One of the most challenging obstacles to outdoor surveillance is the lighting levels required to effectively record with your outdoor security camera. There are three basic ways we can overcome this aspect of the outdoor environment. We can try to control the lighting conditions ourselves, or we can use specialized tools to effectively record conditions ranging from low light to complete darkness.

Sometimes the best solutions are the simplest. Our first option is to install additional lighting to the area that is to be monitored by an outdoor security camera. There are multiple ways to control the lighting such as lighting sensors to turn the lights on when it gets too dark, or motion activated sensors that could turn the lights as well as start the recording on the camera. If the area is to be lit, make sure the light source is protected just as well as the security camera so vandals don’t get to it.

It is not always as simple as adding an additional light source to illuminate the area in every case. Some conditions require the lighting to stay low, or it is not economically feasible to create a line just for a new bulb. Whatever the case is, if the lighting is simply low and nowhere near complete darkness, then using a black and white camera might be enough to solve the problem since these cameras require much lower light to produce an image.

In especially low light conditions near complete darkness, night vision cameras are also available. Cameras with night vision use infrared to detect light that travel at waves beyond what we can see. A security camera’s minimum light requirement is measured by the LUX rating. The higher the rating the better lit the area must be for the camera to be useful. A LUX rating of 0 means the camera is designed for conditions with no light at all.

An outdoor security camera definitely has much more demands than an indoor camera because of the harsh environment it is installed in. However, there are numerous ways to tackle any specific problem and lighting should be the most basic of challenges you will face. There are vandalism and weather conditions to be taken into consideration as well so be ready to protect your security camera.

Some basic ways to protect your camera is by installing it with as many threats in mind as possible. Housing is recommended especially for areas that are high risk of physical abuse by either malicious attacks or weather extremities. How the camera is installed and mounted and how the cables are managed are all things that will minimize the chances of the surveillance equipment from being damaged and rendered useless.

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