Hikvision and CCTV Camera Night Vision Not Working
Common causes of poor infrared performance at night and what you can safely check
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If your Hikvision or other CCTV camera night vision is not working, start with the three causes that account for most cases: the day/night (IR cut) setting has been left on colour or day mode, the infrared LEDs are reflecting off a dirty dome or nearby wall and whiting out the picture, or the camera is not getting enough power after dark when the IR draws more current. Check the image settings on the recorder or app first, clean the lens cover, then look at power.
Night vision problems are one of the most noticeable CCTV faults because they only appear after dark, leaving you with footage that is either completely black, washed out with white glare, or too grainy to make out any real detail. Since the camera works normally during the day, the fault is almost always related to the infrared lighting or its surroundings rather than the camera itself.
Hikvision cameras use built in infrared LEDs to illuminate the scene at night, and these can be affected by dirt on the lens, reflective surfaces close to the camera, spider webs across the front, or nearby lighting confusing the camera's day and night switching. A camera mounted too close to a wall or window can also bounce infrared light straight back and cause the white-out effect.
Most of these causes can be checked and often resolved by a homeowner using a torch and a clean cloth, but where the infrared LEDs themselves have failed inside the camera, this becomes a job for an engineer.
What You Will Usually Notice
Safe Checks You Can Do Yourself
Clean the camera lens if reachable at ground level
Using a soft, dry cloth, gently wipe the front of any camera you can safely reach without a ladder. Dust, condensation or a light film of dirt on the lens is a very common cause of poor night footage.
Check for spider webs or insects near the lens
Infrared light reflects strongly off nearby webs or insects, creating a bright white blur close to the camera. Clear any visible webs from the housing if this can be done safely from the ground.
Look for nearby reflective surfaces
Check whether the camera is aimed close to a wall, glass, or light coloured surface that could be bouncing infrared light straight back into the lens, causing the white-out effect at night.
Check nearby lighting has not changed
A new security light, streetlamp, or porch light can confuse a camera's automatic day and night switching. Note any recent lighting changes near the affected camera and mention this if you need to call an engineer.
Check the image settings in the app or menu
Open Hik-Connect or the recorder menu and check the image or day and night settings for the affected camera have not been changed accidentally to a fixed mode that does not suit the conditions.
Compare all cameras on the same recorder
If only one camera is affected while others work fine at night, this points to a fault or obstruction specific to that camera rather than a setting shared across the whole system.
What Normally Causes It
Dirt, dust or condensation on the lens
A dirty lens scatters infrared light back into the camera, which is one of the most common and easily fixed causes of poor night footage, particularly on cameras mounted low and exposed to weather.
Spider webs or insects near the housing
Webs spun across the front of the camera or insects attracted to the infrared light reflect brightly and can dominate the picture, making the rest of the scene appear darker by comparison.
Camera mounted too close to a reflective surface
When a camera is positioned near a wall, fence panel or window, infrared light bounces straight back into the lens and causes the characteristic white-out glare seen at night.
Day and night switching confused by nearby lighting
A camera relies on a light sensor to know when to switch modes, and inconsistent or flickering nearby lighting can cause it to switch incorrectly or repeatedly.
Ageing or failing infrared LEDs
The infrared LEDs inside a camera degrade over years of nightly use, gradually reducing the range and quality of night vision until the picture becomes too dark to be useful.
When to Stop and Call an Engineer
Keeping it from coming back
Clean camera lenses that are reachable at ground level every few months, and check for webs or debris more often during warmer months when insect activity increases around outdoor lighting.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Hikvision and CCTV Camera Night Vision Not Working: common questions
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