Can Night Vision Devices Convert Reflected Frequencies Back to Original Colors?

[rajeshmarndi]

isn't the frequency that is reflected back to a night vision device by a source at night correspond to a particular color? Which can then be converted back to its original color?

 

[Danger]

Welcome to PF, Rajeshmarndi.
There are a lot of night vision devices, including several generations each of IR and Starlight. They don't all operate the same way.
Starlights amplify ambient light, and I don't really know anything else about them.
IR units operate through infrared emission ('passive') or reflection ('active'), which means that the 'translation' is a B&W signal. That usually comes out as a particular colour gradient which depends upon the interpretation circuitry and visual display characteristics.

 

[russ_watters]

Color photos are generated by using monochrome (black and white) sensors with alternating color filters and having software sort out which pixel is which color. Removing the filters and shooting everything monochrome increases the signal to noise ratio because you aren't blocking any of the signal with a filter.

So with a "starlight" device, black and white will mean higher sensitivity.

And just in case the IR part wasn't clear - for an IR device, there is no visual range color being detected so nothing to translate to accurate color.

 

[rcgldr]

Night glasses are similar to binoculars, with large lenses to gather more light and converge the captured light thorugh the viewer's pupils. Assuming the lenses aren't tinted, there's no change in color.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Night_vision#Night_glasses

 

[Yeti08]

Low light color cameras do exist as well:

Using image intensifier ("standard" night vision technology):
http://www.copst.com/media/filebank/org/F04-001-D01-B%20Lunavision%20Datasheet.pdf
http://www.laseroptronix.se/cam/CCD%20Niviscameras.pdf

Using high gain CCD:
http://www.toshiba.com/taisisd/indmed/products/pdf/ik1000me.pdf