Fusion
A device that combines thermal with night vision or a regular camera in one picture, so you see an animal's heat and the scene's detail together.
What it means
A fusion device has two channels: a thermal sensor plus a second one, usually a digital low-light sensor and sometimes a night vision tube. It can show either channel alone, or blend them, typically by laying the thermal outline over the detailed picture.
What it changes in the field
The idea is to get the best of both. Thermal finds the coyote in the grass; the second channel shows the terrain, the fence line, and enough detail to help confirm what the animal is. Blended, a hunter sees a warm shape in its surroundings instead of a white blob on a gray field.
Owner opinions are mixed. Some find blended views busy and switch between channels instead. Fusion units also tend to be heavier and cost more than a thermal with similar specs, and each channel may be weaker than a dedicated device at the same price.
What to look for
- The thermal channel’s specs first: sensor resolution, focal length and pixels on target. That channel does the finding.
- The second channel’s type, and whether it needs an IR illuminator at night.
- Blend modes and how fast you can switch between them in the dark.
- Weight and runtime with both channels running.
How we use it on this site
Fusion units are listed with thermal, in the thermal categories, and marked as fusion in our data. Our calculations use the thermal channel.