How to choose the right night-vision security camera

Needless to say, criminal activities often happen at night. Having security cameras that are night vision-enabled, then, is important. A basic understanding of the types of night vision cameras is needed before making a purchase.
 
It goes without saying that criminal activities are prevalent during night time when total darkness provides good cover for perpetrators. According to Virginia State Police statistics, violent crimes reported in the commonwealth in 2017 numbered 1,866 between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m., 2,251 between 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. and 2,530 between midnight and 2 a.m. Another study from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Statistics, meanwhile, suggests that every year, on average, there are 1,324,090 burglaries during the night in the United States.
 
The need by end user entities to protect properties, assets and lives during the night has triggered demands for cameras that are night vision-enabled. A report by Mordor Intelligence cites that the IR camera market valued at US$5.63 billion in 2018 is expected to reach $9.15 billion by 2024, at a compound annual growth rate of 8.3 percent. “The demand for surveillance has increased across various applications, such as military and defense, energy, and commercial spaces (such as banks),” the report said. “Asia-Pacific offers potential growth opportunities due to the rise in technology penetration, high defense spending, and presence of a large number of small and medium enterprises.” Another report, meanwhile, by Research and Markets says the thermal imaging market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 6.2 percent to reach $4.78 billion by 2023, from $3.33 billion in 2017.
 
Yet, before making a purchase, an understanding of the types of night vision-enabled cameras and their benefits should be acquired. These are summarized as follows.
 

Low-light night vision

 
According to a blogpost by Security Cam Expert , low-light night vision cameras use an image intensifier whereby the output visible light is brighter than the incoming light. “Despite needing some visible light in order to record, low-light night vision cameras outperform IR night vision cameras,” it said. “These are the only security cameras that can produce a color image in low-light level conditions.”
 

Infrared night vision

 
According to the post, most security cameras these days come with built-in infrared LEDs to provide night vision in low light or no light conditions; when the IR cut filter of the camera is activated, it will block IR light and allow only visible light to pass through, and when the filter is turned off, IR light will be allowed and images will turn into black and white mode.
 
“Infrared night vision cameras can record in pitch black condition without additional light. These cameras are the most inexpensive, use less energy, and are very efficient,” the post said. “It is however important to know that IR security cameras can be affected by glass reflection or window glare at night. Your video may be washed out due to overexposure of lights at night. If necessary, turn off the IP LEDs and any other LED indicators on your security camera.”
 

Thermal night vision

 
Instead of intensifying light, thermal night vision uses heat and can see no matter the light level. Thus, even in total darkness and poor weather conditions, thermal imaging technology allows users to detect and see at great distances, said the post, adding the created image displays as various colors that correlate to the amount of IR energy emitted.
 
“Thermal cameras are the only solution to address a visible image contrast to see at night. As mentioned, these cameras are completely immune to smoke, dust and anti-CCTV surveillance devices (visor glasses, infrared laser glasses). Government agencies, security companies, and large corporations rely on thermal security cameras for many security applications because they eliminate false alarms,” it said.