How to use cheap camera as a night vision device
Abstract
Not many people know, that regular camera can be used as night vision device due to the fact, that it's able to take pictures in infra-red rays. If we will provide a source of those rays, environment will stay in dark, but we will be able to see things.
Experiment
Sensitivity to IR rays depends on manufacturer and model. I tried SONY and Kodak cameras, without results but camera in a cheap mp4-player works great. IMHo its happen because better equipment comes with infrared blockers, this is, what Wikipedia says about it:
Also, some clothing is transparent in the infrared, leading to unintended (at least to the manufacturer) uses of video cameras. Thus, to improve image quality and protect privacy, many digital cameras employ infrared blockers.
Bellow you can see a picture, that describes, how experiment works:
The simplest source of infrared rays is pilot remote control. You can also build your own device by using inexpensive IR-diodes. I tried with about 10 pilots (don't ask, where I get them) and some behave much better that others, so try with all, that you have.
Here are some pictures (original and computer treatment), that I taken. You may click to enlarge.
If you have suggestion or you did this by yourself, please leave a comment with your experiences.
