Need info on Night Mode DVD Cameras

[Anonymous]

Can anyone suggest DVD, DV video cameras that have night mode. We are about to shoot a ghost hunter type project as a TV pilot for television broadcast and need DVD camera that we can shoot in total darkness. These night mode cameras give the eyes a weird look and have a greenish tint to the visual image like night vision goggles worn by military personnel.

JM

[Brian]

You will get about 10 to 12 feet from a camera with nightshot, so that does not mean very much.

A camera that is modified will be better able to pick up images in lower light situations, similar to a digital or SLR camera with an ISO setting .

If you plan to record anything worthwhile, you’ll need something a bit brighter, such as an IR illuminator. Some manufacturers also produce their own illuminators. Sony makes one called the HVL-IRH2 that works with any of its NightShot camcorders and also doubles as a conventional light. However, this works only when connected to the camcorder, and it uses the camcorder’s battery. The fact that the illuminator is separate from the camcorder means that you can place it near the subject and leave it, while remaining at a distance with the camcorder.

The downside of using IR mode is that your video turns to black-and-white, because the camcorder is capturing only the IR light, not the full spectrum of color light. This does make your video look rather like what you see through the night-vision goggles that the military uses.

[Anonymous]

you could try setting your white balance on a magenta colored peice of paper, and dialling down your exposure on ANY camcorder, used in daylight. Then pump up the contrast, add some grain, soft focus, and maybe even a motion blur filter in your nle in post.

[Author]

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