Night vision security cameras allow you to see intruders trying to enter your home both by day and by night. If you’ve been thinking about adding security cameras as part of your home security system, it’s not a bad idea to get cameras capable of seeing in the dark since that’s when many would-be burglars ply their trade.

As with regular security cameras, night vision cameras send their images to a VCR or PC where they are displayed on a monitor and can be recorded to a tape or hard drive. The difference is in how the cameras see.

How Night Vision Security Cameras Work

Night vision technology basically works in two different ways, depending on what kind of camera you buy. 

Image Enhancement

This technology works by gathering small amounts of light that exist even at night (the lower portion of the infrared spectrum) but are imperceptible to the human eye. This light is then amplified to display an image we can easily see. The display on a monitor hooking up by an image enhancing camera usually appears greenish. (If you’ve ever peered through night vision goggles, that is the look.)

Thermal Imaging

Thermal imaging technology makes use of the upper portion of the infrared spectrum which shows the heat emitted by things rather than just their reflected light. Warmer things (i.e. human bodies) give off more heat than cooler things like trees or houses. The display on a monitor hooking up by an image enhancing camera usually appears in black and white.

Examples of Night Vision Security Cameras

NightWatch2 B/W Low Light Wired Camera With 60ft cord
SONY Color Infra-Red Night Vision Bullet Camera
Infra-Red Night Vision Indoor Dome Camera  

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