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Night Vision Lens Protection for NVGs

rlsmith1

Legalize Freedom
Full Member
Minuteman
  • May 1, 2019
    2,059
    1,921
    Midwest
    Do you guys run clear protectors for the front and rear of your NV / thermals? Asking about monos and binoculars in particular. My only hesitation is that it may degrade clarity and gain but the protection is pretty cost effective too. Thoughts?
     
    Just me but I’d rather scratch a sacrificial lens than the more expensive variety. I don’t plan on ever scratching a lens but I’ve said the same thing about my Oakleys. I’m on the third pair of Oakley lenses....
     
    Depends upon what you use for a sac lens. LIFs will reduce performance a noticeable amount, but not drastically. Sac shields are generally of little impact on optical performance, but they scratch easily. Demist lenses/shields are the same, and will smear if you use lens cleaning fluid on them. Just use a microfiber cleaning cloth.
     
    Same, I use them but find they smudge easier. You can get a clear Zomei for the front or one that blocks visible light for extra protection. The trade off is degradation of brightness.
     
    I can buy a lot of those little protectors for what it takes to replace some of those optics. Thanks guys
     
    I find that the Wilcox protective covers when used on the objectives will cause pretty noticeable glare from light sources, which is annoying in urban environs, and potentially distracting/causes a loss in SA. I personally don't run with them unless I see a need for them, e.g., force on force.
     
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    Reactions: rlsmith1
    These work very well with no noticeable reduction in image quality and protect your lens very well. Additionally you can easily still slip a 3x or 5x Magnifier on your objective.

    Front Objective Lens

    Rear Ocular Lens


    However, I prefer to run Jays SNB filter on the rear ocular myself.