Why is the image from my EZVIZ camera black and white at night? When I first installed an EZVIZ camera, I would always get questions from customers that same night asking, “Why is the night vision on my EZVIZ camera black and white? Shouldn’t it be in color?” So, not many customers yet understand the menus on EZVIZ cameras and the night vision modes available. EZVIZ cameras offer night vision modes that can be customized to meet customers’ needs.
To understand the EZVIZ camera’s night vision mode, I’ve written a comprehensive article on the topic. Please read it all the way through.
The Black-and-White Night View Is the EZVIZ Camera’s Default Night View
Your EZVIZ camera displays black-and-white video in dark areas by default.
So, if you’ve just installed an EZVIZ camera and it displays black-and-white video at night in dark areas, that means the camera is in night vision mode. The default night vision setting for EZVIZ cameras is Smart Night Vision mode. This means the camera will use infrared lights in dark areas, and if it detects any light, the video will automatically be in color
So don’t panic if your EZVIZ camera doesn’t show color at night.
EZVIZ Camera Night Vision Modes and Their Explanations
Based on my experience installing EZVIZ cameras, there are three night vision modes that users can choose from.
Among them are:
- Color Night Vision
- Black/White Night Videion
- Smart Night Videion
1. Color Night Vision
If you use Color Night Vision mode, the camera will display color video at night. The camera will use the LED spotlight in front of the camera as a light source so that the camera’s color sensor can function.
See the photo below showing Color Night Vision mode in use.
2. Black/White Night Vision
As the name suggests, this mode displays video from the EZVIZ camera in black and white throughout the night. During the day, the camera displays color video. If your camera is always displaying black-and-white video, this night vision mode may be active. You can change this in the camera settings.
So don’t worry if your EZVIZ camera always displays black-and-white video at night. It doesn’t mean your EZVIZ camera is broken.
3. Smart Night Vision
By default, this is the EZVIZ camera’s night vision mode.
Smart Night Vision mode allows EZVIZ cameras to display color video at night if there is some light around the camera and motion is detected. The camera will then automatically switch back to black-and-white video if there is no light in the vicinity. For battery-powered EZVIZ cameras, this mode is highly recommended because it helps conserve battery power.
How I Set Up Night Vision Mode on My EZVIZ Camera
All image settings can be configured through the camera settings in the EZVIZ app, including night vision mode settings. Make sure you have admin access to the camera settings. If the camera you’re accessing is part of a device-sharing arrangement, the night vision mode setting may not be available.
Here’s how:
Open the EZVIZ app on your phone. In this guide, I’m using an EZVIZ H8c camera, which already features the new camera settings interface.
In the camera settings, I selected “Image Settings.”
In the Image Settings menu, you can also adjust other image settings, such as enabling WDR, Image Style, OSD, Watermark Logo, and Flip Image. The contents of the settings menu may vary depending on the camera model.
Now I’m going to select Smart Night Vision mode. Just tap once, and the settings will be saved automatically.
Note: Night vision mode is not available on the standard EZVIZ C6N and TY1 cameras. Specifically for the TY1, selectable night vision modes are only available on the TY1 Pro series.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What Is EZVIZ Night Vision?
This is the night vision feature of EZVIZ cameras. The latest EZVIZ cameras offer three night vision modes: Color Night Vision, Black-and-White Night Vision, and Smart Night Vision.
Why Do EZVIZ Cameras Show Black-and-White Video at Night?
That means the EZVIZ camera is currently in infrared mode. You can change the EZVIZ camera’s night vision mode in the settings.
Final Thoughts
If your EZVIZ camera displays a black-and-white image at night, that doesn’t mean your camera is broken. You can check which night vision mode the camera is currently using. Generally, malfunctions in the night vision mode of EZVIZ cameras are rare. I have yet to encounter an EZVIZ camera with a malfunctioning night vision feature, unless there is actual hardware damage, such as the infrared lights or the camera’s LED spotlight not turning on.
I hope this guide is helpful. If you have any questions about this guide, please feel free to leave them in the comments section.
