Infrared night vision is a camera capability that uses infrared LEDs to illuminate a scene with light outside the visible spectrum, allowing the camera to capture a usable image in complete darkness without visible illumination.
Unlike a thermal camera, which detects heat, an IR night vision camera emits infrared light and captures its reflection, producing a monochrome image that preserves recognizable detail like faces, clothing, and license plates within the illuminator’s effective range. This makes it better suited than thermal imaging for identification-level detail at close to moderate range, and it’s the standard choice for most entrance, doorway, and interior coverage after dark.
The main limitation is range, since IR illumination strength diminishes with distance, unlike thermal detection, which functions effectively regardless of light conditions at much greater distances.
