Hi winrock ,

I shall post the clips if I get anything unusual.

I am no way an Ufo expert, this is just for fun.

I think the best time would be in the morning with 'some' sunlight.
I am sure that some light must reflect back to my camera via the object to see the objects.

Although the objects on that youtube link seem to glow by themselfs strangley.

I dont know if that is just the sunlight reflecting back.

On my VX 2000 there is no button marked 'Nightshot' (I could be wrong) but I can aply some backlight exposure effect etc.
But that doesent seem to enhance the scene lighting.

Thanks,
V

CCDs and CMOS imagers are very sensitive in the IR region. For this reason they have a filter to stop the IR reaching the chip. If your camera has a Nightshot slider on the lens barrel then what this does is move the filter out of the optical path. Combine that with a filter in front of the lens that only lets IR through and you're on your way.
Now if you cannot remove the IR filter from the optical path all isn't totally lost, some IR can still get through but you'll probably at night need to wind the gain way up, use a slow shutter mode as well if the camera has one.
You can also buy IR lights, just a bunch of IR LEDs. The invisible LEDs in the end of most remotes are IR, aim your camera at one and push a button on the remote, the camera will see what you can't.

Bob.

Hi farss ,

The IR remote LED I have indeed seen light up for the first time years ago.

It happend during one of my first 'stop-motion' video tests.
I used the remote of my Sony video 8 camera to switch the camera on and off while I re-position and re-dressed myself lol.
Its when I playbacked the video that I thought 'hey ! there is more than meets the eye with this remote LED!'

On the side of my VX lens I see ' ND filters' but thats only to reduce the total light right?

I am going to go through the manual maybe I can find something related to IR/Nighshot functions.

http://www.dvinfo.net/pdf/man-vx2000.pdf


V

...like the IR ufo videos on youtube...

Nothing baffles me more than hearing people say they don't believe that UFOs exist.

Duh.

U.F.O. = Unidentified Flying Object.

Q.E.D.

I don't think the VX2000 or PD170 cameras have that functionality, probably because they're 3 CCD and the mechanics would be rather complex. My old D8 camera certainly has it, it's not a switch as such but a slider.

Bob.

So be definition an alien spacecraft isn't a U.F.O. ?

The again the term also applies to the offerings of some greasy spoon dinners.

The IR UFO's can be indeed anything... even insects with IR camouflage.
If my camera makes them vicible I am a very happy man ;-)).

Back to the settings:

This is what the manual says about light control.:


They do affect the scene light, some even lets TL/ Flurocent light through, is that what I should go for?

Also the frame rate drops.

They're sort of like presets for different conditions.
Simple answer is to try while looking through the viewfinder.
Also think about buying a IR illuminator, even if you can't remove the optical IR filter some of it will get through anyway. These things are pretty cheap.

Here's a real cheap local to me one:
http://secure.oatleyelectronics.com//product_info.php?products_id=671&osCsid=c976249013e6a40d1794d56fa43e96ae

but anywhere that sells security cameras would have something similar. Panny even do one to mount of their cameras.

Of course you could just shoot at night with as much gain as possible and fudge it a bit in Vegas or,
just buy a cheap security camera that says it's good for night vision / IR.

Again here's a local one, sorry it's PAL:
http://www.allthings.com.au/Catalogue/Mini/bullet-m22%20bullet%20cctv%20video%20camera.html

But like I said they're dirt cheap and must be no end of suppliers, mail order and shop front sellers in your area.

Bob.

Reading through the manual I deduce that the VX2000 always has the IR filter in the optical train. The low lux mode (2lux at f/1.6) looks to me like increased gain, particularly given the reference in that mode to "white spots may appear in the LCD if insufficient illumination". The general spec for the camera is 4 lux at f/1.6

edit: How much light will get through an optical train combining "IR only pass" and "IR cut" filters will depend on the quality of the filters and if low quality then there could be some overlap in their pass windows; however with significant cut. Better to buy a cheap camera (a surveillance camera) for UFO spotting.