An independent survey of monochrome and color low light level TV cameras

Using the latest models from the U.S. Army Night Vision Electronic Sensors Directorate (NVESD), a survey of monochrome and color imaging systems at daylight and low light levels is conducted. Each camera system is evaluated and compared under several different assumptions, such as equivalent field of view with equal and variable f/# , common lens focal length and aperture, with high dynamic range comparisons and over several light levels. The modeling is done by use of the Targeting Task Performance (TTP) metric using the latest version of the Night Vision Integrated Performance Model (NV⁸IPM). The comparison is performed over the V parameter, the main output of the TTP metric. Probability of identification (PID) versus range predictions are a direct non-linear mapping of the V parameter as a function of range. Finally, a comparison between the performance of a Bayer-filtered color camera, the Bayer-filtered color camera with the IR block filter removed, and a monochrome version of the same camera is also conducted.