I have been looking into getting some sort of night vision camera for the front of my car but all I seem to be able to find is back up cameras. I am looking for a system similar to the new BMW's night vision if anybody knows of a reasonably priced camera $1,000 or less please let me know I would appreciate it. Oh yeah I am also not looking for an entire system with lcd screen and all that just a good night vision camera.

 

always a good place to start: http://www.google.com/search?source=...+vision+camera

 

Under $1,000 would be the difficult part unless you're willing to go with near-IR systems which have a shorter range or require active IR illumination like the type you can get with the digital camcorders, some security cameras and back-up cameras.

The system in GM cars uses an adapted military system by Raytheon and the BMW/Mercedes system is from VDO. These are mid to long wave IR systems which, in simple terms, work by detecting heat emitted by objects.

Technology is evolving pretty quickly in night vision technologies fueled by "wartime" budgets so you'll start to see more of these systems and they'll get cheaper as it trickles down to consumers.

Currently, cooled units work with a much longer range than uncooled units but those cameras are still pretty expensive. So basically longer range = bigger price tag.

Here's a site to check out cameras: http://www.ir55.com/

 

Thanks mouserider...like I said earlier I did look but the cameras didn't seem to have the range necessary for the application I was looking for...most likely cause like you said you have to pay for the range needed. Hopefully I can find something though...

 

You could check out some camcorders, my old Sony Digital 8 has a 'nightshot' IR mode which seems to work pretty well. I'll mount it up and see if what the range is like.

 

On an experimental car that I was involved in a while back, what we did was use a standard visible near-IR camera like those in camcorders and replaced the fog lights with an IR bulb.

Short wave IR does penetrate fog and rain better so it did improve visibility and in dark situations did work to increase contrast on the display. You're not going to get the heat-based vision that you'll get from mid and long-wave IR though.

Check out some of those cameras from the link I posted and at surplus stores. If you're handy with electronics and know your way around lenses, you might actually be able to rig a mid-wave system for under $1,000.

 

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I went for a quick run with the video camera (old Sony TRV725E) set to 'Supernightshot'. Here's the result: Nightshot Test
Without illumination you pretty much get no image at all. The insects were a bit of a problem too.

 

Woody, you would get fired from my camera crew if you ever did that without a clear lens filter on the camera...

 

LOL HDDP!

You would be hiring Woody then because if you look at his picture, he does have a Jessops UV filter on his camera.

 

Geeze, do my posts have to be so perfectly written and literal ?

OK... Woody, good thing you had a clear filter on that lens, otherwise I would have fired you off my camera crew...

Just kidding... I thought you understood the verbiage, I'll be less sarcastic and more precise in the future...

 

Mouse... PS: I just noticed your VIN number from your SIG... Geeze you have one of the really early cars... NICE !

 

Haha, we were definitely playing humor-tag for a bit eh?

I was trying to be funny as well.

Thanks on the VIN comment, yeah, I bought the first car to come in my dealership, would have gone for a 6-speed but didn't want to wait for an inter-dealer trade.

I believe I was the first Crossfire in Northern NJ on the road.

I was also one of the early guys on this forum and did go through some teething pains with Chrysler with an electrical problem but the experience was very positive fortunately for me.

I have a very odd work schedule so my forum participation goes up and down with down being the more operative word.

 

that's an awesome video shot

 

Mouserider knows what he is talking about.

The technical term for this kind of camera is called a Microbolometer. They were first invented by Honeywell, but nowadays L3 markets them for the defense industry. The cheapest one I have seen so far is an OEM unit that is being sold by security suppliers. Prices are still around $5,000 for a 160x120 pixel unit.

Wait another 5 years and the prices will drop to the $1000 level. A new company is developing a non-microbolometer unit that uses tunable thin-film filters which is supposed to bring prices down to reasonable levels. I think the company's name is Redshift, or something like that.

Alex Roy bought an L3 unit and mounted it in his M5 when he beat the US transcontinental driving record earlier this year. He said it didn't help much, especially in the rain. Then again he said his average speed 92mph, so I think that anything would be a distraction at those speeds.