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Unveiling Night Vision Cameras: How Do They Work? • Night Vision Breakdown • Discover the fascinating world of night vision cameras and how they use infrared...
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Getting into Night Vision can be daunting - so much to learn, and spend, just to get up and going. In this video, Drew and Josh break down the 10 most import...
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Unveiling the Secrets of Night Vision Cameras • Night Vision Cameras Revealed • Learn how night vision cameras capture invisible infrared light to produce cl...
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There are a couple different types of night vision: One that most security cameras use, and one that night-vision goggles use. The most common type that's used on most security cameras is infrared (IR) night vision, which relies on infrared light.
If you've ever looked at the front of a security camera, you've probably noticed that it's covered in a handful of small LED bulbs. This is the IR light, and when it gets dark out, these lights turn on and act as a flood light of sorts, dousing the camera's field of view with infrared light.
The thing is, infrared light is completely invisible to the naked eye. So it doesn't look like a bright light is flooding the area from the outside, but it actually is---your eyes just can't see it.
Furthermore, night vision footage from security cameras always looks black and white because human eyes can differentiate between black and white better than they can with other shades of colors, like red or blue. Because of that, most night vision cameras switch to a monochrome filter to make it easier for us to see the image.
There's also another type of night vision, and it's more often found in night-vision goggles which contain something called "intensifier tubes." In the most basic of terms, it involves using an extremely sensitive camera sensor that cranks up the intensity.
In more advanced terms, the available light that enters night-vision goggles (consisting of photons) gets turned into electrons, converting the light into an electronic signal of sorts. The electrons are then multiplied using a photomultiplier and then pass through a phosphor screen, which creates flashes of light that results in a brighter image.
All of the colors of light that enter the goggles are converted to a shade of green after they go through the phosphor screen, which provides that iconic look that you're likely familiar with---human eyes are much more sensitive to green than most other colors.
Related: How to Set Up a Camera to Monitor Your Home When You’re Away
Night vision goggles are possible because it's never truly pitch black outside---it's just very, very dark. In fact, it's very difficult to block out all light unless you're actively trying to do so. Night-vision goggles can take the little light coming from the moon or street lights and amplify it.
A regular camera can do something similar. Go into a dark room in your house (or go outside at night) and take a long-exposure picture using a camera (if it's capable of taking long-exposure shots). The resulting image will be much brighter than what you actually see, since the camera is taking all the available light there is and amplifying it. If there was absolutely no light available, the camera wouldn't be able to capture anything, no matter the exposure.
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- Craig Lloyd
Aug 11, 2023 · Due to this difference in the suitability from the camera to camera, the question of ‘how do night vision cameras work’ becomes more important in selecting the right camera. For instance, if you need a night vision camera to observe and detect intrusion over long distances, investing in a thermal imaging device might serve better than, say, an infrared device.
Oct 8, 2024 · Night vision cameras detect this infrared light and convert it into an image we can see. There are a couple of ways how a night vision camera works. One common type uses thermal imaging. These cameras capture the heat pattern from objects and convert that heat pattern into a visual image.
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Jul 13, 2024 · That’s the power of night vision! Night vision cameras work on a simple principle: they gather whatever light is available (even if it’s imperceptible to our eyes) and amplify it to create a visible image. But the science behind this seemingly simple concept is fascinatingly complex.
