Causes and solutions when the night vision (IR) feature on a Hikvision camera isn’t working—Security cameras are practically useless without night vision. If the night vision feature on your Hikvision camera isn’t working, the video footage may appear too dark or blurry, making it difficult to see anything clearly. Therefore, if your security camera’s night vision feature stops working, you should fix the problem immediately.
Here, I’ll explain why a security camera’s night vision isn’t working and how to fix it quickly.
Why Is the Night Vision Feature on Security Cameras So Important?
There are 24 hours in a day: 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of nighttime. Your security camera may record video during the day, but does it perform just as well at night? Can it perform just as well as it does during the day?
This is why night vision is so important in security cameras.
With the night vision feature, the security camera you install can still display images at night when light levels are low. In general, there are three night vision modes available on today’s security cameras.
- Infrared Night Vision
- Color Night Vision
- Floodlights
How I Fixed Night Vision That Not Working on a Security Camera
In general, night vision on security cameras rarely malfunctions.
I myself have recently discovered issues with the night vision on a security camera that had been in use for too long. With new security cameras, night vision almost never has problems, unless the camera is defective. If a problem does occur, it’s usually caused by incorrect camera settings.
Here’s how to fix a night vision security camera not working.
1. Fix Infrared Night Vision Not Working
The infrared night vision feature uses infrared light technology. Typically, when night vision is active, a red LED lights up in front of the camera.
The infrared night vision indicator isn’t working; the red light in front of the camera isn’t on. To fix this, you can replace the infrared light with a new one. Generally, infrared lights for security cameras aren’t sold separately, so when performing repairs, I usually use an infrared light from another camera that’s still in good working condition.
If the IR lights aren’t turning on, it could be because the camera isn’t getting enough power. Try checking the power supply to make sure everything is working properly.
2. Fix Color Night Vision Not Working
Security cameras that use Color Night Vision generally also use Infrared Night Vision. An example is the Hikvision Smart Hybrid Light camera.
Hikvision cameras with Smart Hybrid Light technology automatically switch to color night vision when motion is detected, turning on a white light to illuminate the area. Once the motion is gone, the camera switches back to infrared night vision and turns off the white light.
If the camera’s color night vision isn’t working, you’ll need to replace the entire module.
The manufacturer doesn’t sell replacement modules, but if you can find one, you can replace it with another camera module that’s still in working condition.
3. Fix Floodlights Not Working
Security cameras with Flooglight feature the latest night vision technology.
Security camera brands that already offer this feature include Arlo, Reolink, Eufy, and several others. Cameras with floodlight night vision are widely used in smart security cameras. If the camera’s light isn’t turning on, you can try the following steps, which I usually do and have found to be successful.
- Check the battery and power source; make sure the battery is working properly
- Make sure the battery cover is properly and securely installed
- Update the firmware
- Reset the camera
For more serious issues, you’ll need to replace the floodlight drivers. A floodlight driver is a device that regulates voltage, converting 240V AC current to DC current. The DC current required to power the floodlights on the camera is 36V. The voltage required for the floodlights may vary from camera to camera.
Considering Replacing a Broken Security Camera with a New One
If you still can’t find a solution, you might want to consider buying a new camera.
Replacing a camera is generally the easiest option and can save you more money than repairing a broken camera. By way of comparison, if you have a camera that costs $27.92, repairing it might cost 75% of that price. Moreover, security camera technicians usually have to search for the right parts, which takes longer.
Therefore, replacing the camera is more cost-effective than repairing it.
What Happens If a CCTV Camera’s Night Vision Feature Doesn’t Work?
Your CCTV camera may not show any clear footage when the area around it is too dark.
The screen will go dark.
In my experiment, I removed the infrared light from the CCTV camera. As a result, the camera displayed video in a well-lit area. Then I moved the camera to a dark area, and it did not display any image. Recognizing the importance of night vision capabilities in CCTV cameras, manufacturers have developed improved night vision technologies—such as ColorVu, WizColor, and others—that enable cameras to capture color video in the dark.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What Is Night Vision in CCTV Cameras?
Night Vision is a feature that allows CCTV cameras to continue displaying images at night.
What Is an Infrared Night Vision CCTV Camera?
This is a CCTV camera that uses infrared for night vision. The camera displays black-and-white images when there is minimal light in the surroundings.
What’s the Difference Between Infrared Night Vision and ColorVu?
ColorVu night vision allows the camera to display color video in dark areas with the help of LEDs. Infrared night vision, on the other hand, displays black-and-white video. ColorVu night vision is ideal for those who don’t want to lose any detail in their CCTV footage at night.
Final Thoughts
A malfunctioning night vision feature on a security camera is a serious problem. This issue causes the camera to display blurry images at night. If not repaired, users will miss important events that occur in front of the camera at night. You can have it repaired, or to save time, you can replace the camera with a new one. Generally, the cost of repairing the camera is about the same as buying a new one.
I hope this guide is helpful. If you have any questions, please feel free to leave them in the comments section below.