Our security cameras are pretty weak at night time. I think i need to install my own infrared flood lights so that my cameras don’t have to light the three meters in front of them. Does anybody have any experience with that kind of solution?
No personal experience, and I didn’t even know such a thing existed until your post!
I’ve got several PoE cameras I picked up on a whim for $5 each about a year ago, and they’re great in the day but useless at night. Will have to explore this myself.
A quick look on Jaycar’s website shows this Long Range Infrared Spotlight on clearance for $109. Looks like similar devices are on Amazon too. Might be worth swinging past Jaycar and seeing if one of those $109 units does the job?
I’d just go with normal flood lights. If you’ve got neighbours you want them to be aware of the person triggering them too, IMO. Obviously just don’t send light into your neighbour’s windows like a tit — have it very directional but still somewhat alerting.
i use a combination of both,
if its traditional (LED) lights - then of course you need sensor style so they (only) illuminate for a short period
i also have the “infrared panels” . mine sourced from china aka Ali Express,
almost certainly similar source as Jaycar - and probably cheaper, albeit if J jave them on a clearance sale, the $ diff may be small.
infound you can source different “sizes” … aka number IR LEDS, which helps with both distance and spread, either of both might be important depending on the camera / area they are illuminating… eg wider view CCTV lens will need a broader spread, vs a “zoomed” camera.
yes they definitely work. ….
of course the challenge is placing the lights (either style) …. because you need (obviously) mains power (i dont think any inhave seen are PoE or DC powered)
and hence if you have wireless/battery powered &/or PoE powered cameras,
it means running additional mains wiring et al. for lights
The IR led panels will typically work better when placed near the cameras and facing outwards in same direction.
less so important for for traditional lights - which you might already have some that provide illumination in areas of interest.
either way , the location of available mains power will be important.
of course you can also get fancy (i did 
and have automated lights …
my house had outdoor lights, so i put automation switches (eg shelly devices) onto each,
so i can switch lights on/off based on various events, eg motion, fronts gates opening, garage opening et at …
depends how much effort you want to expend! and whats available “now”
good luck
forgot to mention…
if you dont already have the cameras, then look specifically at the specs.
these days there are cameras with much “better” sensors ‘ aka “low light” …
some are even extreme and advertise as “starlight” capable ….
but for certain, the better quality with high sensitivity in low light (look for its “lux” rating)
will work much better at night, andntypically very well with inbuilt IR illumination
I used to sell Ubiquiti IP night/day cameras.
I think that the best method is to have a cheap IR floodlight that is triggered by people/intruders because IR gives you black and white pics, (what color clothing was the burglar wearing ? how useful will your image be to the police ?)
Plus as someone noted in this thread, intruders will surveil the neighbourhood and avoid those houses with IR activated floodlights as everyone sees them activating.
Heat triggered floodlights are cheap commodity items so you’ll save money over a expensive dull IR filament in my opinion.
Terry
My wife wants to plant teddy bears outside our fence. My mate thinks this is unwise, having had the local lads dig up his plants on the street side of his fence.
My street is pretty busy with plenty of foot traffic and while people stay on the path their dogs make their mark in the target zone.
I don’t think infrared would help in my scenario. I need a strong light and perhaps a siren to fire off if, and only if, someone is digging in the designated area.
I recall both the @techman and @Bryan have recommended AI enabled motion detection in the past and I understand Frigate is the main contender in this area. With AI object detection enabled I should be able to identify a “digger”. I understand this is feasible in docker if I add a Coral M2.
I would value the wisdom of the HLB crowd on my musings.
Doable?
Well, i ordered one of these to give it a go…
I have one of these on the front of my house. I usually have the built in infrared lights on, and this is the result…
The trouble with that is that the road at the bottom of the driveway is too dark to detect that somebody is walking past, and by the time they’re up at the intersection where there’s street lighting, the “perp” only occupies about eight pixels and is unrecognisable as a person.
My plan is to use one IR flood light to illuminate the road sufficiently to be able to recognise people as they walk past. I’m hoping that i only need one flood light for that. Then, i’m hoping that once we’ve triggered the “person” flag in home assistant, i can light up two more so we’ve got a good clear image.
I turned off the built in IR lighting. I think that just attracts insects and subsequently spiders anyway. This is what it looks like with no infrared lighting, so the built in stuff is better than i gave it credit for…
…and then i ran an extension lead out so that i could see how effective that gadget from amazon was…
That was pretty good, but it was just me standing there holding it at above my head. I’m hoping that when it’s mounted up under the eave it throws a less intense light onto the lawn.
I reckon i’ll hook them up with these so that i can fiddle with the automation of when to turn them on and off.
Anyway, i’ve got four more on the way. I hope that little investigation helps inform those of you that have an interest in this stuff.