My background is in military dismounted reconnaissance as well as law enforcement. I’ve also sold L3 Harris NVG’s and top tier thermal as a living. I’ve looked through all kinds of NODs and thermal, including a good amount of time on PVS-31A’s.
The NVG50 is insane for what it is. This is the future, and proof that someday, digital night vision will surpass analogue tubes (I said it). The first thing to note is: what is it like to use? The performance is not as bright as analogue Gen III, but that’s not the worst thing. It’s definitely usable and functions in places where your eyes absolutely do not. The picture is incredibly clear, and it’s unfortunate that the recording function doesn’t capture the clarity of actually using the device, and using another device to record its display is not ideal. I have not had one person look through it in a dark space, including in dark interior rooms, that was not blown away and without using IR light. This includes two 18-series soldiers. As well, at distance, it focuses BETTER than PVS-14’s. Surprising, but I think it has an advantage at distance over analogue, or at least analogue without auto gated lenses. I have used it a lot outside at distances between 300 and 600 yards, and it can focus on distant objects better than most PVS-14’s I’ve used. I’m incredibly impressed at distance.
The color mode is especially awesome when in mixed lighting conditions. I would say it is akin to using the night vision in Halo 3: ODST minus the outlining feature. It is a huge advantage over the naked eye. Another plus is that I have an external battery bank on my helmet that charges it without having a fancy battery bank, and I actually have a kit in my faraday bag that lets me recharge my NVG50 from my solar panels, and it charges in about 2 hours from the sun alone, which is incredible.
The cons are the mount of the NVG50. The mount it comes with is subpar. Also, it could use a tie down loop. I had to build my own out of 550 cord and shock cord, and I’m nervous with the poor mount about the long term use. But I’m pleasantly surprised about the recent Wilcox mounting arm being available which is a must and will be my next buy.
Lastly, I’ve also looked through the ADNV G14’s and those are even better. If you can get one, you’ll be blown away.
The future of NVG’s will be digital. It’s just a bit slower in development than many would hope. If you’re considering it, you will not be sorry by buying this.