It is often thought that night vision camcorder technology is only accessible to the military or by having the ability to buy the latest high tech night vision equipment. Currently, however, things are rapidly changing and many cameras and camcorders have truly exceptional built in low light and infrared vision capacity.
The current usual and lowest cost method of capturing video or images in no or low light is by using infrared illuminators.
One camcorder example is the Sony Night Shot camcorder which pioneered this technique over ten years ago.
The recording surface used inside the video cameras can record IR light. This enables the unit to capture high quality video at times when there is no light. And on a number of models, an internal near infrared light source is built into the camcorder to give better results when recording when there is low or no visible light.
When shooting indoors where there is some visible light, this system performs very well. People find, however, that the cameras seem to perform poorly in very low light situations, such as shooting outdoors in the dark. There is a lack of a strong infrared light source to illuminate an outdoor scene using only the somewhat limited internal IR light. But, by adding an additional external near infrared light source, very good low or no light footage can be taken.
Add on illuminators range from accessory units you can get from the company who manufactured your camera to very high powered units from other suppliers. Many external illuminators are fairly inexpensive, and more powerful battery powered external light kits that will give adequate extra IR light in the 100 foot range can be found for a few hundred dollars.
By using an added IR illuminator of adequate power, it’s possible to set up a useful night vision video camera without a huge cost outlay. The additional infrared invisible light that you use is invisible to the naked eye, but you can see through the LCD viewfinder on your camera and view in the scene in what will look like near daylight conditions. The use of additional IR light really takes away the ‘graininess’ you often see with low light photography.
Give this a go yourself in low light situations. It will be surprising to find that the camcorder you use can do a lot more than you thought.
It is often thought that night vision camcorder technology is only accessible to the military or by having the ability to buy the latest high tech night vision equipment. Currently, however, things are rapidly changing and many cameras and camcorders have truly exceptional built in low light and infrared vision capacity.
The current usual and lowest cost method of capturing video or images in no or low light is by using infrared illuminators. One camcorder example is the Sony Night Shot camcorder which pioneered this technique over ten years ago.
The recording surface used inside the video cameras can record IR light. This enables the unit to capture high quality video at times when there is no light. And on a number of models, an internal near infrared light source is built into the camcorder to give better results when recording when there is low or no visible light.
When shooting indoors where there is some visible light, this system performs very well. People find, however, that the cameras seem to perform poorly in very low light situations, such as shooting outdoors in the dark. There is a lack of a strong infrared light source to illuminate an outdoor scene using only the somewhat limited internal IR light. But, by adding an additional external near infrared light source, very good low or no light footage can be taken.
Add on illuminators range from accessory units you can get from the company who manufactured your camera to very high powered units from other suppliers. Many external illuminators are fairly inexpensive, and more powerful battery powered external light kits that will give adequate extra IR light in the 100 foot range can be found for a few hundred dollars.
By using an added IR illuminator of adequate power, it’s possible to set up a useful night vision video camera without a huge cost outlay. The additional infrared invisible light that you use is invisible to the naked eye, but you can see through the LCD viewfinder on your camera and view in the scene in what will look like near daylight conditions. The use of additional IR light really takes away the ‘graininess’ you often see with low light photography.
Give this a go yourself in low light situations. It will be surprising to find that the camcorder you use can do a lot more than you thought.
If you have access to standard 120V electricity at the location where you want to record, there are a number of infrared floodlight options available that can really do a good job of adding a lot of illumination.
The wall mounted Indoor/Outdoor infrared spotlight shown below is available at Amazon.com. It does not give off visible light, but allows your night vision camcorder to see in complete darkness. Many home IR sensitive security system cameras can see in the dark, but often need extra illumination to really give you a full view of all the areas you might want to see.
If you would like to be able to tell who is outside your door or the front of your garage without turning on all the regular outside lights, one or two infrared units like this would be probably do the trick.
The manufacturer states it provides a 30 degree wide beam up to 50 feet and is encased in a weather resistant housing. And it uses LED’s for the IR light source for low power consumption.
The Lorex VQ2121 Night Vision illuminator shown at the left utilizes powerful Infra-red LED emitters to illuminate objects. It has an auto light sensor control which automatically turns on the light as the natural light source diminishes, and is the unit is weatherproof and powered by converted DC so it can be used in any location outdoors.
These infrared floodlights show that inexpensive outdoor IR lighting has come a long way over the past few years. It’s now possible to use night vision equipment to set up a very effective security system. If a person wanted to monitor a remote location, a web cam and few of these lights could be set up so you could have full vision wherever you have Internet access.
Other manufacturers make infrared spotlights that have extremely high candlepower and come equipped with high capacity rechargeable battery packs to allow mobile use while you are using your camcorder. These types of units typically range in price from $200 US to $350 or more depending on their output.[memo] Typically specifications for the units give a range of 200 yards or more for a focused beam. This along with the zoom lens on your camcorder would give extremely long distance capability. They also can be used in either a focused, spotlight mode or a broader wide angle beam mode which would cover a wider area at a reduced lighting distance. Some units also are equipped with filters that block any stray visible light from the spotlight so you can operate in total darkness.
Nighttime wildlife photography set ups that would have the added power of these IR spotlights would give the user a very powerful arsenal of tools to capture unique and unusual footage.
So if you are looking for ways to really be able to take high quality video with your night vision camcorder in total darkness, consider some of these options. If you add enough IR light, the video is clear and sharp, not grainy like video usually associated with night vision work. Throw enough (invisible) light on your subject, and you’ll capture some amazing shots.
If you have access to standard 120V electricity at the location where you want to record, there are a number of infrared floodlight options available that can really do a good job of adding a lot of illumination.
The wall mounted Indoor/Outdoor infrared spotlight shown below is available at Amazon.com. It does not give off visible light, but allows your night vision camcorder to see in complete darkness. Many home IR sensitive security system cameras can see in the dark, but often need extra illumination to really give you a full view of all the areas you might want to see.
If you would like to be able to tell who is outside your door or the front of your garage without turning on all the regular outside lights, one or two infrared units like this would be probably do the trick.
The manufacturer states it provides a 30 degree wide beam up to 50 feet and is encased in a weather resistant housing. And it uses LED’s for the IR light source for low power consumption.
The Lorex VQ2121 Night Vision illuminator shown at the left utilizes powerful Infra-red LED emitters to illuminate objects. It has an auto light sensor control which automatically turns on the light as the natural light source diminishes, and is the unit is weatherproof and powered by converted DC so it can be used in any location outdoors.
These infrared floodlights show that inexpensive outdoor IR lighting has come a long way over the past few years. It’s now possible to use night vision equipment to set up a very effective security system. If a person wanted to monitor a remote location, a web cam and few of these lights could be set up so you could have full vision wherever you have Internet access.
Other manufacturers make infrared spotlights that have extremely high candlepower and come equipped with high capacity rechargeable battery packs to allow mobile use while you are using your camcorder. These types of units typically range in price from $200 US to $350 or more depending on their output.[memo] Typically specifications for the units give a range of 200 yards or more for a focused beam. This along with the zoom lens on your camcorder would give extremely long distance capability. They also can be used in either a focused, spotlight mode or a broader wide angle beam mode which would cover a wider area at a reduced lighting distance. Some units also are equipped with filters that block any stray visible light from the spotlight so you can operate in total darkness.
Nighttime wildlife photography set ups that would have the added power of these IR spotlights would give the user a very powerful arsenal of tools to capture unique and unusual footage.
So if you are looking for ways to really be able to take high quality video with your night vision camcorder in total darkness, consider some of these options. If you add enough IR light, the video is clear and sharp, not grainy like video usually associated with night vision work. Throw enough (invisible) light on your subject, and you’ll capture some amazing shots.
Still cameras also have a place in night vision photography. Long time exposures in dim or dark lighting conditions is a technique often used to create some unusual and sometimes stunning night photos.
There is talk of a new subculture called Urban Exploration. It is no longer the time of Lewis and Clark. It seems that there is very little in the natural world that has been unexplored or undocumented. And many natural areas are acres and acres of mostly the same repeating and uninspiring scenery. Natural areas and undeveloped land is important to our ecology and must be preserved, but for the aspiring photographer or film maker there is sometimes a real lack of interesting images to capture.
And just as we are decrying the spread of urban blight and modernization, there are those that have found inspiration and art in some of the most sordid examples of our 20th century man made waste and desolation.
A photographer name Troy Paiva has made a name for himself creating night time photos of abandoned factories, military bases and other unused buildings and sites. A few minutes spent browsing the amazing collection of photos on his web site will definitely allow you to understand what the ‘Urban Exploration’ movement is about.
Using the techniques of long time exposures and adding colored lighting to dramatize or enhance the scene can create amazing effects.
Anyone can try this simply and easily. It doesn’t take a lot of equipment to give it a go. And now with digital camera you can experiment and come up with excelling shots quickly and without a lot of cost.
Use a tripod for your camera and vary your exposure time until you get a usable image. Many times these exposures will be in the range of a few to many minutes long. For the enhanced lighting, you can use a flashlight with colored film or plastic over the lens. In a long time exposure, you can walk through the picture without being picked up on the camera. Just use your colored light to highlight different areas. As you practice this technique, you will find what works best. And if you want to further push the envelope, you can add remote flash units and more sophisticated coloring techniques to your bag of tricks.
I’ve practiced photography for many years, and it seems many people are always putting off going out for a shoot because the lighting is not right. It’s too cloudy or it’s midday and too bright or some other reason. After seeing some of Troy’s photos it makes me realize that if we change our mindset a little and realize that there is always enough light for a night photo we could probably capture some amazing shots. The camera doesn’t care. It can keep it’s ‘eyes’ open for as long a necessary to grab enough light to make an image. And if it’s really dark, we can add a little artificial light to just ‘help it along’.
You can do this. Give some night photography a try and let me know what you think. It would be great to see your amazing night time shots!
Still cameras also have a place in night vision photography. Long time exposures in dim or dark lighting conditions is a technique often used to create some unusual and sometimes stunning night photos.
There is talk of a new subculture called Urban Exploration. It is no longer the time of Lewis and Clark. It seems that there is very little in the natural world that has been unexplored or undocumented. And many natural areas are acres and acres of mostly the same repeating and uninspiring scenery. Natural areas and undeveloped land is important to our ecology and must be preserved, but for the aspiring photographer or film maker there is sometimes a real lack of interesting images to capture.
And just as we are decrying the spread of urban blight and modernization, there are those that have found inspiration and art in some of the most sordid examples of our 20th century man made waste and desolation.
A photographer name Troy Paiva has made a name for himself creating night time photos of abandoned factories, military bases and other unused buildings and sites. A few minutes spent browsing the amazing collection of photos on his web site will definitely allow you to understand what the ‘Urban Exploration’ movement is about.
Using the techniques of long time exposures and adding colored lighting to dramatize or enhance the scene can create amazing effects.
Anyone can try this simply and easily. It doesn’t take a lot of equipment to give it a go. And now with digital camera you can experiment and come up with excelling shots quickly and without a lot of cost.
Use a tripod for your camera and vary your exposure time until you get a usable image. Many times these exposures will be in the range of a few to many minutes long. For the enhanced lighting, you can use a flashlight with colored film or plastic over the lens. In a long time exposure, you can walk through the picture without being picked up on the camera. Just use your colored light to highlight different areas. As you practice this technique, you will find what works best. And if you want to further push the envelope, you can add remote flash units and more sophisticated coloring techniques to your bag of tricks.
I’ve practiced photography for many years, and it seems many people are always putting off going out for a shoot because the lighting is not right. It’s too cloudy or it’s midday and too bright or some other reason. After seeing some of Troy’s photos it makes me realize that if we change our mindset a little and realize that there is always enough light for a night photo we could probably capture some amazing shots. The camera doesn’t care. It can keep it’s ‘eyes’ open for as long a necessary to grab enough light to make an image. And if it’s really dark, we can add a little artificial light to just ‘help it along’.
You can do this. Give some night photography a try and let me know what you think. It would be great to see your amazing night time shots!
