Here you will learn some different ways to record an investigation on a video record.
Depending on the type of recorder you have will determine the quality of using the unit in the dark. Most standard camcorders has it's own built in light on it. one of the first things you'll notice when trying to use this is that you can only see a short distance in front of you. the reason for this is that the light is a wide angle, so if you are trying to see at a distance you'll find it is very difficult. A lot of people just blame the recorder and leave it at that.. Here is a in expensive solution. Turn off the light on the recorder and try a few different flash lights. hold it up next to the recorder and you will see a difference. make sure you don't let features such as "Night Shot" fool you, these don't always work all that well when trying to function in total darkness either.
A night vision camera can amplify light and does not require any other source of light. It can convert the little light available in the surveillance area into electrical energy. For the places with no lighting conditions, one with infrared illuminator is required.
There
is a kind of radiation beyond the red color, called infrared, that is
invisible to the human eye. This is the radiation emitted by infrared
illuminators used to brighten up a dark scene so that pictures and video
can be captured.
Invisible light of this kind is produced around
a well defined wavelength that depends on the type of the emitting
diode used. In any case the wavelength is monochromatic, meaning that it
has a single "color" (wavelength) even if we cannot see it with our
eyes.
A night vision camera can amplify light and does not
require any other source of light. It can convert the little light
available in the surveillance area into electrical energy. For the
places with no lighting conditions, one with infrared illuminator is
required. An Infrared illuminator provides light to the camera and then
camera intensifies that light for taking clear shots. Human eye can not
see infrared light and hence people do not come to know about it. A
camera without infrared illumination can only capture the video where
some light is available. However, it is not necessary that the
surveillance area should have lot of light as the camera can intensify
the little light available. They can even see what is not seen by a
naked human eye.
Field studies have show that you have to be
aware while using IR cameras with diodes built in, that any object close
to the camera will affect the way the the camera will focus.
Example if you set a camera up next to a plant the light reflecting off the leaf will affect the focusing distance of the camera so that it will be focusing on a shorter distance and darkening out the longer range wanted.
on that note make sure that there are not any obstructions that can affect the range the camera is intended to be used.
Also be aware that if a camera is pointed directly at any other type of illuminator that it will blind the camera or cause a (Spot light affected.
Most inexpensive IR cameras show up as black and white images. depending on the FPS (Frames per second) the quality will differ from one to the next. also depending on the type and how many IR diodes are being used will determine how well and far you may see.
Try this experiment: Take your cell phone camera and point it at the front of your tv remote, now push and hold the button and look through the camera display. You should see a light either flickering or on solid. now look at the remote without the camera. chances are you will not see the light anymore. This is a great way to tell if the batteries have gone bad too.
this is a type of IR that has been around for a long time for controlling electronics such as tvs,radios,garage doors, etc.
these irs are normally not as strong as ones you'd find in ir cameras but there are some model remotes that are pretty strong.
Before going out on a investigation experiment with your equipment in a dark room and adjust the settings in a way that you are able to see as well as possible.
