At CHS, we offer one of the largest selections of night vision lenses on the market, tailored to fit a wide range of user needs and preferences. Much like choosing an image intensifier, picking the right lens can feel overwhelming especially for those new to the space. This guide is here to give you a broad overview of the lens options we carry and help you figure out what might work best for your setup.
Night vision devices are optical systems, and like any optical system, the glass you choose has a major impact, not just on performance, but also on the overall feel and weight of the device. In many cases, the ergonomic differences between lenses end up mattering more in real-world use than the fine optical details.
It’s important to keep in mind: there’s no such thing as a perfect lens for everybody. Every system involves tradeoffs, and the “best” option will always come down to how it fits your specific needs and how you use your gear.
We’ll continue updating this guide as new lenses enter (or exit) the market.
SOME USEFUL TERMS FOR END-USERS:
Keep in mind, these are simplified definitions meant to give a more practical understanding—rather than strict optical engineering terms—to help you choose a lens from an operational perspective.
Objective Lens: The front lens of your night vision device. Focus for the device is adjusted here.
Ocular Lens or Eyepiece Lens: The rear lens of your night vision device. This sits inside the diopter housing.
Diopter Housing: This is the part of the lens you twist on the rear to adjust the magnification of the projected image to your eye. In layman's terms, this is how you get the NOD to be adjusted for your eye prescription.
Limiting Resolution: When talking about resolution for lenses and NODs we are not talking about resolution in the same sense as what we’re used to, which is display resolution. Display resolution counts pixels on a screen (2160p or 4k, 1080p or HD as an example), limiting resolution is how well an optical system can resolve detail or separation in a subject.
For the most part NV, this is tested with variant of a 1951 USAF resolution test chart inside the Hoffman 126A. As the pairs get smaller, the lenses are limited in what they can resolve, the better the lens, the more apparent the differences are.
The Hoffman 126A Digital Test Rig we use to test every NOD we build will have a built-in resolution chart. In this example OE (Optronics Engineering) Lenses are used on the left while a Noctis lens is used on the right. Already apparent is the greater rendition of details in the Noctis lens set. 
The image above shows the real-life differences between an OE lens (lower limiting resolution, and a Noctis (formerly Carson) US-Milspec lens with a much higher resolution. The Noctis image is far clearer even though the intensifiers used in this test are the same.
Light Transmission: For night vision, light transmission refers to how much light enters the lens for the intensifier to work with. All lenses, by nature of light passing through a medium, will impact light transmission. Lenses with higher transmission may appear to have a brighter image with more detail in darker areas due to the lenses allowing in more light for the intensifier to work with. Generally, lenses with higher light transmission will squeeze more performance out of a tube and will allow the tube to have less scintillation (noise) and more detail in ultra-low-light environments.
Quality night vision lenses must find a careful balance of allowing in the most light while reducing the amount of unwanted flares and blooming, managed by careful use of optical design and coatings.
Contrast: Contrast is the difference in luminance that makes objects stand out with one another. If you ever see an image, be it on night vision or a phone screen, that’s washed out, that's a lack of contrast.
Lenses with a better rendition of contrast have a starker difference between the lightest and darkest areas for better ID of subjects.
While the clarity of the images is somewhat comparable the main difference will be the contrast. Notice how the Noctis image has much darker shadows and more defined highlights.
Distortion: Distortion deals with how “flat” the image is rendered. There are various different kinds of optical distortion, fisheye or barrel distortion actually is more common with wide FOV lenses in cameras, and causes the image to bow outwards. Pincushion distortion is more common in zoom lenses and causes the image to bow outwards. Moustache or wavy distortion is a combo of the two and usually is the least desirable.
All NV optics in our experience will have a bit of pincushion (not fisheye!) distortion because they will all be magnifying lenses, the rear lens actually seeks to correct the curvature of the output screen on your image intensifier while zooming into the image for you to see.
Quality NV lenses will seek to minimize this distortion as much as possible to give users the most natural looking image.
This image shows the distortion characteristics of each lens (OE vs Noctis). The distortion pattern actually follows a pincushion pattern in all NVG lenses due to the nature of them being zoom lenses. In this case, the Noctis lens produces a far "flatter" image.
Flare Resistance or Flare Suppression: This aspect dictates how well a lens controls bright light sources, lenses with good flare suppression are less prone to washout (veiling glare), lens flares, and other undesirable artifacts caused by using night vision in mixed lighting environments or force on force situations.
Flare suppression characteristics are determined by many factors including the optical stack, anti-reflection coatings, and the glass quality. 
Off axis flaring as seen in the above image is the "washout" effect often seen in mixed lighting environments. Lenses that have better flare control (Noctis in this example) will render the image much clearer than lenses with poor flare control.
Eyebox, Exit Pupil, and Eye Relief: Often used interchangeably but have different definitions. The exit pupil is the width of a cone of light available at an eye relief. The eye relief is the distance last from the surface of the optic which the user can see at the full viewing angle.
Eyebox is a more generalized word for the effects of the two above terms and is a way of saying how well the optic can render an image to our eyes when moved away from its ideal position.
OUR LENSES
Rochester Precision Optics (RPO) NVD-Next Optics
Often referred to as RPO 4.0 lenses, the newest entry to the market is their NVD-Next Next Generation Night Vision lenses. These mil-spec qualified optics are RPO’s submission for the US Army’s Next Generation Binocular Night Observation Device's (BiNOD) program. RPO brings extensive experience to the table, having supplied lenses for some of the most popular systems out there—including the GPNVG panoramic goggles and the PVS-31A. It should be noted that RPO has not officially designated the NVD-N / BiNOD lenses as RPO 4.0 but you will see these advertised as such. As of June 2025, any mention of "RPO 4.0" will refer to the same lenses as the NVD-N / NVD-Next lenses here.
The standout feature of the NVD-Next lenses is their significant weight reduction compared to Noctis and other US mil-spec lenses—coming in at just 87 grams (3 oz) for the pair versus 126 grams (4.4 oz) for Noctis glass. They’re also physically shorter allowing for a much smaller profile on any goggle.
RPO NVD-N lenses perfectly reflect their ultralight design philosophy. For example, this aluminum RPNVG typically weighs around 620 grams (21 oz), but swapping in the low-profile dovetail and NVD-N lenses brings that down to about 520 grams (18 oz)—lighter than many ultralight plastic goggles with milspec lenses on the market.
NVD-N also incorporates massive optical improvements to their previous iterations. Previous RPO PVS-14 compatible glass (RPO 2.0 and RPO 3.0) maintained the goals of making the lenses lighter, but did have some optical tradeoffs, especially in the areas of flare suppression, eye relief and distortion. This new iteration of RPO lens still uses the same well designed objective as the RPO 3.0 but fixes the biggest issue of the RPO 3.0 which was it's more sensitive eye-box and comparatively weaker eye relief.
The NVD-N now leads the pack with Noctis for the most generous eye-box on the market for PVS-14 lenses. 
Even past the 1 inch / 25mm ideal eye relief of night vision lenses, the NVD-N still produces a very usable image with minimal vignetting and at full size compared to its predecessor.
RPOs also show superior centre resolution, key to resolving fine details where it matters. In our tests on the Hoffman, as well as real life use, the NVD-N is slightly sharper in the centre of the lens versus other options. In the image below, the NVD-N renders Group 5 Element 4 and below with greater detail than Noctis. This image was taken with a Sony Alpha 7IV at 33 megapixels and zoomed in 500%.
We find this increase in centre clarity also translates to real life use with the NVD-Next giving a slightly sharper image in the centre versus Noctis lenses. 
Additionally, the NVD-Next system produces a slightly brighter image overall which can be helpful in ultra-low light environments to squeeze more performance out of any intensifier. As you can see from the image above, the targets at the centre of the image are not only sharper but brighter than Noctis.
System Build Recommendations:
RPO lenses are a perfect way to lighten your goggle setup, making ultralight rigs like the Nocturn Industries Tanto and Katana-Molded even lighter. With these lenses, the Tanto drops to a mere 207 grams (down from 252g), and the Katana-Molded goes from 521 grams down to 440g. For context, the L3 PVS-31A often considered the benchmark for lightweight goggles weighs about 450 grams.
What’s even more impressive than shaving weight off already ultralight goggles is that RPO’s NVD-Next lenses enable heavier, more feature-rich, and durable aluminum goggles to weigh less than many mil-spec polymer models with less features. For example, pairing an NVD-N with a Manticore-R (a full-featured aluminum, manual gain, articulating goggle) brings the goggle’s weight down from 576 grams to 484 grams. One of our staff favorites, the RPNVG a fully aluminum, panning, modular goggle—normally weighs 621 grams but drops to 531 grams with NVD-N lenses, making it lighter than many plastic goggles equipped with Noctis lenses.
Thanks to the generous eyebox and lightweight design, these lenses come highly recommended for panning setups like dual monoculars on a Noisefighters Panobridge or the RPNVG.
Usage Recommendations:
If you do a lot of hiking, recon, and work in austere environments where users are expected to wear the NOD on their head for a long period of time, the 15-20% reduction in overall system weight dramatically reduces head-borne soreness and allows for greater operation time.
The additional light transmission that RPO offers also will squeeze more out of your tube if you use NVGs a lot in the darkest of environments such as forests, indoor structures.
Want to Learn More? Check Out This Youtube Video
NVD-N Key Takeaways:
- Much Lighter Than Milspec Lenses ~15-20% system weight savings
- Ultralight Lens set is 87g / 3oz vs the 126g / 4.4oz of noctis lenses
- Leading Centre Resolution
- Above Milspec (MIL-STD-810) Ingress Ratings and Testing
- Brighter Image Than Milspec Lenses
- Very Generous Eyebox and Eye Relief
- More true to life magnification than Noctis
--- - Slightly less edge clarity than Noctis at the cost of greater centre clarity
- Slightly more dramatic lens flares than Noctis
Noctis Technologies US-Milspec Lens
Noctis (formerly Carson) has long been the premier supplier of night vision lenses for the U.S. military and is widely regarded as the gold standard in lens performance.
Today, Noctis lenses are OEM’d by Fujinon, though over the years they’ve partnered with other optics manufacturers like Edmund Optics and Qioptiq/Excelitas. The current lens designs use a primarily glass stack, which delivers excellent optical performance—especially in contrast and clarity—though this comes with a slight weight penalty. Noctis continues to make incremental improvements to better optimize their lenses for modern white phosphor tubes.
In areas like edge resolution and flare resistance, they still stand out as top-tier performers. Proven and reliable, Noctis lenses are an excellent choice for any setup aiming to meet or exceed milspec standards.
Noctis lenses still have leading edge to edge clarity, with the image on the sides of the lenses being sharper than others on the market. 
Noctis lenses have stellar contrast rendition, creating deeper and more life-like images. This, combined with their strong anti-reflective coatings allows contrast to show through the toughest environments such as urban heavy mixed lighting where many lenses struggle.
Compared to the NVD-Next, the Noctis lens produces an image with a bit more contrast and a starker transition between light and dark areas where the NVD-Next produces an image that is brighter overall but a bit less contrast due to the increase of light transmission.
System Build Recommendations
These lenses are great on monocular systems due to monoculars already being lightweight enough for the tradeoffs in weight for optical benefits.
Any lightweight system such as Katana Gen3 or MH-1 systems will work well as the weight of the lenses is offset by the lightweight nature of the goggle, allowing the user to reap the optical benefits without the physical strain.
Like the RPOs, the very generous eye-box of these lenses makes them work exceptionally well for any panned goggle system albeit at an increased weight.
Usage Recommendations:
For users who do a lot of static observational work, the edge to edge clarity of the Noctis glass may prove to be more noticeable than the slight increase of centre clarity of the NVD-Next.
Users that do a lot of force on force, or work in mixed lighting environments such as vehicular, urban, and suburban environments may also find the stronger flare resistance of the Noctis will help make the image a bit more usable than the more dramatic flare elements of other lenses.
Noctis Key Takeaways:
- Excellent overall resolution
- Leading distortion control
- Leading edge resolution
- Great Contrast
- Milspec (MIL-STD-810) Ingress Ratings and Testing
- Generous eye box
-
Leading flare resistance
--- - Slightly less centre clarity than RPO NVD-N
- One of the heavier lenses on the market at 126 grams / 4.4oz
Photonis Defense Boomslang 50° Wide FOV Lens
Taking NOD lens design and spinning it on its head, the Boomslang 50° Wide FOV (field of view) Lens does not seek to improve the current 40 degree standard but increase the FOV by 25% to 50 with as few optical tradeoffs as possible.
Previous iterations of wide FOV lenses often suffered from being heavy, riddled with distortion, poor contrast, and middling eye-box. The Boomslangs represent an evolutionary leap in WFOV (wide field of view) lens design with usable eye relief, high light transmission, and relatively lightweight design.
Perhaps more apparent than any minutia in image quality, is the much larger FOV that Boomslangs give the user, allowing users to see what they could not see before.
Additionally, when measuring on our gain probe on the Hoffman, Boomslangs offer about an 8-10% increase in light transmission compared to Noctis.
At these lower light levels in the Hoffman 126-A the boomslang (centre) produces an image that is slightly brighter than the RPO 3.0 (left) and Noctis (right).
Because these lenses are WFOV, there are naturally some optical tradeoffs mainly in eye relief and resolution. Since you're working with the same size input and output screens but trying to squeeze out more FOV, you're going to lose a bit of resolution in the process. It's similar to how a wide-angle lens on a camera can’t resolve the same level of fine detail as a zoom lens.
As shown in the examples above, the Boomslangs might lose a touch of detail, but in our opinion still produce totally usable images. Whether that tradeoff is worth it really comes down to user needs —you're gaining roughly 25% more FOV and about 8–10% more brightness.
System Build Recommendations:
One of the best ways to take advantage of Boomslang lenses is by running them on a panning system—like the RPNVG or a dual monocular setup with something like the Noisefighters Panobridge. This lets you really capitalize on the wider FOV. For example, with the RPNVG fully panned, you can push to ~80° FOV, compared to the 65° you’d get with standard lenses. For reference, full panoramic (quad-tube) goggles come in around 97° FOV. On top of that, since most panning setups are a bit heavier, the Boomslangs' weight savings pair nicely to help keep the overall system manageable.
Boomslangs are best paired with fixed bridge systems as the rigidity of fixed bridge systems leads to an easier overall usage experience.
Usage Recommendations:
Users operating in tight or confined spaces will probably see the biggest gains from Boomslang. The boost in situational awareness can really shift how you navigate and interpret your environment. The increased light transmission also helps in very dark conditions, like under canopy or indoors.
From the demos we’ve run, most new night vision users tend to be more impressed by the raw increase in FOV than the finer points of resolution you get from other lenses. If you’re constantly scanning or moving your head around, the wider FOV helps cut down on unnecessary motion and creates a more natural, less fatiguing viewing experience even if it comes at the cost of some fine detail.
Boomslang Key Takeaways:
- Lightweight at 95g / 3.5oz vs (Noctis) 126g / 4.4oz
- 8-10% Higher Light Transmission than Noctis Lenses
- 25% larger FOV than 40 degree systems
- Greater than Milspec Immersion Resistance
- Larger Front Knurling For Easier Glove Access
-
Good Flare Suppression
--- - Slight Resolution Drop Due to Wider Image (imagine zooming into a wide screen image, vs a cropped in image, you will get less relative resolution)
- Less Contrast Than Milspec Lenses
- Relatively sensitive eyebox and eye relief compared to milspec lenses
Want to Learn More? Check Out This Youtube Video
PVS-14 Standard Lenses
Our starter kits all feature these lenses which have been used industry wide as an effective alternative for milspec lenses. The front lens is distributed by Steele Industries and the rear lens is made by Torrent Photonics formerly Salvo Optics. These lenses feature a double knurled housing for easier focus adjustment. Their lens performance is very similar to Noctis albeit at a lower cost for users looking to start their night vision journey, or save some funds for accessories.
PVS-14 Standard Lens:
- Similar image quality to milspec lenses at a slightly lower cost
- Water and dust proof front and rear lens for harsh environment use
- Slightly higher light transmission than Noctis (as tested on Hoffman 126A gain test)
- Slightly Lighter than Noctis at 118 Grams / 4.1 oz vs 126g / 4.4g
- Dual Knurling for easy adjustment
- Exact same accessory compatibility as Noctis Lenses
- Excellent Flare Resistance
- Lower Cost Than Noctis
--- - Slightly less contrast than Noctis
System Build Recommendations
Our starter kits all feature this lens in order to get users some of the best price to performance ratios out there.
If users are just looking to start in night vision and do not want an overall solid performing lens that is compatible with many accessories, this combo is a great jumping off point.
Accessory Compatibility:
Accessories play a major role in lens selection, and we've curated our lineup to ensure compatibility with the widest range of accessories available. The table below outlines how each lens (top row) pairs with various accessories (left column). Additional notes are included at the bottom to clarify any edge cases or exceptions.
We’ve grouped Noctis lenses with the PVS-14 standard, as they share nearly identical dimensions.
| RPO NVD-N | Noctis/PVS-14 Standard | Boomslang | |
| PVS-14 Defenders | Yes¹ | Yes | Yes |
| PVS-14 Low Profile Defenders | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| CHADs and Infinity Iris | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Bikini and CHAD-Kini Covers | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Grec-X Night Vision Recorder | Yes | Yes | Yes³ |
| COTI (Jerry C5/RENV-C/ Jerry PRO) | Yes² | Yes | Yes⁴ |
¹ Due to the more aggressive curvature of the rear lens of the NVD-N, some very low profile defenders may touch the rear lens when installed
² Because the NVD-N is a lower profile than other night vision lenses, it's ideal for a COTI, even with lens protectors on users will get larger range of travel than all other lenses on the market
³ Normally the GREC-X fits onto the diopter housing of the host night vision device, the Boomslang uses a slightly thinner diopter housing than a mil-spec diopter. The GREC-X can still fit but will attach to the eyepiece lock ring rather than the diopter. It still works but is slightly less secure
⁴ The Boomslang objective lens is longer than a milspec lens, the COTI still works but the focus range is smaller than other lenses.
Conclusion:
In the end, choosing the right lens is about finding the balance that works for you—between performance, ergonomics, weight, and your specific use case. Whether you're prioritizing FOV, low-light performance, or overall system weight, there’s no one-size-fits-all answer.
If you're still unsure, we're always here to answer questions and help you dial in the setup that makes the most sense for your needs. Contact us today to discuss your operational requirements and let us help you get into the right setup for you.