Night Vision Cameras: How to Get Usable Footage After Dark

Here's an uncomfortable truth: a lot of incidents happen at night, which is exactly when cheap cameras produce grainy, useless footage. Good night performance is one of the most important things to get right.

How night vision works

Most cameras use infrared (IR) to "see" in the dark, producing black-and-white footage. Newer cameras add color night vision using a sensitive sensor plus a little ambient or built-in light.

Getting clear footage after dark

• Add a little light — even a porch or motion light hugely improves footage.
• Avoid pointing cameras at light sources, which causes glare and silhouettes.
• Keep lenses clean; dust and spiderwebs reflect IR and wash out the image.
• Watch for IR bounce off nearby walls that whites out the picture.

The bottom line

Night performance comes from the camera and its environment. A modest camera with good lighting often beats a premium one in the dark. We tune both during installation.

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