"I could see police departments, detectives, and forensic investigators really liking the ability to differentiate between colors" - T-rex Arms out of context, 2023
A 43 minute review/comparison video that is not boring, not redundant, not repetitive and doesn't go off topic. Not something that many people can produce. Great job. And my future wish list is kind of the same. Use the economy of scale to fight the high cost barrier to entry, thus exploring new markets. Integrate phones, watches, GPS, Kestrel, ATAK and make it play Doom. Integrate thermal, mm wave radar and laser weapons. Create a user friendly way to enter and also scale your night vision capabilities.
Integrating different technologies and making night vision more accessible and user-friendly are certainly areas of potential growth for the industry. As the technology continues to advance and become more widely available, there may be opportunities to explore new markets and find innovative uses for digital night vision. However, integrating weapons and creating a way to enter night vision capabilities still raises ethical and safety concerns that would need to be carefully considered.
Reminds me of carburetors vs EFI. Carburetors had decades of refinement, and early throttle body injection was horrible. But within 10-15 years, EFI was superior in almost every way. I see digital night vision following a similar trend. I hope it really takes off and the market gets flooded with analog devices so I can finally afford one.
@@woodsghost9088 technology eventually trickles down,such was the case for lcd screens,those who adapt to change will prosper,just look at sharp it used to adapt newer technology and was the industry leader now its a shadow of its former self th-cam.com/video/wK7bGdUcibM/w-d-xo.html
Except... One thing. Warm air through a carb venturi, once the air molecules start to pick up the now agonizing fuel, something happens.. Something that efi can't do; remove heat from the air. Engine masters has tested a lot of this, and I too as a big efi guy, was surprised to learn some of the interesting advantages of a carb.
As a medevac pilot , we used helmet mounted binocular night vision with battery pack on back of our helmets to balance the weight and we were told $14 k for our sets . They were great , but we had to keep track of “ on time” . We would swap out for new batteries at 2 hr . The specs said the processor gave 80k light magnification as I recall. No matter how dark, we could see great. Some ground guys were getting fusion which gave one side thermal and the other night vision so your brain ended up combining the two images. The French had a five scope systems on top of their helmet which gave processor info display on a shield visor flip down from the helmet. A wire would illuminate orange in the display, which as a pilot we thought that was really great.
That sounds like an interesting setup you used as a medevac pilot. Night vision technology has come a long way over the years, and the integration of different sensors like thermal imaging into a single device provides a more comprehensive view of the environment. The ability to swap out batteries on the go and keep track of "on time" is also an important consideration for maintaining the functionality of the system. It's fascinating to see how different countries are incorporating these advancements into their equipment. It's important to note that light magnification is not the same as image magnification. Night vision devices don't actually magnify light, but rather amplify available light to create an image. The number you're referring to is likely the "light gain" of the device, which is a measure of how much the device amplifies available light to create an image. A gain of 80,000 means that the device can amplify light 80,000 times, allowing the user to see in low light conditions that would otherwise be too dark to see in. However, this number can be misleading and doesn't always accurately reflect the real-world performance of the device.
The Cat S60, S61, and S62 (pro versions) do it for phones (intended for industrial trades). They're pretty rugged and work quite well. The visual light camera is not great at low light though.
This is clearly the future. The two main issues which need to be addressed are spectrum and form factor. The spectrum doesn't go deep enough into the IR range, and that limits it vs a standard intensifier tube and thermal overlay. I fully expect this to improve with iterations. The form factor is more of an open question, but it is also theoretically easier to improve. The current device looks like a PVS-14 because all of the potential users already have a PVS-14, know how to attach it to themselves, and globally know how to use one. A camera, processor and screen setup has no excuse for sticking out from one's face like a tactical unicorn because the physics that require all of the components of an intensifier based NVD to form a line between the viewed object and the user's eye don't exist for a digital device. I can't see this really taking off until the camera mounts to the helmet, the battery mounts on the user's torso (no need for a helmet counterweight if you aren't a tactical unicorn), and the screen is easily moved into and out of the user's field of view. That adds the additional value of the screen being potentially source agnostic, such that a weapon mounted camera can be toggled in place of the helmet mounted camera (i.e. push a button to exchange your X eye view from the helmet mounted view to the "scope" view). Reaching even farther into the future, consider the "mandible" that OpsCore offers for their helmets. A rifle-rated face plate (i.e. a "mandible" with no hole for the user's eyes) with screens on the inside and cameras on the outside could offer level III protection to a user's entire head and face. Oddly, battery life is probably not an issue because moving that weight from the head to the torso dramatically reduces the impact of those extra ounces.
Your observations regarding the future of digital night vision technology are intriguing. It's clear that there are many opportunities for improvement, both in terms of image quality and in terms of design and form factor. Improving the range of the IR spectrum and making the technology more compact and versatile could greatly increase its appeal to a wider range of users. The concept of integrating digital night vision with helmets, weapons, and other wearable devices could offer many advantages, such as increased mobility and ease of use. The ability to switch between different sources of image input, such as helmet-mounted and weapon-mounted cameras, could greatly enhance situational awareness and overall effectiveness in the field. Battery life is indeed an important consideration, and the potential to reduce the weight and impact of batteries by moving them to the torso is a promising idea. Overall, it's exciting to imagine the future possibilities for digital night vision technology, and it will be interesting to see how these ideas develop and evolve in the coming years.
@@WilliamEllison Sorry, I wasn't clear on what I meant by "battery life isn't an issue." My point is that while battery life obviously matters a great deal, with head mounted batteries the size of the battery pack is severely weight constrained. With a remote battery pack attached to some body part that is far less sensitive to extra ounces (or even pounds) than the head, the energy efficiency of the device matters less because you can simply throw a larger battery pack at the problem.
A multi sensor setup would be a pretty easy way to improve the spectrum and sensitivity. Having multiple sensors tuned for specific ranges of wavelengths are more effective than a sensor collecting a very wide range. We already have algorithms that combine images with low latency. Sort of like how our phones have multiple cameras for different purposes, but those are pretty overhyped in what they actually do. Seems way more useful as a way to create a super high quality digital NV setup, and it's totally feasible. Improve the battery life with OLED screens and newer ARM processors, and mount the battery pack in your ruck sack instead of your helmet.
YES! Thanks for this video. I’m very interested in the OPSIN and the future of digital in general. Many people in my comments tell me that it’s crazy to think that digital will be the future of night vision. I’m not decided but find digital to be fascinating!
I want both. 🤣🤷🏽♂️ let's put it this way. Night vision has become completely relevant and not just in the military scenario. If you don't have it, you are at a disadvantage.
People insisting digital isn't the future are delusional. You CAN'T squeeze any more performance out of that antiquated, obnoxious, anti DIY friendly analog technology. Its been peaked for years.
@@coltonowens2742 bruh there’s literally been constant improvement in analog NV technology since it’s inception, just because you haven’t been paying attention doesn’t mean it hasn’t happened. Gen 3 is widely available with Gen 4 on its way. We’ve seen the rise of dual tube and now quad tubes with AIB about to cut the price of quads in half. Guess we know you’ve never used modern NVG though because only a dumbass would compose such an uninformed comment.
Digital is likely the future of everything. It's just a matter of time. Eventually we will get light amplifying digital tech, and once that happens there is zero reason to chose analog.
I am one of those guys who got some Nightfox thermals and put them on a bump helmet. These are three things I learned were most important. 1) Zero latency. 2) True 1x magnification. 3) Legitimate helmet compatibility without workarounds. I thought the thermal capacity was fairly limited, especially in pure black, but something that is a mild improvement can be rendered useless if it's plain painful to actually use.
Oh goodie! Issac video's are fast becoming my favorites on here! I cannot say enough good about the "Why Everyone Needs an AR-15" one you did. We need more of that
To measure latency quick and easy, you can show a running stopwatch to the device under test, and photograph both the watch and the device display. If the watch in the picture is showing 1:23.456 and the watch in the device display is showing a time in the past, e.g. 1:23.256, that suggest the display is 0.200s late. Note, some cameras has rolling shutter effect and might not be taking complete picture at exact same moment so you might have to flip and rotate camera to get around that, also if you'd use a phone as the running stopwatch there might be issues like it might only update at 60Hz or half the screen at a time etc., so real watches are recommended.
@@DjAlonDevil no you photograph the opsin looking at a stopwatch, with the stopwatch seen in the background. That way you can compare what's displaying at the back end of opsin and the stopwatch. But if both are too apart in the direction of rolling, shenanigans could kick in
If you use a stopwatch on a phone app wouldn't the screen refresh rate also effect that. Someone with a 90hz screen could get a different result than someone with a 60hz.
It would be really interesting to see a comparison between the digital night vision and a modern gen2 device like the Wolf monocular. Gen 2 night vision is right on the edge of usability, so it may be a more fair comparison.
It’s going to be really interesting to see the future of this tech. While sensitivity is clearly lacking especially in lower light conditions, the contrast of the color sensor makes up for it in moderate lume. One thing that sucks about things like PVS-14s is that certain things get washed out as a result of just how it is displaying what’s in front of you. I tend to pop my thermal overly when making movements to see if there’s any terrain that might not show well under NV that might trip me up. I’ve seen guys fall in holes that just didn’t show up under NV but we’re much easier to see with the thermal sensor, saving my ankles and knees a good deal of pain.
Thanks for another great and informative video, even if I'm not quite ready for night vision just yet. I'm relatively new to your channel and have been going back and watching some of the older stuff. I've watched the GPS video and the older navigation video multiple times each. There's just so much great info there. Thanks for what you're doing here, and I'll be sure to patronize the store as I add and upgrade gear.
I’ve been sitting on this information for a year under nda. You knocked the entire assessment out of the park. I won’t use it professionally but I do hope that people purchase this to bring more research money into the sector.
Your content has always been my favorite. You sover everything we NEED to know other than firearms. There is a million and 1 gun channels. Only 1 you that i have found.
I thought about the Arora last year when I got my PVS14..... Glad I went with the PVS14, but its real cool that digital is making advancements. I'd like to see helmet mounted sensors with slim displays and a cable attaching it to a pack. Like you can have all the vision of a tank's thermal with IR and the weight will not be on your neck.
@TREXARMS Here's how you can test latency. You have a camera that has a high speed recording function like 1000 frames per second. You then have the camera looking into the scope and also have seeing outside the scope. You then turn a light on and you count the frames it appears outside the scope until it appears in the scope, so like at 1000 fps 40 frames would be 40ms latency.
I can see this becoming a standard on cars and commercial vehicles. Regular headlights will still be a thing if course. But a nice little AR HUD that could display digital NV, or daylight camera footage for when the sun gets low can obviously make roads a bit safer after dawn, before dusk, and would make a decent replacement for hi-beams.
Great overview. As those have progressed forward, that Opsin is laying down a pretty solid foundation for future refinement and development. If I had the extra coin floating around, I'd get one to play with, KNOWING full well, it isn't perfect. But man when they refine it, add a thermal overlay, THAT will be pretty darn close to perfection. 180 frame rate as a minimum is a good place to start. My feeling is 200 would be spot on. Thank for this Isaac!!! Well done. Looking to the future for advancements and refinements. Later.
Outstanding video. Seriously. Many TH-cam channels that do review, for any product(s), should take a page from this guy. Clear voice, highly organized video, excellent production quality, the jig he uses is amazing, very clever, very smart. Basically, any way you look at it, this is excellent. 5-stars. I would add that from a LEO perspective, what Detective/DA wouldn't want video (with GPS) of an illegal act when asking a judge for a search warrant.
3:21 in a place where the people are running around with yellow/blue, and red arm bands to identify friend from foe it's worth the extra price for color night vision.
As someone who develops VR applications, 90 fps is the standard minimum for your brain to actually sync up with your eyes and not cause motion sickness.
I recently built my own FPV headset digital night vision using a RunCam Night Eagle 3, and it's amazing. Not quite my friend's Gen 3 White Phosphor PVS14, but it's something for now. Looking forward to seeing what all the future has to offer! Thanks for covering these topics.
Can you post a TH-cam video on it? I've been messing around with the nvg10 for awhile. Pretty impressive. I like the nvg 10 much more than the Opsin resolution wise. The digital pvs 69s are really dope as well
No just a Fatshark HDO2 with the night cam direct pinned to the receiver side, and emitters on the other. I like the 3d printed sets out there for durability, but more sensory isn't really needed, just more IR, and the display quality is massive on the FPV sets. Under $750 done up with a helmet setup to mount it. Good enough to part out and upgrade later budget wise as well as things improve.
What an A1 video. That Lucas bit at 22:23 had so much practical info I had to watch it twice. Definitely seems like this is another 5 years out from being a serious competitor and option for regular folks. That IR laser comment is exactly what people need to hear, and what folks need to test.
I have not had a chance to review all the comments as of yet. Question. Thoughts on the Opsin for Tactical Medicine and low light Medicine applications? Being able to appreciate color will assist with patient assessment. As well as an excellent training tool for low light environments
I disagree with you in one thing, I had a shitload of fun while watching this video, that is exactly what I was hoping for in terms of good night vision comparison. Thank you for your hard work!
I think Lucas is a good guy, who cares about the 2A, especially here in the Volunteer state. However, I've seen all of the high-speed shooting vids I care to see. Not just from him, from anybody. I'm really enjoying your reviews of accessories and tech and getting more useful info on kit I'm curious about. All of that being said, I do still dig some of the review vids that Lucas does. The one on the Aero M5 was fantastic info IMO and I'm always in the market for more capable optics. So, I keep an eye out for those. Thank you all for your work.
I love this! Industry projections and well thought out takes. I'd have loved for you to get that Night Vision writer you mentioned to also film a segment.
Digital will be the future of night time navigation, from the looks of this video. If digital can get to the point where, in a firefight, you aren't a sitting duck, then it will find it's place in the squad easily.
Great video. The big point out was at the end when it finally clicked that digital is quite literally that, digital. With some r&d you could make a fully armored vehicle that used cameras instead of glass, that could see at night without giving your position away, with low latency. Or home security that is better hidden and doesn't blast out IR to see things and tells everyone where your cameras are. And makes it easy to record. This would be a great security system.
I like that there is a company that is still a company and needs to make money but does it in an ethical way and tries to do it's part to inform and educate you and nor just steal your money on shitty shit that they wouldn't buy themselves
Great review. I think they are missing quick adjustment knob for frame rate selector, as opposed to switching within the dialogue menu. Toggle switch @ Slow to optimize light sensitivity would solve SOME low light issues, even if at the sacrifice of felt latency. Alternatively, Maybe they could add a manual mechanical lens exposure device and increase the maximum diameter to allow in more light for those low light conditions. Maybe add some concave mirrors to increase total light in take, even if only in the lens peripheral.
I appreciate the content, and the follow-up podcast (I listened this morning while walking the dogs) was excellent. What this told me is that I should probably pick up something relatively inexpensive and analog right now, then revisit this in about two years (assuming it doesn't all go kaput in that time). Except I'm not Lucas, so 90fps might be fast enough for me . . . .
One thing that will definitely help with battery power(for pretty much all devices) is the advancement of the NDB or Nuclear Diamond Battery. It is primarily designed for smaller devices which encompasses gaming remotes to small drones which allows NVDs, weaponlights, and IR/visible laser systems to be efficiently powered by the NDB. Also, in relation to bother devices, I think that analog and digital night vision will both be viable for the foreseeable future. Digital night vision enhances your visual capabilities in low light settings where as analog truly allows your to see in the dark. The only way both of these systems become obsolete is if thermal becomes to advanced for either system to catch up; and I do think that thermal is the way of the future since it works in both zero light conditions and full sunny day in the desert conditions without having the system becoming defective or losing quality.
Digital night vision is a really cool development. The fact that ITAR isn't restricting it is a big deal...unless it gets updated, then you'll see development slow quite a bit.
36:55 starts a mind bending section. Who else is adding this much to a review? NO ONE but TRex. Most people just complain or requests fantasies. The section is showing the possibilities!!! Create the demand and the invention will follow. Best part of the video!!! Thanks!
I completely agree with @texas ranger, there's a lot of information to unpack and you do an amazing job at keeping it informative yet entertaining. I very much appreciate the review. Thanks
Cool thing about the opsin (and all digital really) is the option for upgrades through firmware/software. I bet the wizards at sionyx could up the frame rate. While analog is obviously the best option at the moment, without large expense there is no way to upgrade as new tech comes out. With digital it's just as simple as a quick software update.
There was a rumor recently that new firmware for the aurora was gonna have a redicle option. That would be awesome to not have to put the black behind a red dot.
I give it another 2 gens before it's worth it. I expect that once we get 120ish fps at the kind of sensitivity we need we will be in a good spot with digital NV. I've seen some good work done with simple neural nets that help reduce noise and lower the useful bottom limit of sensors in low light by predicting where an object is and reducing noise dramatically.
If the opsin was much cheaper, I think they would be everywhere. I also wonder why they didn't add an integrated ir illuminater with that "not-visisible to anolog" spectrum. I currently use an araura with an illuminater as an observation device, it is basically useless without the illuminater
The F35 has a system called EDAS or sometimes "DAPS" which uses sensors facing all six axes and meshes the image into a single, continuous frame which allows the Pilot to see in IR/Thermal in all directions without needing to reorient a specific sensor in whichever direction he wants to see. I think something like that could be a huge niche advantage for digital NVGs and would give the operator a 360 degree field of view with "back up cameras" and motion tracking alerts on their overlay.
This review is truthful, yes the truth is boring to the simple minded. But knowledge is useful, so I greatly appreciate your efforts and hope you continue produce more content based on true knowledge.
We love your videos. One item you may want to experiment with is an intensified digital camera - basically an image intensifier tube in front of a user selected CMOS, combined with camera optics. The new ones give a night vision image at the same level and quality as an analog device - simply because it incorporates an analog tube, but produces a digital output. The devices are quite small, at least in our case, the overall size is about the same size as a standard 18mm image intensifier tube, then you have to add the objective lens. Still, the overall size is quite small. We built one with a 72 degree FOV GRIN lens to test overall capabilities and it has zero latency. The intensified camera described is not built for mass consumption purposes like the excellent SiOnyx cameras, but for research purposes into wearable digital night vision systems. However, while it solves the night vision portion, it's not a color day to color night vision device. However, because it does have a digital output, that means one could overlay other digital information to produce a fused digital picture output.
We miss the trex talks
Fr man
They still exist! The podcast has continued even though the livestreams are dead.
Listen to the podcast
@@SMDaboobity where are they uploaded? I can't seem to find new ones on the channel.
@@John-xo6dq they’re uploaded to Spotify and Apple Podcasts as audio only podcasts
TREX LABS? Totally dig this segment. Issac, as always, you're appreciated.
This
sounds like tarkov DLC
I appreciate your you’re
"I could see police departments, detectives, and forensic investigators really liking the ability to differentiate between colors"
- T-rex Arms out of context, 2023
I don't need a PVS14 to see what you did there
@@SamSung-jn5fi 🤣🤣🤦♂️
😅
It’s about time they do 😅
That actually explains why more White people are killed per year by law enforcement, because they are easily seen in the dark.
A 43 minute review/comparison video that is not boring, not redundant, not repetitive and doesn't go off topic. Not something that many people can produce. Great job.
And my future wish list is kind of the same. Use the economy of scale to fight the high cost barrier to entry, thus exploring new markets. Integrate phones, watches, GPS, Kestrel, ATAK and make it play Doom. Integrate thermal, mm wave radar and laser weapons. Create a user friendly way to enter and also scale your night vision capabilities.
Integrating different technologies and making night vision more accessible and user-friendly are certainly areas of potential growth for the industry.
As the technology continues to advance and become more widely available, there may be opportunities to explore new markets and find innovative uses for digital night vision. However, integrating weapons and creating a way to enter night vision capabilities still raises ethical and safety concerns that would need to be carefully considered.
Reminds me of carburetors vs EFI. Carburetors had decades of refinement, and early throttle body injection was horrible. But within 10-15 years, EFI was superior in almost every way. I see digital night vision following a similar trend. I hope it really takes off and the market gets flooded with analog devices so I can finally afford one.
Solid comparison
Within your comment is a hidden reality. As long as analog is out there, it will be expensive because people like you and me will want it.
@@woodsghost9088 yeah :(
@@woodsghost9088 technology eventually trickles down,such was the case for lcd screens,those who adapt to change will prosper,just look at sharp it used to adapt newer technology and was the industry leader now its a shadow of its former self
th-cam.com/video/wK7bGdUcibM/w-d-xo.html
Except... One thing. Warm air through a carb venturi, once the air molecules start to pick up the now agonizing fuel, something happens.. Something that efi can't do; remove heat from the air. Engine masters has tested a lot of this, and I too as a big efi guy, was surprised to learn some of the interesting advantages of a carb.
Definitely do not stop this type of content.
As a medevac pilot , we used helmet mounted binocular night vision with battery pack on back of our helmets to balance the weight and we were told $14 k for our sets . They were great , but we had to keep track of “ on time” . We would swap out for new batteries at 2 hr . The specs said the processor gave 80k light magnification as I recall. No matter how dark, we could see great. Some ground guys were getting fusion which gave one side thermal and the other night vision so your brain ended up combining the two images. The French had a five scope systems on top of their helmet which gave processor info display on a shield visor flip down from the helmet. A wire would illuminate orange in the display, which as a pilot we thought that was really great.
That sounds like an interesting setup you used as a medevac pilot. Night vision technology has come a long way over the years, and the integration of different sensors like thermal imaging into a single device provides a more comprehensive view of the environment. The ability to swap out batteries on the go and keep track of "on time" is also an important consideration for maintaining the functionality of the system. It's fascinating to see how different countries are incorporating these advancements into their equipment.
It's important to note that light magnification is not the same as image magnification. Night vision devices don't actually magnify light, but rather amplify available light to create an image. The number you're referring to is likely the "light gain" of the device, which is a measure of how much the device amplifies available light to create an image. A gain of 80,000 means that the device can amplify light 80,000 times, allowing the user to see in low light conditions that would otherwise be too dark to see in. However, this number can be misleading and doesn't always accurately reflect the real-world performance of the device.
The overlay of thermal and digital would be perfect! But just having the that GPS map fusion thing you did would be a huge improvement
The Cat S60, S61, and S62 (pro versions) do it for phones (intended for industrial trades). They're pretty rugged and work quite well. The visual light camera is not great at low light though.
ENVGs already have said overlays
Thanks for the update on digital night vision. Looking forward to more advancements and affordability in years to come.
I didn't expect to watch a 40 mins long NVG video which I don't even need. Very good and informative content.
Seems like a product to check up on in 2-3 years. Seems super promising that future iterations will be even better.
This is clearly the future. The two main issues which need to be addressed are spectrum and form factor. The spectrum doesn't go deep enough into the IR range, and that limits it vs a standard intensifier tube and thermal overlay. I fully expect this to improve with iterations. The form factor is more of an open question, but it is also theoretically easier to improve. The current device looks like a PVS-14 because all of the potential users already have a PVS-14, know how to attach it to themselves, and globally know how to use one. A camera, processor and screen setup has no excuse for sticking out from one's face like a tactical unicorn because the physics that require all of the components of an intensifier based NVD to form a line between the viewed object and the user's eye don't exist for a digital device. I can't see this really taking off until the camera mounts to the helmet, the battery mounts on the user's torso (no need for a helmet counterweight if you aren't a tactical unicorn), and the screen is easily moved into and out of the user's field of view. That adds the additional value of the screen being potentially source agnostic, such that a weapon mounted camera can be toggled in place of the helmet mounted camera (i.e. push a button to exchange your X eye view from the helmet mounted view to the "scope" view). Reaching even farther into the future, consider the "mandible" that OpsCore offers for their helmets. A rifle-rated face plate (i.e. a "mandible" with no hole for the user's eyes) with screens on the inside and cameras on the outside could offer level III protection to a user's entire head and face.
Oddly, battery life is probably not an issue because moving that weight from the head to the torso dramatically reduces the impact of those extra ounces.
Your observations regarding the future of digital night vision technology are intriguing. It's clear that there are many opportunities for improvement, both in terms of image quality and in terms of design and form factor. Improving the range of the IR spectrum and making the technology more compact and versatile could greatly increase its appeal to a wider range of users.
The concept of integrating digital night vision with helmets, weapons, and other wearable devices could offer many advantages, such as increased mobility and ease of use. The ability to switch between different sources of image input, such as helmet-mounted and weapon-mounted cameras, could greatly enhance situational awareness and overall effectiveness in the field.
Battery life is indeed an important consideration, and the potential to reduce the weight and impact of batteries by moving them to the torso is a promising idea.
Overall, it's exciting to imagine the future possibilities for digital night vision technology, and it will be interesting to see how these ideas develop and evolve in the coming years.
@@WilliamEllison Sorry, I wasn't clear on what I meant by "battery life isn't an issue." My point is that while battery life obviously matters a great deal, with head mounted batteries the size of the battery pack is severely weight constrained. With a remote battery pack attached to some body part that is far less sensitive to extra ounces (or even pounds) than the head, the energy efficiency of the device matters less because you can simply throw a larger battery pack at the problem.
A multi sensor setup would be a pretty easy way to improve the spectrum and sensitivity. Having multiple sensors tuned for specific ranges of wavelengths are more effective than a sensor collecting a very wide range. We already have algorithms that combine images with low latency. Sort of like how our phones have multiple cameras for different purposes, but those are pretty overhyped in what they actually do. Seems way more useful as a way to create a super high quality digital NV setup, and it's totally feasible. Improve the battery life with OLED screens and newer ARM processors, and mount the battery pack in your ruck sack instead of your helmet.
@@WilliamEllison your comment sounds like a chatGPT response to me
Great video!
YES! Thanks for this video. I’m very interested in the OPSIN and the future of digital in general. Many people in my comments tell me that it’s crazy to think that digital will be the future of night vision. I’m not decided but find digital to be fascinating!
I want both. 🤣🤷🏽♂️ let's put it this way. Night vision has become completely relevant and not just in the military scenario. If you don't have it, you are at a disadvantage.
People insisting digital isn't the future are delusional. You CAN'T squeeze any more performance out of that antiquated, obnoxious, anti DIY friendly analog technology. Its been peaked for years.
@@coltonowens2742 bruh there’s literally been constant improvement in analog NV technology since it’s inception, just because you haven’t been paying attention doesn’t mean it hasn’t happened. Gen 3 is widely available with Gen 4 on its way. We’ve seen the rise of dual tube and now quad tubes with AIB about to cut the price of quads in half. Guess we know you’ve never used modern NVG though because only a dumbass would compose such an uninformed comment.
Digital is likely the future of everything. It's just a matter of time. Eventually we will get light amplifying digital tech, and once that happens there is zero reason to chose analog.
@@stillenacht8518 Besides cost because everyone will be dumping their old stuff
I am one of those guys who got some Nightfox thermals and put them on a bump helmet. These are three things I learned were most important.
1) Zero latency.
2) True 1x magnification.
3) Legitimate helmet compatibility without workarounds.
I thought the thermal capacity was fairly limited, especially in pure black, but something that is a mild improvement can be rendered useless if it's plain painful to actually use.
Oh goodie! Issac video's are fast becoming my favorites on here! I cannot say enough good about the "Why Everyone Needs an AR-15" one you did. We need more of that
To measure latency quick and easy, you can show a running stopwatch to the device under test, and photograph both the watch and the device display. If the watch in the picture is showing 1:23.456 and the watch in the device display is showing a time in the past, e.g. 1:23.256, that suggest the display is 0.200s late. Note, some cameras has rolling shutter effect and might not be taking complete picture at exact same moment so you might have to flip and rotate camera to get around that, also if you'd use a phone as the running stopwatch there might be issues like it might only update at 60Hz or half the screen at a time etc., so real watches are recommended.
Opsin is definitely rolling shutter
@@DjAlonDevil no you photograph the opsin looking at a stopwatch, with the stopwatch seen in the background. That way you can compare what's displaying at the back end of opsin and the stopwatch. But if both are too apart in the direction of rolling, shenanigans could kick in
@@すどにむ I understand, I just wanted to say that Opsin is a rolling shutter and not a global one.
If you use a stopwatch on a phone app wouldn't the screen refresh rate also effect that. Someone with a 90hz screen could get a different result than someone with a 60hz.
yup, resolution will be 1000[ms] / 60[Hz] = 16.67ms or half that or something, it'll be something akin to 3MOA accuracy but it'll be a start
It would be really interesting to see a comparison between the digital night vision and a modern gen2 device like the Wolf monocular. Gen 2 night vision is right on the edge of usability, so it may be a more fair comparison.
Good gen2+ tubes are better. Not so good (Russian) are pretty similar if a bit worse.
It’s going to be really interesting to see the future of this tech. While sensitivity is clearly lacking especially in lower light conditions, the contrast of the color sensor makes up for it in moderate lume. One thing that sucks about things like PVS-14s is that certain things get washed out as a result of just how it is displaying what’s in front of you. I tend to pop my thermal overly when making movements to see if there’s any terrain that might not show well under NV that might trip me up. I’ve seen guys fall in holes that just didn’t show up under NV but we’re much easier to see with the thermal sensor, saving my ankles and knees a good deal of pain.
I really hope some dude in an optic company watched the last 10 minutes of this video and decided to get rich off that free advice.
@@lhp2a Don't worry, they're paying attention ;)
@@medikpac7105 praise the lord.
Thanks a lot guys for this type of content, very appreciated.
Thanks for another great and informative video, even if I'm not quite ready for night vision just yet. I'm relatively new to your channel and have been going back and watching some of the older stuff. I've watched the GPS video and the older navigation video multiple times each. There's just so much great info there. Thanks for what you're doing here, and I'll be sure to patronize the store as I add and upgrade gear.
I’ve been sitting on this information for a year under nda. You knocked the entire assessment out of the park. I won’t use it professionally but I do hope that people purchase this to bring more research money into the sector.
Your content has always been my favorite. You sover everything we NEED to know other than firearms. There is a million and 1 gun channels. Only 1 you that i have found.
I thought about the Arora last year when I got my PVS14..... Glad I went with the PVS14, but its real cool that digital is making advancements. I'd like to see helmet mounted sensors with slim displays and a cable attaching it to a pack. Like you can have all the vision of a tank's thermal with IR and the weight will not be on your neck.
Infinitely better video layout vs the comms vid I watched yesterday. A+
Really liking the T-REX Labs. Gotta love the comparisons.
@TREXARMS Here's how you can test latency. You have a camera that has a high speed recording function like 1000 frames per second. You then have the camera looking into the scope and also have seeing outside the scope. You then turn a light on and you count the frames it appears outside the scope until it appears in the scope, so like at 1000 fps 40 frames would be 40ms latency.
Looking forward to having lightweight ''inexpensive'' digital GPNVG's. Great exposé!
Good to see issac back
Perfect timing! I was just going to order. Thanks for this pt 2 digital nv video. As always, a very informative video.
Thank you guys. Never fails to give us good reviews. Keep it up! Stay safe !
i was waiting for y'all to make a video about opsin, so glad he did
The cool thing is seeing the development. Eventually, it will get there. For now, its just awesome to see it improve.
I wish everybody could do a review this WELL DONE and informative.. maybe in 3-5 years :p
I can see this becoming a standard on cars and commercial vehicles. Regular headlights will still be a thing if course. But a nice little AR HUD that could display digital NV, or daylight camera footage for when the sun gets low can obviously make roads a bit safer after dawn, before dusk, and would make a decent replacement for hi-beams.
What a great amazing video. Thank you guys!🤓👍
Great overview. As those have progressed forward, that Opsin is laying down a pretty solid foundation for future refinement and development. If I had the extra coin floating around, I'd get one to play with, KNOWING full well, it isn't perfect. But man when they refine it, add a thermal overlay, THAT will be pretty darn close to perfection. 180 frame rate as a minimum is a good place to start. My feeling is 200 would be spot on. Thank for this Isaac!!! Well done. Looking to the future for advancements and refinements. Later.
When Issac talks, I shut up and listen, fun or not. Great video.
Outstanding video. Seriously. Many TH-cam channels that do review, for any product(s), should take a page from this guy. Clear voice, highly organized video, excellent production quality, the jig he uses is amazing, very clever, very smart. Basically, any way you look at it, this is excellent. 5-stars. I would add that from a LEO perspective, what Detective/DA wouldn't want video (with GPS) of an illegal act when asking a judge for a search warrant.
3:21 in a place where the people are running around with yellow/blue, and red arm bands to identify friend from foe it's worth the extra price for color night vision.
As someone who develops VR applications, 90 fps is the standard minimum for your brain to actually sync up with your eyes and not cause motion sickness.
I recently built my own FPV headset digital night vision using a RunCam Night Eagle 3, and it's amazing. Not quite my friend's Gen 3 White Phosphor PVS14, but it's something for now.
Looking forward to seeing what all the future has to offer! Thanks for covering these topics.
PVS-69?
Can you post a TH-cam video on it? I've been messing around with the nvg10 for awhile. Pretty impressive. I like the nvg 10 much more than the Opsin resolution wise. The digital pvs 69s are really dope as well
No just a Fatshark HDO2 with the night cam direct pinned to the receiver side, and emitters on the other. I like the 3d printed sets out there for durability, but more sensory isn't really needed, just more IR, and the display quality is massive on the FPV sets. Under $750 done up with a helmet setup to mount it. Good enough to part out and upgrade later budget wise as well as things improve.
@bLackstar I too would like more information on this so I can build my own
I'm tempted to make one out of a drone NV fpv racing camera.
Really great review. Hopefully they come out with a new version next year. I think it'll be a huge improvement
What an A1 video. That Lucas bit at 22:23 had so much practical info I had to watch it twice. Definitely seems like this is another 5 years out from being a serious competitor and option for regular folks.
That IR laser comment is exactly what people need to hear, and what folks need to test.
Just get a full power laser...
@@BryceKimball7.3 oh yea. They are sooooo easy to get new and to warranty if they break. Totally.
I have not had a chance to review all the comments as of yet. Question. Thoughts on the Opsin for Tactical Medicine and low light Medicine applications? Being able to appreciate color will assist with patient assessment. As well as an excellent training tool for low light environments
I disagree with you in one thing, I had a shitload of fun while watching this video, that is exactly what I was hoping for in terms of good night vision comparison. Thank you for your hard work!
Thank you for taking the time to push out this information.
I think Lucas is a good guy, who cares about the 2A, especially here in the Volunteer state. However, I've seen all of the high-speed shooting vids I care to see. Not just from him, from anybody. I'm really enjoying your reviews of accessories and tech and getting more useful info on kit I'm curious about. All of that being said, I do still dig some of the review vids that Lucas does. The one on the Aero M5 was fantastic info IMO and I'm always in the market for more capable optics. So, I keep an eye out for those. Thank you all for your work.
Lucas's thing is all about training and skills. That's his lane. It's good that TRex has multiple lanes.
I love this! Industry projections and well thought out takes. I'd have loved for you to get that Night Vision writer you mentioned to also film a segment.
I've been excited for this specific video for about..... 3-5 years
Issac is borderline genius. Love the content he provides.
Possibly just very well researched….
Thank you for the info. The end with the thermal over lay was really cool
Digital will be the future of night time navigation, from the looks of this video. If digital can get to the point where, in a firefight, you aren't a sitting duck, then it will find it's place in the squad easily.
I've been waiting for this product to launch. Stoked to see the video
Really interesting video! would love to see a close look into how they hold up when it comes to land navigation and map-reading. Love the chanel!
I’ve been waiting for this video. Thank you for letting us know whether to get new nods.
I appreciate the honesty.
Not like most of the other reviews that either hype to buy or completely bash the product.
Absolutely top tier content! Thank you guys for this excellent video, as i was pondering this very choice. You have basically confirmed my decision. 👍
Cool to see it’s moving in the right direction.
Great video.
The big point out was at the end when it finally clicked that digital is quite literally that, digital. With some r&d you could make a fully armored vehicle that used cameras instead of glass, that could see at night without giving your position away, with low latency. Or home security that is better hidden and doesn't blast out IR to see things and tells everyone where your cameras are. And makes it easy to record. This would be a great security system.
This might not be the nightvision video we wanted. But it is the night vision video we needed.
I like that there is a company that is still a company and needs to make money but does it in an ethical way and tries to do it's part to inform and educate you and nor just steal your money on shitty shit that they wouldn't buy themselves
Lowkey everytime I see you in a video I end up watching instantly
Great review. I think they are missing quick adjustment knob for frame rate selector, as opposed to switching within the dialogue menu. Toggle switch @ Slow to optimize light sensitivity would solve SOME low light issues, even if at the sacrifice of felt latency.
Alternatively, Maybe they could add a manual mechanical lens exposure device and increase the maximum diameter to allow in more light for those low light conditions. Maybe add some concave mirrors to increase total light in take, even if only in the lens peripheral.
Excited to see what the next 3-5 years brings...
I almost clicked away during the ending trex logo... glad I stuck around lmao "its gonna keep being fun for me" 🤣🤣
I appreciate the content, and the follow-up podcast (I listened this morning while walking the dogs) was excellent.
What this told me is that I should probably pick up something relatively inexpensive and analog right now, then revisit this in about two years (assuming it doesn't all go kaput in that time).
Except I'm not Lucas, so 90fps might be fast enough for me . . . .
One thing that will definitely help with battery power(for pretty much all devices) is the advancement of the NDB or Nuclear Diamond Battery. It is primarily designed for smaller devices which encompasses gaming remotes to small drones which allows NVDs, weaponlights, and IR/visible laser systems to be efficiently powered by the NDB. Also, in relation to bother devices, I think that analog and digital night vision will both be viable for the foreseeable future. Digital night vision enhances your visual capabilities in low light settings where as analog truly allows your to see in the dark. The only way both of these systems become obsolete is if thermal becomes to advanced for either system to catch up; and I do think that thermal is the way of the future since it works in both zero light conditions and full sunny day in the desert conditions without having the system becoming defective or losing quality.
22:22 noise warning!
Great and very informative video, thank you very much.
Digital night vision is a really cool development. The fact that ITAR isn't restricting it is a big deal...unless it gets updated, then you'll see development slow quite a bit.
I love these “fire side” chats. Even more than Lucas’ video. More Isaac knowledge bombs please 👍👍.
This is my favorite kind of T.Rex Content.
I absolutely love the discussion and explanation of options, performance .
I like the possibility primers you give.
I got a sionyx opsin about 6 months ago. I don’t use it very often, mostly star gazing.
But WoWoWoWoW is the Opsin cool.
Facts
36:55 starts a mind bending section. Who else is adding this much to a review? NO ONE but TRex. Most people just complain or requests fantasies. The section is showing the possibilities!!! Create the demand and the invention will follow. Best part of the video!!! Thanks!
I completely agree with @texas ranger, there's a lot of information to unpack and you do an amazing job at keeping it informative yet entertaining. I very much appreciate the review. Thanks
Love the knowledge these dudes crank out for the masses. 🤘🏻
Cool thing about the opsin (and all digital really) is the option for upgrades through firmware/software. I bet the wizards at sionyx could up the frame rate. While analog is obviously the best option at the moment, without large expense there is no way to upgrade as new tech comes out. With digital it's just as simple as a quick software update.
There was a rumor recently that new firmware for the aurora was gonna have a redicle option.
That would be awesome to not have to put the black behind a red dot.
There was a big improvement in performance with the Aurora Firmware updates so there’s potential.
Glad you mentioned fusion! ^_^ Looking forward to that too.
Nicely done. Totally agree with your fusion ideas.
Commenting for the algorithm. Love T.REX Talks!!
So good night vision is still not affordable. Great video I enjoyed watching it.
Yes we do miss Trex talks like dude said. Ive learned alot from ya'lls videos.
I give it another 2 gens before it's worth it. I expect that once we get 120ish fps at the kind of sensitivity we need we will be in a good spot with digital NV. I've seen some good work done with simple neural nets that help reduce noise and lower the useful bottom limit of sensors in low light by predicting where an object is and reducing noise dramatically.
These are my favorite types of videos. Thanks.
If the opsin was much cheaper, I think they would be everywhere. I also wonder why they didn't add an integrated ir illuminater with that "not-visisible to anolog" spectrum. I currently use an araura with an illuminater as an observation device, it is basically useless without the illuminater
This was a vastly superior review/comparison. Automatic subscribe/alerts.
Great analysis of the devices.
I enjoy this far more than the gun content. It's so hard to find night vision and radio comparison/set up videos.
It would be awesome to see you do something on drones
Nice. I'm an optics professional - I appreciate your understanding of the optics, sensors, and processing.
Fantastic info & video again Isaac
Very informing and more entertaining than the junk at the theaters!
Excellent review. Love the optics bench method.
The F35 has a system called EDAS or sometimes "DAPS" which uses sensors facing all six axes and meshes the image into a single, continuous frame which allows the Pilot to see in IR/Thermal in all directions without needing to reorient a specific sensor in whichever direction he wants to see.
I think something like that could be a huge niche advantage for digital NVGs and would give the operator a 360 degree field of view with "back up cameras" and motion tracking alerts on their overlay.
Finally!!! This guy again
This review is truthful, yes the truth is boring to the simple minded. But knowledge is useful, so I greatly appreciate your efforts and hope you continue produce more content based on true knowledge.
We love your videos. One item you may want to experiment with is an intensified digital camera - basically an image intensifier tube in front of a user selected CMOS, combined with camera optics. The new ones give a night vision image at the same level and quality as an analog device - simply because it incorporates an analog tube, but produces a digital output. The devices are quite small, at least in our case, the overall size is about the same size as a standard 18mm image intensifier tube, then you have to add the objective lens. Still, the overall size is quite small. We built one with a 72 degree FOV GRIN lens to test overall capabilities and it has zero latency. The intensified camera described is not built for mass consumption purposes like the excellent SiOnyx cameras, but for research purposes into wearable digital night vision systems. However, while it solves the night vision portion, it's not a color day to color night vision device. However, because it does have a digital output, that means one could overlay other digital information to produce a fused digital picture output.
Nice rundown on this tech. Can you please do a video on fusion systems?