More exterior flood lights or IR and black & white?

[34Ford 0]

I going to be buying some cameras to watch my garage and I have read here that usually the best cams for night is black & white and with IR.

 

And it may have been covered but for me I can install all the motion flood lights as I want. I already have some on the doors where the last break-in occured.

 

So Im thinking that a good B/W camera and these lights should work pretty good, true? Or maybe a hi res color possibly?

[mccrabr 0]

If you can install floods, I'd do that before going IR. A good BW camera will work well with artificial lighting. With enough lighting, color will work too, though it is always less sensitive and you'll get image graininess at night. Same with day/night cameras - most actually use color CCDs and a straight BW will give a sharper image after dark. If you can pick your lenses and have the subject big enough in the image, graininess shouldn't hurt your ability to identify the subject.

 

IR is good - we use IR floods in some applications - but you'll get a slightly out-of-focus image under IR unless you focus under those conditions (I haven't experimented with day/night lenses, though). All in all, I'd take artificial lighting before IR, and then it's your choice on whether you'll accept a little graininess after dark to get color during the day whether you go color/day-night or BW.

 

Bryan

[34Ford 0]

Thanks Brian.

Thats kinda what I was thinking. I have even considered putting a motion flood light and a camera inside the garage so I can record them entering as well as what takes place once they get inside.

 

Its frustrating to have someone trying to steal my atv and knowing they have seen whats in my garage. I just want to see who it is so I can gain the upper hand.