Over the years, I have had the opportunity to examine the effectiveness of night video surveilance: in using night time video surveillance during my past work as a private detective, as a consultant to end users, and as a security expert in civil litigation. Leaving out my own use of the technique, the common thread I have found – and still do find – is the failure of those using video for night time surveillance to update their equipment.
Video surveillance, whether used in real-time reporting or as an event information capturing system, is only as good as the equipment being used. As simple fact statement, but one which often seems to be ignored.
In the old days of security video – the mid-eightys to the end of the ninetys, I produced many forensic videos shot during the dark hours, both during clear and not so clear nights. Ambient lighting and/or the range of camera lights, plus whatever digital low lux capabilty the video camera had to be figured in to allow me to push the viewing distances as much as possible.
Today’s cameras solve many of those problems for the user. Low light cameras with the ability to extend readable distance 300 yards or more are available at reasonable cost. Outdoor light systems for outdoor premises of industrial, commercial, and institutional video subjects are plentiful.
You may have some great motion activation software for you surveillance cameras, but if they can’t see what they should, you are just wasting your time – and money.
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