Protection 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.

But increasingly, they have been used in the home as well as in industrial and business environments. People with especially large, darkened back yards, for example, will use infrared security cameras to monitor their property for intruders - whether they be human or animal (stray deer, dogs, rodents, wolves).

Infrared security cameras make use of what has been called the 'stealth factor' -- the camera can be completely surrounded in darkness and yet still be actively monitoring the area. As is well known, most home intruders love to operate under the cloak of darkness. They assume that if there is no light, that they cannot be seen. Professional thieves will purposely choose to enter a home in darkness -- but an infrared security camera can catch them red-handed!

Make sure that any infrared security camera that you purchase has an 'auto-scan' function. When a camera is set to auto-scan, it will move back-and-forth, covering the same area repeatedly. So you can set up several of these cameras to monitor a specific area continuously. In this way long and large areas, such as hallways, driveways and entrance lobbies can be monitored effectively.

One interesting thing about infrared security cameras is that they do not depend on light from the sun or moon for illumination; instead they generate their own light - and they do it in one of two ways. Some infrared cameras shine a beam of concentrated light out, just like a flashlight - except that since it is infrared light, you won't see it. Other models rely on a separate, detached light emitter. When it is turned on, the emitter shines a light into the area, which the camera unit uses to capture images.

Many folk confuse infrared security cameras with 'low light' cameras. Low light cameras, in and of themselves, do not use infrared light - they use normal daylight, but can function with very small amounts of such light (think of light very early in the morning, or at dusk). One weakness in most infrared security cameras is that they do not work well in large, expansive areas - so if you have a large area to monitor, like a warehouse or big garage, you may need to use several. Some models are dual-function: they work like regular security cameras during the daytime, but switch over to infrared functioning when necessary.