Night Vision Cameras

Right now on the market there are only 3 obvious types of night vision cameras. Low Light Imaging, Thermal Imaging, and Infrared Imaging turn night into day for many consumers worldwide.

Engineers have combined a black and white camera with infrared illuminators creating cameras specifically for night time surveillance. You can purchase either indoor, outdoor, wired or wireless styles from a number of different competitors such as Sony, Panasonic, Vivotek, JVC and more. Below I will focus on these different types of night vision methods.

Low Lighting Imaging is definitely the most popular and well known method in the market today. This imaging is usually found in night vision goggles and night scopes, however recently on-chip gain multiplication CCD (charged coupled device) cameras have been popularized quickly for the way they perform under lowlight circumstances. They are excellent in lowlight sensitivity and offer high resolution. They’ve earned their reputation as being one of the most reliable ways to accurately ID people under surveillance, and they help to lower power and costs. Unfortunately because they are based on amplification methods some light is required and there is always a possibility of damage if you’re observing bright sources under lowlight conditions.

Thermal Imaging operates on the principle that all objects emit infrared energy as a function of temperature. It works by collecting infrared radiation from any objects in the scene and creating an electronic image. Used by search and rescue departments and all police departments nationwide, thermal imaging speaks for itself. There’s no hiding under this surveillance. It’s not affected by bright sources and it’s able to perform at high speeds and multi spectral infrared imaging. This camera is expensive to purchase and operate but consumers would tell you it was worth every penny.

The last type of night vision cameras is the Infrared Illumination Imaging cameras. They are popular as well as inexpensive and are available in a range of wavelengths. These types of cameras are used in a variety of night vision applications such as perimeter protection in which the camera is integrated with video motion detection and intelligent scene analysis devices to produce a reliable lowlight video security system. Simply put it’s a device that’s sensitive to invisible near infrared radiation and it’s used in conjunction with an infrared illuminator. It’s the cheapest of any method in night vision but that doesn’t mean it isn’t reliable. These cameras can see thru nighttime fog, rain, mist, snowfall and even windows. During the elimination of the ambient light infrared imaging eliminates shadows and performs at high speeds while capturing video.