Blink Camera IR Intensity: Definition, How Does it Works and Things to Consider

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Blink Camera IR Intensity is a feature of Blink security cameras, primarily designed to enhance night vision capabilities. The IR, or infrared, intensity of these cameras dictates the strength and effectiveness of the night vision function. Blink Camera IR Intensity operates by emitting infrared light, which is invisible to the naked eye, but helps by capturing clear images in low-light conditions. The emitted IR light reflects off objects and returns to the camera sensor, allowing the camera to construct a visible image even in darkness.

If your Blink camera night recordings are too dark to see, you need to understand how to work around the Blink camera IR intensity so that your cameras can capture footage with good clarity.

What Is Blink Camera IR Intensity?

Blink Camera IR Intensity refers to the strength or level of infrared illumination provided by Blink security cameras during low light conditions. Infrared (IR) intensity in Blink Cameras is crucial for night vision capabilities, enabling the camera to capture clear images in the dark. The IR intensity of these cameras automatically adjusts based on the ambient light levels, ensuring optimal visibility.

The functionality of adjusting IR intensity is an inherent feature in Blink Cameras, designed to enhance image clarity and detail in low-light environments. This adjustment is typically done through IR LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes) embedded in the camera, which emit infrared light invisible to the human eye but detectable by the camera’s sensors.

Blink Camera IR Intensity plays a significant role in the camera’s ability to provide consistent surveillance regardless of the time of day. It ensures that the camera captures detailed images even when the natural light is insufficient. The infrared light emitted by the camera illuminates the camera’s field of view, which is then captured by the camera’s image sensor. This process allows Blink Cameras to produce clear images even in complete darkness.

How is IR Illumination in Blink Cameras balanced?

The intensity of the IR illumination in Blink Cameras is balanced to avoid overexposure or underexposure in night vision mode. Overexposure in night vision can lead to washed-out images, while underexposure results in overly dark images lacking detail. Therefore, the correct calibration of IR intensity is crucial for maintaining the quality of the images captured during night-time surveillance.

Why is IR Illumination in Blink Cameras balanced Important?

The IR illumination feature on blink camera is especially important for home security purposes, as it ensures continuous monitoring and recording of activities around the clock. The effectiveness of Blink Cameras in low-light conditions underscores their reliability as security devices, offering peace of mind to users who require round-the-clock surveillance.

How Does IR Intesity works on Blink Camera?

IR Intensity in Blink Cameras is the mechanism through which these cameras adjust their infrared light output for optimal night vision. The working principle of IR intensity in Blink Cameras involves the use of infrared LEDs that emit light beyond the visible spectrum. These LEDs illuminate the camera’s field of view in low-light conditions, enabling the capture of clear images even in complete darkness.

The operation of IR intensity in Blink Cameras is automated, triggered by the ambient light levels. When the ambient light decreases below a certain threshold, the camera’s sensors activate the infrared LEDs. This activation is a key feature, allowing the camera to adapt to varying light conditions seamlessly. The infrared light emitted by these LEDs is invisible to the human eye but detectable by the camera’s sensor, which is sensitive to this wavelength.

The intensity of the IR illumination is calibrated to ensure balanced night vision. This calibration prevents overexposure, which can lead to washed-out images, and underexposure, which results in images that are too dark. The balance achieved by the Blink Camera’s IR intensity is essential for maintaining the quality and clarity of images captured at night.

You can adjust the IR intensity from your Blink Home Monitor app.

Blink offers three intensity settings — Low, Medium, and High — to allow Blink camera users to control brightness as needed to improve the quality of footage captured. A low IR intensity setting means low brightness. Consequently, the objects captured might be too dark to see. On the other hand, a high IR intensity setting means more brightness, which can lead to washed-out images.

How To Adjust IR Intensity on Blink Camera

Blink camera default settings are usually auto, and the IR density and other Night Vision settings are usually optimized to illuminate sufficiently for most conditions.

Whatever your reasons, you can adjust your camera’s IR intensity to suit your needs.

Here are steps to adjust Blink camera IR settings:

  • Launch your Blink Home Monitor app and select the camera whose IR intensity you want to adjust.
  • Click on the gear (Settings) icon, then select “Video Settings.”
  • Scroll down to find “Night Vision Settings” and click on it to open
  • Select Low, Medium, or High to adjust the IR intensity.

5 Things to Consider before Adjust your IR Intensity on Blink Camera

When adjusting your Blink camera’s IR intensity, several factors must be considered, including distance, availability of reflective objects, view angle, and environmental factors.

For instance, high IR intensity is needed to capture relatively far-away objects. The downside is objects too close to the camera might be over-exposed or washed out. Reflective objects like an open swimming pool and a car’s windshield can lead to washed-out images.

For the best results, position your Blink camera away from reflective objects and adjust brightness and exposure settings to suit your situation. Make sure there are no obstructions that might block the infrared waves. You can also invest in bright floodlights to increase ambient light levels, which can lead to better imaging at night.

Note: IR intensity settings can potentially affect your camera’s battery life. While the Blink camera batteries can last up to two years, high IR intensity will use more power, draining the battery relatively faster than low IR intensity. If your camera records long clips too frequently, its battery will not last as long.

Conclusion

Blink cameras come with Night Vision, allowing them to record clear footage at night and in low-light conditions. The use of IR illumination helps enhance performance, allowing Blink users to keep an eye on their property and businesses at night. If your Blink has been recording underexposed or overexposed videos, you can now adjust the IR intensity to suit your property’s specific needs. Adjusting the IR intensity and removing any reflective materials in the area being monitored can greatly boost the clarity of images and footage captured at night.

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About James Beetie

James - a self-confessed nerd - has owned smart home equipment for close to a decade, and he loves communicating the best ways of setting them up... and resolving the various bugs and issues that you'll no doubt come across!