[AnthonyG]

MX-10160 Tubes

MX-10160 - These are a standard tube format without an adjustable gain pigtail. These will fit any standard PVS-14 style housing with our without gain control. If it is put into a housing with gain control, the gain control will simply not work and will be fixed.

The gain control is fixed in the sense that the gain knob does not function with a 10160 tube. I would clarify that with MX-10160 tubes gain control is automatic, and managed internally by the image intensifier. I think most people who are new and looking to buy a unit by default assume manual gain is what they want, when in reality auto-gain is equally as good, and can even save you from having to busy your hands with extra controls.


EBI

One spec to add that no one ever talks about, EBI: Equivalent Background Illumination. It is somewhat of a sleeper spec that often is overlooked or not measured at all on some spec sheets.
Common description found on the internet:

The EBI level determines the lowest light level at which an image can be detected. Below this light level, objects will be masked by the EBI.

This is a pretty good description. From personal experience I would describe it as the amount of contrast perceived in the darkest portions of an image. A tube with high EBI (less favourable) will mask out detail in the darkest spots, rendering details as grey, while a tube with low EBI (more favourable) will be able to resolve an image in darker light levels. In some instances, a tube with extremely low EBI can match or even outperform a tube with 3-4 points higher SNR. That said for the average airsofter, the consensus when prioritizing specs seems to be:

1. Signal-Noise
2. Resolution
3. Photocathode sensitivity
4. EBI

Gen 2 vs. Gen 3?

Gen 2:

Gen 2 is improved over Gen 1, basically with the addition of a MCP. Some people throw around the term Gen 2+ but it is a meaningless made up term for marketing purposes. This is where the generational term becomes more of a "title" based on tube chemistry than an accurate representation of tube quality. Because of that, there are some very bad Gen 2 tubes and some very good Gen 2 tubes. If you are going to get a Gen 2 device, get something with a tube made by Photonis.

Gen 3:

Gen 3 is defined as having a Gallium Arsenide photocathode, which is significantly more photosensitive than previous photocathodes. Gen 3 is what you should be looking at buying. Gen 3 devices are significantly more expensive than Gen 1 and Gen 2, and generally come with fairly decent optics.

The Gen 2 vs Gen 3 question is one of the most common I hear people ask. For those doing research, understand that tube chemistry is almost irrelevant at this point. What matters is specs and actual tested performance. For posterity I’ll link to some great comparisons by people who know way more than any of us:

NV Picture Comparison: Photonis XR5 vs. ITT Gen 3 Omni VII vs. L3 Gen 3 Filmless
4G vs Gen3 ( S/N around 28:1 both tubes )