Infrared Security Cameras - Why You Need Infrared Security On Your Property

Total security camera coverage is of the utmost importance today whether you install it in and around your home or a business. What is total security coverage?

Infrared security cameras will keep an eye on your property 24 hours a day. It's their ability to see in the dark which makes them especially valuable and if you have "dark spots" around your property then going infrared is a smart choice.

Before going out and spending your hard-earned dollars on a security camera system you should do a surveillance of your property and identify those areas which don't get a lot of light. By this, we mean areas which miss out on outside lighting or street lighting.

Many cameras which have the ability to handle night time conditions only need a little light to be effective but when it's pitch black then infrared security cameras are your best bet.

Infrared Security Cameras

What makes infrared security cameras so effective in total darkness is what is known as LED lighting. This is short for Light Emitting Diode which in effect gives the camera the ability to take in a whole spectrum of light that our eyes can't see.

The images captured are in black and white during any night filming. LED lighting gives the camera just enough light to film what's going on, but not enough light to be a dead giveaway to the subjects being filmed.

Better still, infrared security cameras are extremely effective when there is very low light conditions when the only source of light is that reflected off the moon and in many instances, they can still capture images in color.

Day/Night Cameras

There are some cameras on the market listed as "Day/Night cameras", but they are different from infrared security cameras. They don’t use LED lighting but uses extra sensitive chips and are considered inferior in capturing good images for night time filming.

To make things even more confusing, there ARE some Day/Night cameras that use LED lighting. Whatever the camera used for night surveillance, be sure it has LED lighting.

If you are considering an infrared security camera for your home or business, then it's best to get a weatherproof, round ("bullet") model. Be sure to install it outside.

Remember how the light reflected off of nocturnal animals' eyes to make them glaringly bright? This can also happen if you install the camera indoors and it tries to film through glass.

Not all infrared security cameras are alike. Price will depend not only on shape and size, but also how far away they can film in total darkness.

Think hard about all of the requirements you need in a security camera. Will there always be an outdoor light on somewhere? Do you get a lot of light from streetlights? In other words, if you really don’t need to film in total darkness, there's no sense in spending the extra dollars and cents for abilities you're not going to use.