Night Vision Goggles

[dodphotography]

I know people recommend the ATN Viper but was curious if anything at BH would work as well?

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/buy/Night-Vision-Monoculars/ci/3336/N/4040858855

Any advice is appreciated.

[Bill Burk]

I would rather have 1x than magnified view, but there's one under a hundred that should be worth the trouble.

[Paul Ron]

i remember seeing a thread about toy night vision gogles for $40 available on amazon. i have been doing alot of tray work n would like to be able to see what's going on. it would make loading film easier too.

anyone try these?

https://www.amazon.com/Spy-Gear-Ninja-Night-Vision/dp/B01MSMQHWR/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&qid=1542668292&sr=8-10&keywords=goggles+night+vision

[Greg]

i remember seeing a thread about toy night vision gogles for $40 available on amazon. i have been doing alot of tray work n would like to be able to see what's going on. it would make loading film easier too.

anyone try these?

https://www.amazon.com/Spy-Gear-Ninja-Night-Vision/dp/B01MSMQHWR/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&qid=1542668292&sr=8-10&keywords=goggles+night+vision

Had the chance to try on a similar (rebranded?) pair and was a piece of junk "you get what you pay for"

[Paul Ron]

yeah i know big bucks gets better build but for occasional delicte use... how were they for seeing in the dark?

[Duolab123]

I've been using Jakks Pacific spy net goggles for several years now. I have neuropathy in my hands, loss of some feeling, I would be sunk without these. They are a toy. One lens two sets of led illumination, one is pure IR, doesn't bother normal films. The other set of LED s are near IR, I cover those with tape to avoid an accident. I can read the part number on Jobo reels. Manual focus down to apx. 12 inches. Field of view is narrow and it's actually a monocular, thus no depth perception. You get used to it. Get everything ready, SIT DOWN, and I strap them to my head with a bungee cord. You watch what's going on via a very small color LED tv screen. Like an old video camera. I use them for everything, I've never tried using for developing sheet film in trays but I suspect they would work great.

Here's a random link.

https://www.ebay.com/i/123471086301?rt=nc&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIM.MBE%26ao%3D2%26asc%3D20160908110712%26meid%3D280d52974e344c47b1b5148c15d59478%26pid%3D100677%26rk%3D3%26rkt%3D30%26sd%3D273547608872%26itm%3D123471086301

I have no need to buy anything more expensive. This is the only thing I have tried, these are no longer made the new toy stuff is worthless.

[seall]

It's probibly worth mentioning that it is very cheap to light a room up with infra-red if you buy a few "48 led" spot lights from the auction site.

Some of them also only switch on in the dark and can be bought for about £6 each.

Not entirely sure how suitable they are for film, maybe someone has a better idea of this?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=m570.l1313&_nkw=48+LEDS+Night+Vision+IR&_sacat=0

[Duolab123]

It's probibly worth mentioning that it is very cheap to light a room up with infra-red if you buy a few "48 led" spot lights from the auction site.

Some of them also only switch on in the dark and can be bought for about £6 each.

Not entirely sure how suitable they are for film, maybe someone has a better idea of this?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=m570.l1313&_nkw=48+LEDS+Night+Vision+IR&_sacat=0

I bought 1 ir flood lamp for the darkroom, it lights up the whole room.

[Paul Ron]

but IR light isnt visable to the human eye... how can you see anything?

[Duolab123]

but IR light isnt visable to the human eye... how can you see anything?

With my IR Spynet toy goggles. I point the flood light towards a wall. There is a very faint red light visible to my eye, not enough to fog film unless you held the film in direct contact. I can load the impossible Jobo sheet film reels (2509n) , inspect film in holders, I feel it's no different than wearing glasses or a hearing aid. I never have any issues at all, I ca physically inspect reels etc. No more worries. I ordered another type last night supposed to be able to record to a memory stick.
Like I said it's like looking down a tube, very narrow field of view, used 40 bucks.

[Paul Ron]

ooooohhhhhhhhhh thats smart!

im going to get a pair of those gogles. im glad to see it works.

thanks

[Duolab123]

Here's my little video with these viewers

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXUck5VphcA&feature=youtu.be

[Duolab123]

ooooohhhhhhhhhh thats smart!

im going to get a pair of those gogles. im glad to see it works.

thanks

Watch the video I have posted on youtube.

[Paul Ron]

aaaaahhh maaaaaaaa zzzziiiiiinnnnngggggggg!

im getting a pair!

ive got my darkroom film hadeling down pat but....

that will make loading film holders so much easier.

thanks.

[dodphotography]

Here's my little video with these viewers

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXUck5VphcA&feature=youtu.be

Thanks man! That's pretty awesome...

[Higo]

I do not believe you need the military Gen 1/2/3 goggles for darkroom work. They are expensive if any good and bulky. They probably will not do 1x (non) magnification.
At any rate I have a Bresser Night Vision device (from Amazon) which works like a security camera, with a small internal black and white screen. It cost about 150 GBP with a very adequate head mounting and magnification variable from 1x up to about 2.8x . The 850nM assist light is also variable from zero up to level 6.
In my small dark space even IR assist level 1 is much too bright and I have taped pieces of fogged film over these twin IR lights. In my opinion these assist lights, and the 850nM security lights you can buy cheaply, could fog panchromatic film because they have a visible component. This would obviously depend on nature of film, light distance and intensity and time of exposure.
Recently 940nM LED's seem to have become easily and cheaply available. I have been able to buy a 940nM torch from China for only about 12 GBP. This light is invisible to the eye (requiring care in use) and therefore I believe would be less likely to fog film even with close or fairly prolonged use. I intend to use it for DBI with the torch light in a kind of white light box underneath the transparent developing tray. This way the light is not pointed at the eye. My intention is to have it on throughout development, because I am only learning about this and want to inspect what is happening.
The good news is that the Bresser goggles work just fine for 940nM. The illumination is weaker and less contrasty than for 850nM, but I believe this is so even for the hunting IR scopes.
Other points about the Bresser goggles:
To prevent light escape from the viewing screen at the edge of the face shield I wear a welder's protective hood costing very little; the angle of vision is rather low, not above 35 deg. I think and the screen is rather small so you have little peripheral vision which requires a bit of practise.It is rechargeable.
I tried another IR monocular viewer made by Carson with a tiny screen. I could not rig up a successful headgear for this, it was not too much cheaper than the Bresser which came with headgear and worst of all the IR assist comes on as the default. However it does also work with 940 nM light.
My 2 cents worth as I have been a long-term lurker.

[Alan9940]

I use Nightfox 119V. They are 1x and are comfortable to wear for any normal length of time developing film. However, it looks like this unit may not be made any longer so you would have to buy used.