A method of enhancing a displayed infrared image using an image enhancement system which includes an infrared sensor , a processor , a memory , a display , and an eye tracker , comprising: acquiring, by the infrared sensor, an image of a scene at a first bit depth resolution wherein the acquired image is a 12-bit or 14-bit image, then displaying the image on the display at a second bit depth resolution, wherein the displayed image is an 8-bit image; then receiving eye-tracking information from the eye tracker associated with the displayed image ; then identifying a region of interest in the displayed image using the eye tracking information ; then enhancing the region of interest using the image enhancement system; and then displaying the enhanced region of interest superimposed on an unenhanced region in a displayed image on the display, wherein the second dynamic range or bit depth resolution is less than the first dynamic range or bit depth resolution, and wherein the unenhanced region of the displayed image is an 8-bit image region, wherein the enhanced region of the displayed image is an 8-bit image region, the method comprising causing the processor , through instructions recorded on the memory , to split the acquired 12 or 14 bit image data from the acquired image into three 8-bit data sets, each data set having a different exposure range and mean exposure, the three 8-bit data sets consisting of a first, lowest exposure 8-bit data set, a second, mid exposure 8-bit data set, and a third, highest exposure 8-bit data set, wherein the displaying the image is displaying the image with 8-bit resolution using the first, lowest exposure data set, then as the viewer's eye dwells in an orientation toward one of the regions, the image enhancement system identifies the region of interest and substitutes within the region of interest the first, lowest exposure 8-bit data set with the second, mid exposure 8-bit data set while preserving the exposure of other regions. acquiring, by the infrared sensor, an image of a scene at a first bit depth resolution wherein the acquired image is a 12-bit or 14-bit image, then displaying the image on the display at a second bit depth resolution, wherein the displayed image is an 8-bit image; then receiving eye-tracking information from the eye tracker associated with the displayed image ; then identifying a region of interest in the displayed image using the eye tracking information ; then enhancing the region of interest using the image enhancement system; and then displaying the enhanced region of interest superimposed on an unenhanced region in a displayed image on the display, wherein the second dynamic range or bit depth resolution is less than the first dynamic range or bit depth resolution, and wherein the unenhanced region of the displayed image is an 8-bit image region, wherein the enhanced region of the displayed image is an 8-bit image region, the method comprising causing the processor , through instructions recorded on the memory , to split the acquired 12 or 14 bit image data from the acquired image into three 8-bit data sets, each data set having a different exposure range and mean exposure, the three 8-bit data sets consisting of a first, lowest exposure 8-bit data set, a second, mid exposure 8-bit data set, and a third, highest exposure 8-bit data set, wherein the displaying the image is displaying the image with 8-bit resolution using the first, lowest exposure data set, then as the viewer's eye dwells in an orientation toward one of the regions, the image enhancement system identifies the region of interest and substitutes within the region of interest the first, lowest exposure 8-bit data set with the second, mid exposure 8-bit data set while preserving the exposure of other regions. <EOS>