Cameras with night view feature are quite competitive in the market, and the most popular ones are IR, Color24 and Smart Dual Night View Cameras. Today we will distinguish between these types of camera to help you choose the camera that fits your needs.  

Regular IR

Regular IR night view cameras are the most common cameras in the market meanwhile. They utilize infrared 22light to lighten the objects under the surveillance range. Even if the environment is dark, they still function well to capture every moment. 

Advantages:  

• Up to 15 meters night view range 
• Unnoticeable. Hard to detect by criminals 
• Functions stably using minimum resources.  

Disadvantages: 

• The footage is in black and white 
• Hard to find out details in the video

NP1A14-IR/25X 4MP network PTZ IR 25X

NP104-IR/4X 4MP network PTZ IR 4X 

NP312-IR/25X 2MP network Speed Dome IR 25X

Starlight Night View Camera

For starlight cameras, as long as there are lights twinkling, the footage will be in color. They utilize large aperture lens and high sensitivity sensor to make sure they can capture as much light as possible.  

Advantages: 

• More sensitive to light. 
• Comparing to regular IR night view cameras, this kind of camera provides higher solution footage. 

Disadvantage: 

• The color of the footage is not ever lasting if the environment is too dark. Under that condition, they cannot outperform the IR night view cameras because the pictures will also be black and white.

Check out Aukoo's Star Night View cameras powered by Darkfighter: 

NC324-XB 2MP IR Fixed Bullet Network Camera

NP518A-IR/36X 8=inch 4K 36X IR Network Speed Dome

NC344-XD/SL 4MP Siren Strobe Light & Audio Alarm AcuSense IR Fixed Turret

Color24 Camera

Color24 camera provides 24-hour color image even if they are under limited vision. They utilize F1.0 enormous aperture lens, which is larger than the one starlight cameras use. Furthermore, if there is nearly no light, the camera will automatically turn on its extra warm filling light to keep recording in color. 

Advantage: 

• This type of camera works perfectly in warehouse, garage, underground parking, nightclub etcetera, where the lighting is dark but requires high-definition footage. 

Disadvantage: 

• Since they automatically shine a light when extremely dark, they require the installation site to be comfortable with the lighting.

Check out Aukoo's Colorvu cameras:

NC344-XD/LU 4MP Turret Network Camera with ColorVu

AC344-FB/F 2MP Color24 Fixed Bullet Camera

AC344-FB4/PIRXOF 2MP PIR Siren Full Time ColorVu Camera

Smart Dual Light Night View Camera

Smart dual light cameras utilize double sensor and double lenses to capture color and light separately, and then they proceed with special algorithm to combine them together to provide color footage under extremely dark environment without the extra filling light. 

Advantage: 

• Comparing to colorvu camera, smart dual light camera get rid of the light pollution the filling light could cause, as well as the troubles that insects could bring due to the light. 

Disadvantage: 

• The only concern is that if the camera is installed in a total dark environment or under severe light pollution situation, it may also be in black and white.