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Have you ever watched any of those nature documentaries on TV? One of the fascinating things that I learned from those shows is that we, as human beings, have a very limited sense of sight. We only see a tiny fraction of the available spectrum of light. This means, for example, that we cannot see in either the ultraviolet or infrared wavelengths -- we need a minimum amount of 'normal' daylight. But even though our bodies are limited in their vision capabilities, we can make up for that lack through technology. A good example of this would be the infrared camera. Unlike our own eyes, infrared security cameras can 'see' using light in the infrared wavelength spectrum. And what makes infrared cameras so useful in a security situation is that with them we can monitor areas that, to us, are in total darkness (what the scientists call a Lux 0.0 environment). As you probably know, businesses and industries have been using them for many years to monitor darkened factories and office buildings, parking garages and building lobbies after-hours, when the lights may be turned out. But in the home? Yes - we can use infrared security cameras there as well. Perhaps we need a basement family room monitored, or a large backyard. Many rural dwellers use them to detect the presence of animal intruders - such as wolves, rodents, stray dogs, and deer - on their properties. Yes, infrared security cameras can be placed in a pitch-black environment - yet they will still function and provide a good image. This is bad news for all the home thieves -- these are the guys who specialize in breaking into your home when it is darkened. They believe that the darkness will protect them, that they will not be detected. But with a properly installed infrared security camera, you can catch them - every time! Make sure that any infrared security camera that you purchase has an 'auto-scan' function. When a camera is set to auto-scan, it will move back-and-forth, covering the same area repeatedly. So you can set up several of these cameras to monitor a specific area continuously. In this way long and large areas, such as hallways, driveways and entrance lobbies can be monitored effectively. One interesting thing about infrared security cameras is that they do not depend on light from the sun or moon for illumination; instead they generate their own light - and they do it in one of two ways. Some infrared cameras shine a beam of concentrated light out, just like a flashlight - except that since it is infrared light, you won't see it. Other models rely on a separate, detached light emitter. When it is turned on, the emitter shines a light into the area, which the camera unit uses to capture images. Many folk confuse infrared security cameras with 'low light' cameras. Low light cameras, in and of themselves, do not use infrared light - they use normal daylight, but can function with very small amounts of such light (think of light very early in the morning, or at dusk). One weakness in most infrared security cameras is that they do not work well in large, expansive areas - so if you have a large area to monitor, like a warehouse or big garage, you may need to use several. Some models are dual-function: they work like regular security cameras during the daytime, but switch over to infrared functioning when necessary.
About the author: Jennifer Metcalfe writes about home security, video surveillance and home security systems Learn more abouthome security camera systems by stopping by his site. Don't reprint this article. Instead, reprint a free unique content version of this same article.
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