The Nightfox 100V is Nightfox’s best-selling, traditional machine. It’s marketed towards inexperienced persons on the lookout for a easy pair of evening imaginative and prescient goggles to enter the world of evening imaginative and prescient, whether or not this be for creating pictures at nighttime or nature recognizing in your again backyard.
They’re reasonably priced — in contrast with extra subtle evening imaginative and prescient binoculars — so might make a cool present for kids. Subsequent-level hide-and-seek video games.
Key specs
Sensor: 640×480
IR Vary: 100m
Show: Not specified
Battery: 8x AA batteries
Battery life: Six hours approx.
Magnification: 3x
Reminiscence card: N/A
Weight: 1.33 lb / 603g (with out batteries)
Guarantee: 18-month
They characteristic adjustable focus and quite a few infrared ranges to make sure most viewing high quality and power-saving prowess.
We have reviewed the rechargeable Nightfox Swift already, so we wish to see how the 100V mannequin compares, given they price lower than half the value — we’ll make comparisons all through. Let’s get began and see in the event that they’re worthy of a spot in our Finest evening imaginative and prescient binoculars information.
Nightfox 100V Night time Imaginative and prescient Goggles evaluation
Nightfox 100V evening imaginative and prescient binoculars: Design
- The main focus wheel is beneath and on the entrance of the goggles
- Widescreen monitor
- The plastic end does not have a coating (which is an efficient factor)
Having just lately reviewed the Nightfox Swift rechargeable binoculars, it is simple to check the 2 immediately. The 100V is noticeably greater and extra suited to two-handed operation; the Swift was comfy to carry with only one hand. The load can also be considerably heavier, weighing in on our scales at 1.95 lbs (889g) after we might inserted the required eight batteries versus 0.79 lb (360g) of the rechargeable Swift mannequin.
There are solely three buttons on the 100V — one for energy, one to function the digital zoom, and one to regulate the extent of infrared. The buttons are massive and straightforward to achieve, so it is OK for customers with small fingers. The buttons scroll by the assorted choices; preserve urgent till you get to the way you need the scene to seem.
On the bottom of the binoculars is a thread to mount the binos to a tripod, however there’s nowhere on the highest of the unit to make them headmountable. That is the alternative of the Swift, which is head mountable however does not have a tripod screw. These are, due to this fact, extra suited to longer ‘nonetheless’ viewing classes, both on a tripod, with you mendacity on the ground, or leaning on a assist such as you’d discover in a hen disguise.
Just like the Swift, the main focus wheel is beneath and on the entrance of the binoculars. We discover this an unnatural place and would like the main focus wheel on high or within the center on the backside, however maybe that is subjective.
The rubber eye guard appears to be made out of a barely stiffer rubber than the Swift, which makes it rather less comfy to carry in opposition to your face. The match is not anyplace close to as comfortable, both. We examined wanting by them within the daytime, and the quantity of sunshine coming into by the edges of the rubber was considerably increased within the 100V pair. As we have urged earlier than, if just one particular person makes use of these, you would fastidiously trim the rubber to make it a greater match and thus extra comfy to look by.
In contrast to the Swift, there isn’t a ‘coating’ on the plastic — we had been fairly happy to see this, as the additional coating does not add to the safety of the machine, but it surely quickly regarded scruffy, even after solely utilizing them a number of instances in our evaluation.
The hoops to place a neckstrap by are protruding steel ‘rings’ fairly than being constructed into the physique. We might desire in the event that they had been inbuilt so they’d be tougher to snap off, however with due care, these must be fantastic.
In contrast to the discrete micro-USB port on the Swift, there isn’t a hiding the 2 battery compartments right here. Every compartment takes 4x AA batteries for a complete of 8x AAs.
Nightfox 100V evening imaginative and prescient binoculars: Efficiency
- The battery indicator is unreliable
- Display screen is brilliant
- Picture is sharp
There is not a ‘setup’ course of for these binos; the component that took essentially the most time was discovering eight batteries to start the evaluation! As soon as you have discovered them and popped them in, swap on the ability button within the middle of the machine and look by the widescreen viewing monitor.
The evening imaginative and prescient component (and that is why we’re all right here) is spectacular for the value. They’re certainly not army commonplace or for something apart from spying on wildlife in your yard or small park. The 3x mounted optical magnification and 2x digital zoom assist you to get nearer to the motion with out disturbing the topic.
Consolation-wise, we have talked about that the 100V does not sit fairly as comfortable to your face because the Swift, so if utilizing them as commonplace binoculars through the day or at nightfall or daybreak when there’s nonetheless a good quantity of sunshine, various mild enters at both aspect of the attention guard. That mentioned, the hole permits you to use your peripheral imaginative and prescient, so you do not really feel as disoriented as you do with the Swift. These are fairly heavy to carry up for any important period of time, so we might suggest attaching the neckstrap to provide your arms a break or utilizing a tripod for prolonged use.
Nightfox 100V evening imaginative and prescient binoculars: Performance
- 8x AA batteries required
- 3x magnification and 2x digital zoom
- No waterproof score
There is not an excessive amount of performance to talk of concerning these entry-level binos. The principle operate is to allow you to see at nighttime, which they do.
The mounted optical magnification is 3x. We might have most popular 1x, with an even bigger digital zoom vary, fairly than having to make use of 3x at least. Use the button on the suitable to activate the digital zoom (2x zoom) and the one on the left to regulate the infrared stage. Use the main focus wheel beneath to make the picture good and sharp.
The Nightfox 100V takes a whopping eight AA batteries; that is the worst factor about this mannequin. That is a whole lot of expenditure on additional batteries — we suggest getting rechargeable ones with a chargeable battery charger.
We did discover that the battery indicator was fairly unreliable too. We might exit with a full cost, use it for a couple of minutes, flip the IR stage as much as IR7, and get a battery-low indicator. We might flip the binos on and off once more, and the indicator would present the battery as full. We’ll have to experiment extra with completely different AA batteries to find out if that is an ongoing downside. Nonetheless, positively, throughout our preliminary assessments, this was a repeating concern.
With no waterproof score, we would not suggest utilizing these in something apart from dry climate.
Must you purchase the Nightfox 100V evening imaginative and prescient binoculars?
The Nightfox 100V is an reasonably priced technique of having the ability to see at evening with out utilizing a torch or making your self too apparent — a good way of observing wildlife in your yard. They’re so easy to make use of they’d be an acceptable present for a younger nature spotter to get pleasure from watching wildlife with out disturbing it.
Offering you could have, or will spend money on rechargeable batteries, the truth that they are not rechargeable is not an excessive amount of of a problem, particularly when you use them for different toys and electronics round the home too. It simply makes recharging a bit extra laborious than plugging in a cable.
On the time of writing, you’ll be able to choose these binos up for $59.99 on Amazon, $79.99 plus a $20 coupon.
If the Nightfox Swift Night time Imaginative and prescient Goggles aren’t for you
If you’d like a extra rugged, weatherproof design or the flexibility to file video, you may need to look elsewhere. We might suggest the Inventive XP Night time Imaginative and prescient Goggles Elite. They price considerably extra, however sitting across the $250 mark they nonetheless will not wipe out your financial institution steadiness when you’re on the lookout for a superb high quality pair. They’ve a chargeable battery and an enormous viewing distance of 1300 ft, however they’re additionally appropriate for yard recognizing. You’ll be able to file movies onto the 128GB reminiscence card to share your findings with others too.
You will see we have talked about the Nightfox Swift all through this view. Go for this mannequin when you’re on the lookout for one thing that is head mountable (i.e. hands-free) and you do not want the additional magnification. Maybe when you’re creating pictures in a darkish room or strolling alongside trails at evening, as soon as you have obtained used to the lack of your peripheral imaginative and prescient, you’ll be able to expertise evening imaginative and prescient on the go together with this light-weight answer.
For extra data, take a look at our round-up of the perfect evening imaginative and prescient binoculars that we repeatedly replace with the perfect fashions as we discover and evaluation them.
