Your Eyes In The Dark: Infrared Security Cameras

Nature documentaries - the ones you see on TV - I love them. I have learned SO much from them. Like this fact: compared with other species, human beings have a very restricted sense of vision. We 'see' only a tiny fraction of what can be seen - we are blind as a bat when it comes to seeing in the infrared or ultraviolet range of light.

But fortunately for us, we can let technology help us to compensate for our biological weaknesses. This is where infrared security cameras come into play. Infrared security cameras come equipped with all the electronic components necessary to capture images within the infrared range.

This means that infrared cameras are very useful in security monitoring situations. Areas that we would say are in total darkness (a Lux 0.0 condition) are visible through an infrared security camera. Businesses and industries, banks and warehouses have been monitored with infrared security cameras for many years. They have proven to be an effective crime-deterrent.

In the home, we can use infrared security cameras as well: perhaps in the downstairs living room, or a darkened external garage area or long driveway outdoors. They are ideal tools to detect the presence of all sorts of intruders -- even stray animals such as deer, stray dogs and even rodents.

Yes, infrared security cameras can be placed in a pitch-black environment - yet they will still function and provide a good image. This is bad news for all the home thieves -- these are the guys who specialize in breaking into your home when it is darkened. They believe that the darkness will protect them, that they will not be detected. But with a properly installed infrared security camera, you can catch them - every time!

One thing any good infrared security camera has is an 'auto-scan' function. When a camera is set to auto-scan, it will repeatedly move back-and-forth over the same area automatically. Now, if the area that you need to monitor is too big for the field of vision of one camera, simply install several, and let each one sweep across a pre-defined territory. In this way if you have a very long driveway, or building entrance, you can effectively monitor every part of it.

Infrared security cameras do not rely on light from things like a light bulb, or the light of the moon or sun. Instead, they generate their own light. Some models shine a beam of infrared light from the camera unit itself - like a James Bond high-tech flashlight. Other infrared camera models use a separate light source to illuminate an area (you can't see that light, of course). When the light is operational it shines in the area to be illuminated, and the infrared camera uses that light to capture images.

Now don't confuse infrared security cameras with 'low light' cameras. These low light types simply have the capability to function with very little daylight - but they do need some daylight, even if it's very small amounts of it. One weakness of infrared security cameras is that they cannot illuminate a large area - they function best when you set them up to monitor a small place. If you need to monitor a large area - like a large building lobby - then you will need to install several of them, each covering a small section. Finally, some models incorporate a dual-function feature, which allows them to switch from a regular camera to an infrared camera when the lighting conditions are bad.

About the author: Jennifer Metcalfe discusses home security, cameras and home security systems Read more aboutinfrared security cameras by visiting his website.
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