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Instances of home invasions, including violent crimes and burglaries, are on a rise in the UK and can cause anyone sleepless nights. Hence, safety and security have become paramount concerns. The need for security is heightened at night when regular visibility is impaired due to the lack of proper illumination. This is where standard security cameras fail and infrared cameras become the need of the hour.

Infrared cameras were first devised to be used in the jungles of Korea by the US Army. Since then, their application has diversified and they are now the preferred product for security surveillance at homes and offices.

Infrared Cameras

Infrared light is invisible to the naked eye. This is because it has a lower frequency and a longer wavelength than the regular white light. The name itself means 'below red,' as it comes below the red wavelength in the white light spectrum. It is emitted by everything in the world and the intensity varies according to the temperature of the body. Infrared cameras use infrared LED sensors positioned all around the exterior of the camera lens to capture the thermal rays and create an image without the need of any other form of illumination.

Infrared cameras guarantee to work in even the most extreme environmental conditions. This means taking images even in the middle of a moonless night or through dense fog when nothing is visible. The images taken in such conditions are black and white. However, when proper illumination is present, they work like ordinary cameras and give coloured images. 

Choosing a Good Infrared Camera

The first measure of an infrared camera's prowess is its Lux rating. This refers to the amount of light it requires to take an image. The best products have a 0.0 rating; which means that they can take pictures in total darkness. For use at home, a slightly high Lux rating is acceptable, as there will always be some artificial illumination around.

The second factor to consider is how far the camera can see in total darkness. This depends on the number of infrared LEDs that is attached to the camera lens. Some infrared cameras have a capturing range of up to 150 feet. However, if you need to protect a smaller property, then you can opt for short range products which are significantly cheaper.

The pixel resolution of the camera is also a very important factor to consider. These resolutions are not as high as that of the standard digital cameras, which generally start from 10 megapixels. For infrared cameras, the standard resolution starts from 160x120 or 19,000 pixels and can go to a maximum of 640x480 or 307,200 pixels.

DVR Cameras

Do you not feel safe while leaving your child alone in the care of your babysitter? Do you believe that your spouse is cheating on you, but you cannot do anything about it because you have no proof to confront him/her? These are circumstances in which people opt for DVR cameras. The best thing about these cameras is that, due to their small size, they can be placed away from normal vision and record activities without alerting the actors. The video records captured by these cameras can be used as evidence for identifying burglars involved in a house robbery or as concrete proof for divorcing an unfaithful spouse.

Using Infrared Cameras as a Wildlife Camera

A majority of the activities in a jungle occur during nighttime. Standard cameras will not be of much help in such situations because of the lack of illumination. The technological advantages of infrared cameras make them perfect for use even at night.

Besides having infrared vision, a wildlife camera is also supposed to be equipped with motion detectors. This means that they take pictures only if they sense any motion occurring in their vision range. Thus, manual control of the camera is not needed and they can be left hidden in the jungle for days at a stretch.