How to Get a Night Vision Closed Circuit TV System

There are several options available to create a system capable of viewing and recording at night, and here are a few:

Traditional Lights

By far the cheapest option, having an ordinary light fitted near your cameras is the first option.

Of course, this depends on you remembering to switch them on every night, and if you do forget, you may end up with surveillance footage that is completely useless!

Motion Sensor Lights

Adding a light with a motion sensor to your system, if you have one or two cameras may be a good idea.

These lights detect motion, and only switch on when they detect movement within their sensor range. It will mean that you will record a large amount of “black” footage, but, if something happens, you should have the event on record!

Day / Night Switches

Day / night switches, fitted to security lights, are also known as photosensitive switches.

In essence, they detect dwindling light, and automatically switch on lights when visibility is impaired by darkness.

Another good idea, and one that means that as soon as it gets dark, your lighting system will compensate, without you having to remember! Also a good choice for small or single camera systems.

Infra Red Cameras

If you have many cameras, where specialized lighting would not be economical, infra red or “night vision” cameras are your best bet.

These cameras record normally during the day, but in poor visibility, they have infra red capabilities, meaning you will always have visible recordings. Another benefit is that if you are fitting IR cameras, there will be no light to give away the fact that you are recording activity, meaning your system will be secret – ideal in retail and office environments, where you may prefer  your recordings to be unknown to staff or customers.

And, considering that there are relatively cheap IR cameras on the market, the overall cost will be much lower than fitting lights to each camera in a multi camera system. Try, however, to look at quality over cost, as some of the cheaper cameras out there can offer grainy, difficult to decipher images. Not ideal in any security system!

Whichever option you do choose, it’s a good idea to bear low light conditions in mind when installing a closed circuit television system or you will end up with an expensive investment that only offers functionality during daylight hours!

If you do opt for lighting, make sure you fit energy saver light bulbs, or you may find your power bill a nasty surprise at the end of the month!