Infrared light for night camera

[Michaeljp86]

I have a sony nightshot camera and would like to get a really good IR light for it. I was looking at these on ebay, would this work or is it junk?

http://cgi.ebay.com/IR-Infrared-48-...emQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item414ccc0e2f

 

[Bubu]

It should work but I dont know how well. I think someone here would probably know more about it.

I have a similar cheap one which I intended to use for a surveilence camera but its not that good.

What you should be looking for is some powerfull IR LED's. Our old Sony cam has only 2 for night vision and it works heaps better than the 32 LED's I have for the surveillence camera. I dont know what type they are in the camera or what makes one better than the other (maybe its wavelength or maybe just the ouput of the LED).

 

[Magic Matt]

I have a sony nightshot camera and would like to get a really good IR light for it. I was looking at these on ebay, would this work or is it junk?

http://cgi.ebay.com/IR-Infrared-48-...emQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item414ccc0e2f

Define 'work'... 50m from 8W? Not unless that's a seriously focussed tight beam, and it looks like that isn't.

It would work, but with the IR CCTV system I installed a couple of years back, the images you get are not great from this type of lighting. If it were not for the fact it's an astronomical observatory we would have used very low power lighting, aimed downwards.

We used these...
http://uk.rs-online.com/web/search/searchBrowseAction.html?method=getProduct&R=0214189
...and the images are 'acceptable' at best from 10m (closer is too bright) to about 60m (beyond this the subject is virtually invisible).
You also have to remember that IR reflection is completely different to visible light reflection, so you must calibrate your brightness etc. off of what you intend to view (in our case a person) as objects in the surrounding area (mostly grass and even a white observatory dome) can be totally invisible when a person is very bright.

 

[alpg88]

I build my own ir led array to use with sony camera, I used 15 0.2w ir leds, (leds glow red, those that don't glow have different wavelength and don't work good,) it works great, it is a flood light, 50ft is about the limit, you could see a person even farther but only silhouette, for anything farther you need focused ir beam,
simplest one is a halogen light with ir pass filter, simplest filter you can do yourself, buy a roll of color negative film, pull out, let it expose to the light, than develop it, you'll have dark, almost black film, that film will pass ir , but not visible light( depending of course how strong the bulb is behind it, you might need to use more than one layer)

 

[Mike V]

Panasonic AG-YRL30G.

Difficult to find because they have been discontinued.

 

[alpg88]

i saw one in the store today, actually, but $200 ..:shakehead

 

[Michaeljp86]

I ordered one of these

http://cgi.ebay.com/IR-Infrared-48-...emQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item45f07ca9dd

Im nut sure if these use the right wave lenght but I figured if they dont I still have the nice light to take apart and change LEDs in.

I have one of those fish cameras and they have IR leds. It has 12 LEDs and I used it like a flash light with teh sony night shot and it must have been a million times better.

 

[DM51]

I think this probably belongs in the Dark Room. It's one of those threads that could fit in more than one section, but let's try it there and see how it gets on.

 

[Arnulf]

I found it on ebay.....it works great....they are stack-able.
I have an expensive ir illuminator I use with my ITT NVD works great with it...but does not work well with the Sony Handycam.

The hi-power ir illuminator does not work with the Sony Handycam....but works like a powerful spotlight with the NV monocular.