from DOD to hunters. Bottom line is that we have made the mistakes in the past and do everything we can to pass our acquired knowledge onto our customers. If it's good kit, we sell it.
amen + 1111111111111111111111111.there is nothing that comes close to good gen 3.