I spend a lot of time late at night for astrophotography, whether it’s with my iPhone 17 Pro or smart telescopes like the Dwarf 3. Both devices are fantastic in their own right, but one of the coolest gadgets I’ve tested last year combines the best features of phones and telescopes.
The Cigman CNVPRO is a pair of night vision binoculars that lets me see in complete darkness, much like the Akaso Seemor 200 I’ve previously tested. But this newer device performs much better, thanks in part to its 7-layer coated spherical glass lenses. Not only does the CNVPRO let me see in complete darkness with exceptional clarity, but it also makes it feel like I’m using a telescope with a versatile zoom.
Unfortunately my vision’s deteriorated during the last couple of years, to the point that I now have to wear glasses whenever I drive any of the best electric cars I’m testing. To make matters worse, I used to be able to make out all seven major stars that make up M45 the Pleiades, but now it’s just a hazy mess seeing them with my own eyes.
When I use the Cigman CNVPRO, however, those individual stars in that famous cluster are drawn out from the darkness of deep space. Its color night vision performance is outstanding on its own, but I prefer switching over to its dedicated black-and-white night vision mode because there’s not as much noise.
Even though the CNVPRO offers up to an 8x digital zoom, the default 1x option manages to provide a bit of telephoto performance that lets me see stars and some nebulas with ease. Just take a peak at the video I recorded of M43 The Great Orion Nebula, which is one of my favorite nebulas visible to the naked eye. It appears as a hazy figure with my own eyes, but the Cigman CNVPRO shows some of the nebula’s gas emissions.
Beyond helping out with my astrophotography, the Cigman CNVPRO is also great for nature photography in the dark. I’ve watched some foxes and raccoons scurrying around my neighborhood with them, from a safe distance thanks to how they’re effectively binoculars. I’ve even used them on nights when it was raining or snowing, thanks to how the CNVPRO features an IP54 rating for water and dust resistance.
Everything I record gets saved to a microSD card, which is safely tucked underneath a rubber cover on the side of the unit — along with a USB-C port that’s used to charge the binoculars and transfer content.
Speaking of transferring, I love how I can also transfer clips I’ve captured onto my phone for quick sharing through a companion app. This also lets me use my phone as a view finder — helpful when I leave the Cigman CNVPRO outside strapped to my tripod. Rather than freezing outside in the cold, I can at least watch the night sky from inside.
At the end of the day, the Cigman CNVPRO is the best companion for all of my astrophotography sessions at night. It’s not meant to replace my phones or telescopes; it complements them.
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