What is smart IR for security cameras?
A common question that CCTV Camera Pros sales engineers are asked is “What is smart IR”? Smart IR is a technology built into some security cameras that adjusts the intensity of the camera’s infrared LEDs to compensate for the distance of an object so that the infrared does not overexpose the object.
Smart IR technology was invented to solve the problem of infrared LEDs whiting out images, such as people’s faces, when they are too close to the IR LEDs of a night vision camera. For example, this can easily happen if a customer purchases an infrared camera with a 65 foot IR range, but the camera is monitoring an area where people can approach the camera at a much closer distance (5 to 10 feet for example). Many infrared cameras that are available today include this technology, but not all do, so check your camera’s specification.
Smart IR Video Sample
The following video compares the night vision capability of a CCTV camera with smart IR to one without. Notice that when the man gets close to the camera, his face is still visible on the camera that uses smart IR, but is whited out on the camera that does not have it.
Smart IR vs No Smart IR Comparison
The below image compared a CCTV camera with smart IR to one without. The camera with smart IR that was used for the video capture had an infrared range up to 100 feet, but as you can see, it is able to adjust the intensity of the IR LEDs for the man that approached the camera within 3 feet.
Please click on the image for a larger view.
IR Illumination is Even and Balanced
Another feature of a high quality infrared security camera is that the IR LEDs provide a balanced and even distribution of illumination. In the above image, notice how the infrared illumination is fairly even throughout the entire image. Many cheap infrared cameras do not provide a nice balanced illumination like you see above. This image was captured using this outdoor IR camera.
HD Security Cameras with Smart IR
Since this article was originally written, HD over coax security cameras with smart IR have become available. HD over coax cameras use the same coax cable as traditional analog CCTV cameras, but support megapixel resolution. There are several HD over coax video formats available including AHD, HD-TVI, HDCVI, and HD-SDI.
1080p HD Security Camera with Smart IR
The above video demonstrates the HD-Q3 which is a high definition dome camera with smart infrared. The HD-Q3 is a 4-in-1 camera that can run in any of the following video models: analog, HD-TVI, AHD, and HDCVI. You can find additional smart-IR AHD cameras here.
1080p HD-TVI Security Camera with Smart IR + 180 Lens
Here is another video demo of the HD-TVI-BL180 HD-TVI camera with built-in smart IR. This camera has a 180 degree fish-eye lens. You can find additional HD-TVI cameras with smart infrared here.
Recommended Cameras
Please visit this page to view a selection of analog CCTV, HD-TVI, AHD and HD-SDI (HD security cameras) with built-in smart IR that CCTV Camera Pros recommends.
About Us
CCTV Camera Pros is a direct supplier of video surveillance equipment for home, business, and government use. We perform all of our own product research & development, technical support, and customer service using our expert staff of engineers located in West Palm Beach, Florida. We supply equipment world wide. If you would like help finding the best infrared camera for your application. Please contact us via phone at 1-561-433-8488 or via email at info@cctvcamerapros.net.
