It's the middle of the night and your parking lot is dark. There's a crash and shatter of breaking glass - did your security cameras capture what happened? Will you be able to identify the vandal from the images that they got? If you've invested in infrared security cameras, the answer is probably an unequivocal yes.
Infrared security cameras are made for use in dark areas - storerooms, after hours in businesses, or in parking lots and entryways during the night. They get their light from infrared lights installed around the outside of the camera lens, enabling them to take clear pictures with almost no available light. With even a little ambient light - from moon, streetlights or security lights - good infrared security cameras can capture images as clearly as if they were taken in daylight.
The use of infrared security cameras greatly increases your ability to protect your property. Aside from the obvious advantage of clear images even in low light conditions, you can couple infrared security cameras with motion-sensor alarm triggers to begin recording when the camera senses activity - activity it wouldn't have seen without the infrared lighting.
There is, however, one major drawback to infrared security cameras. Because of the housing and weatherproofing requirements, their use in outdoor situations is limited. Generally, unless the camera lens is flush against the glass in an outdoor housing the camera's ability to capture clear images is compromised by the reflection of the infrared lights on the glass housing case. It is possible in some cases to get around this limitation. A good security consulting company can help you work through various options to allow you to use infrared security cameras effectively outdoors.
The ability of infrared security cameras to capture a good image in low light is measured as ‘lux'es - the amount of available light necessary for a clear image. The lower the lux rating, the better the capability of the camera. The higher the rating, the more light is necessary for a clear, sharp image from the camera.
There are a few innovations worth noting in the field of infrared security cameras. The first is the ‘Night-Day' security camera. Technically, it is not an infrared security camera, but it is capable of taking very clear pictures in low light situations through the use of a very sensitive digital light chip. If the area you want to monitor is generally lit by streetlights, nightlights or another dim lighting source, a Night-Day security camera may be a more affordable solution than infrared security cameras.
Another innovation are infrared security cameras that switch automatically between color imaging and black and white imaging based on available light and other cues. Self-adjusting infrared security cameras will capture images in color when there is enough light to do so, and automatically switch to black and white imaging if the light is too low to support color.
Like all parts of the security cameras market, infrared security cameras are developing at a rapid pace. If your security concerns include monitoring and providing security for areas that have little or no light, now is a good time to explore what infrared security cameras might be able to do for you.