Hi, I'd like to put a PoE cam in my garage, which will be pitch dark at night. I can absolutely use an
IR illuminator to help with the situation.
Is there any camera that will be better than others when in this situation?
Can you use regular (white light) illumination, or does the area need to remain dark (dark for visible light) for some reason?
I have found that I prefer white light and color mode for most situations. White LED lights don't use very much power, and often, using an existing light is a lot more convenient than hooking up an IR illuminator.
Unless the white light disturbs someone or something, or unless you're trying to catch someone unaware, I haven't found much benefit, for my uses, to keeping areas dark (to visible light). For example, I just leave a porch light on all night. And it's nice to have the light for us, to make the area less attractive to crooks, and for the cameras.
I'd still recommend cams with good low-light performance. But I like color images and white light for the most part.