What is NIR (Near Infrared)?

Near Infrared is a subset of the infrared band of the electromagnetic spectrum, covering the wavelengths ranging from 0.7µm to 1.4µm (700 to 1400nm).

NIR can be very beneficial to surveillance cameras in several ways. While the IR spectrum is filtered out for color imaging as it creates an unwanted pink color cast, most surveillance cameras have a nighttime black and white mode that removes the IR cut filter to take advantage of extra infrared light in low light situations. IR illumination can be added to enhance this advantage further, either with short-range IR LED's or Infiniti’s long-range ZLID™ technology for IR illumination up to 5km.

The infrared band can also be advantageous for long-range surveillance in the daytime, as it contains less atmospheric distortion than the visible spectrum. Our advanced surveillance cameras can switch to an NIR image mode during the day when this effect is desired.

For more information about NIR, see our NIR (Near Infrared) Imaging Explained page.​