What is the Difference Between Night Vision and Thermal? What to Know Before you Buy a New Product for Your Hunting Night Out

There are lots of different types of products out there to help you in your hunting endeavors. It’s important to know the difference between night vision and thermal products, since they aren’t the same. If you are looking for a new product to buy for that next hunting night, here is some information you should know!

What is Night Vision?

Night vision products allow you to see in low light or very dark conditions. They take any surrounding light and make it visible to the human eye. If you were to use a night vision binocular during a hunting night, you would see images in a green tone. You cannot see images in color when using a night vision device at night. Many people use a night vision device for a hunting night with friends or family. However, these types of devices are also commonly used by the military and law enforcement. It is important to keep in mind there are different night vision hunting laws depending on U.S. state.

What is Thermal Imaging?

Thermal imaging is different than night vision. Thermal imaging uses infrared scanners to detect different heat signatures of objects in relation to what is around them. This gets transferred into an image. Higher heat signatures are typically brighter and easier to see, normally highlighted with yellow, red, or orange. If you were to use a thermal imaging device during your hunting night, you’d be able to see animals even if they are obscured by shrubbery.

Which One is Better?

Both night vision devices and thermal devices have their respective advantages. If you are planning on navigating to your tree stand in the dark, a night vision device would be the way to go. Our XANR100 Night Vision Rangefinder is the perfect device for this. Take it out during any hunting night or right before dawn to get the best use out of it. If you want to spot animals even if they are hidden by shrubs, then thermal imaging would be better. Both options are great for a hunting night out with friends. The last thing to keep in mind is that thermal products are almost always more expensive than night vision products. This doesn’t mean one is a better option over the other, they just have different uses. Both the military and law enforcement use both types of products. And with growing technology, now you can too. To learn more about thermal imaging and night vision, you can check out this great article from Optics Planet.