FAQ

An IR illuminator, or infrared illuminator, is a tool that emits light in the infrared spectrum. Infrared light, or infrared radiation, has wavelengths longer than visible light and is usually experienced as heat. Infrared radiation is invisible to the human eye, but to night vision devices, an IR illuminator functions like a flashlight.

Illuminating a CCTV camera with floodlights alerts potential intruders to its presence, allowing them to come up with ways to evade surveillance. With IR lighting, the intruder may not even realize they are being recorded until it’s too late. Additionally, infrared illuminators are great for residential areas or places where light pollution is a concern.

No. Only the Day/Night cameras with a removable IR cut filter work well with IR illuminators.

The performance of the entire system depends on all of its components, including the camera, the lens, the IR reflectivity of the object, and the IR illuminator. To get the most performance out of your system in lowlight follow these simple tips:

• Use true Day/Night cameras with a physically removable IR cut filter.
• Use an IR or White Light illuminator with adequate output power.
• Make sure your camera is equipped with an IR corrected lens. It solves the problem of focus-shift between night and daylight, which causes a blurry picture.
• Match the angle of the IR illuminator to the camera’s field of view.

To increase the lowlight performance and range of a true day/night camera used with an IR light you need to evaluate each system component and how they complement each other. The lens is a very important component as is the output power of the IR illuminator. If you need long-range performance, increasing the IR output power alone will not be sufficient; an appropriate lens will have to be used and vice-versa. Also, keep in mind that light output power verses range is governed by the “inverse square law”. The law simply states; to double the range, the output power must be increased four times. If you want the range to triple, output power needs to be boosted nine times. It’s important to note that higher megapixel cameras require more light.

The built-in automatic Day/Night switch is operated by a sensor or photocell, which automatically turns the IR illuminator or white light ON in low light (Night) and turns it OFF in daytime.

Ambient (visible) light has a great impact on the IR illuminators ability to aid the performance of a day/night camera. The visible light at the scene dilutes the IR light produced by the illuminator, making it less dense, which impacts its range and camera performance. It is similar to using a conventional flashlight during the day — even though it’s ON, there’s no real difference.

The 850nm wavelength is standard for most security and other applications where a camera requires additional lighting. The 850nm light produces a very faint red glow at its source, but otherwise it is not visible to the naked eye. Most of the true Day/Night cameras with removable IR cut filters have great sensitivity to 850nm wavelength IR, that’s why they are so widely used for IR illumination. Overall the 850nm has an excellent range vs. visibility ratio hence it is ideal for most security and camera lighting applications. The main advantage of the 940nm wavelength is that, in most cases, it is completely invisible to the human eye. This is an imperative for law enforcement and military applications where covert operation is essential to mission success and safety. Traffic and railroad applications also benefit from 940nm wavelength because the red glow can be falsely interpreted as a signal. Only a handful of cameras are sensitive to 940nm wavelength and the range is about 40-50% shorter than 850nm is. We recommend when selecting a 940nm IR illuminator to be sure that your application really needs it and that your camera is capable of recognizing it.