A system is disclosed that includes a lens system that directs energy from a scene toward a detector and display unit coupled to the detector. The display unit forms an image using information received from the detector. The detector includes an array of detector elements, each detector element receiving energy from a portion of the scene and converting the received energy into information representative of the received energy. The detector sends the information associated with at least some of the detector elements to the display unit. The system further includes a computer coupled to the sensor. The computer selects the detector elements that should be used to form an image based on vehicle operating conditions and instructs the detector which detector elements should have their associated information provided to the display unit.