Night Time Video Surveillance - Starlight and Lowlight Cameras

One of the difficulties when designing camera systems is to get it to function properly at night. After all that is the time when most vandalism and theft occur. This is often one of the greatest failings of “off the Shelf” and do-it-yourself camera systems like the ones you can buy at Radio Shack and Price Club style stores. While the camera may look fine during the day (sometimes even that is a little grainy) the picture becomes unusably poor when the light is less than ideal.

Star Light Cameras

Starlight cameras are cameras that have been specifically designed to work at very low light levels, level far below where normal low light cameras just produce a black screen. Hence the word starlight, these cameras can produce a good quality picture allowing facial recognition at the level of light produced by starlight. Where the human eye can only see a silhouette, starlight cameras can produce a picture that allows you to recognize a face.

Starlight cameras can be further enhanced by infrared LEDs. Infrared LEDs produce light at a spectrum below where the eye can see. Areas can be fully lit up, allowing for color cameras to work, while still appearing to be pitch black to the person walking by the camera.

Many starlight cameras incorporate the infrared LEDs into the camera case so that both the camera and its lighting are in one small package. These specialized camera systems reduce the need for expensive lighting and allow for full surveillance systems that can be powered for extended periods of time by backup batteries alone.

Starlight Camera Sales

Home and Commercial Video Systems

While these cameras may sound expensive, the technology has advanced to the point where low-light starlight, and no-light cameras can be purchased for less than $100, well within the reach of most home and small business owners.

Multi camera systems can be viewed on a single monitor, hooked into a computer, or even feed into a server computer so that the video can be viewed remotely from any internet connected computer (securely protected by passwords). This allows homeowners and small business owners to check in on their home or business while on vacation or any time they are away.

Choosing the Right Video System

While much of the system can be install by the homeowner or an electrical contractor, choosing the right equipment to get the job done right should come with the assistance of someone who has experience with many types of low light camera systems. Even if you are planning to install the cameras yourself, this is one step where it is a good idea to get some professional help. Problems with background light like street lamps, sunrises and sunsets, car headlight and other light sources can be avoided with a little experience.