Night Vision Security Cameras - The Truth About Night Vision Cameras

There's little doubt night vision security cameras are now a vital part of today's society especially in suburban areas where street lighting is at a minimum or not very effective.

The best option for those looking for night vison is to consider day/night cameras. These provide excellent screen capture images during the day and then simply revert to night time images at night but without color.

In some respects this is a criticism for many night vision security cameras but the fact is, they are effective in low light conditions and when lighting improves, then they have the ability to capture color.

They are ineffective in absolutely no-light conditions. Don't get the term night vision cameras confused with night cameras which can capture images in total darkness as we'll explain in a moment.

Many people liken a night vision security camera to images they have seen on television or in the movies made using night vision goggles. Most are shown as having a green background with shadows for images. While the images seen on a night vision security camera may appear somewhat similar, the detail is usually better than that depicted in such showings.

Night Vision vs. Infrared

Some may think that a night vision security camera uses infrared to capture images. However, infrared relies on heat of the subjects to make them visible.

This is often seen in movies as red and yellow against a black background to show the difference in heat generated by the video's subjects. However, most night vision security cameras use a small light emitted by the camera itself in order to focus on the subject and record the images.

Depending on a night vision security camera to capture activity around a structure should one be done with the advice and instruction from someone familiar with how they work as extraneous lighting from surrounding areas can confound the camera into believing more light is available than there really is.

This can throw off the internal mechanism that automatically switches camera modes and render a disorganized video.

The cost of a night vision security camera while not totally outrageous, it is high enough to limit their use to areas and by people that have a seemingly endless budget devoted to their security.

Pricing varies a lot depending on the number of cameras you install but prices ranging from a quality two camera system from about $200 to four camera set ups for at least double this price are common.

It will pay you to do your own due diligence however as many outlets and online services are usually wheeling and dealing on security cameras.