Infrared light is invisible to the human eye, but using an IR illuminator does make the user visible to others with night vision. For this reason, IR illuminators are not preferred for covert or military operations, though may be necessary for navigating and sighting targets in extreme darkness.

Are IR illuminators legal?

The Insight/L3 ATPIAL-C features an IR illuminator, IR laser pointer and visible red laser. It is civilian legal and eye-safe.

How do I choose an IR illuminator?

When selecting an IR illuminator make sure its illumination angle matches the camera's lens field of view (FOV) IR illuminators with the same output power but different illumination angles WILL have different effective ranges.