Full spectrum video camera technology is something ghost hunters have been using since the technology first came out. In this post, i’ll tell you how this technology works, the theory behind why it allows us to see spirits, and what the best full spectrum camera for ghost hunting is.
Let’s get started.
First of all, let’s just briefly talk about how the theory behind full spectrum cameras work, and we’ll cover this more in depth after we cover the best cameras.
How Do Full Spectrum Cameras Work For Ghost Hunting?
Standard video cameras, in order to protect the image, and the camera, only capture a small range of light. Full spectrum cameras are designed to capture the entire light spectrum, importantly including near ultraviolet (UV) light, and near infrared (IR) light. Many paranormal researchers and professional ghost hunters believe that spirits may only be visible in infrared and ultraviolet light. So, only these special cameras have any chance of actually capturing footage of these spirits.
Here is an image showing the full spectrum of light these cameras are capable of capturing.
So, often on paranormal investigations and ghost hunts, these cameras are taken. There are now hundreds of images that professionals believe are true captures of ghosts and spirits, many of which have become quite famous.
This image is believed to be the ghost of Queen Isabella and her pet-wolf captured at Castle Rising in Norfolk England by the Essex Ghost Hunting Team.
As you can see from the image, there is the outline of what appears to be a woman, that is essentially unexplainable other than that it is a spirit, caught by a full spectrum camera.
Ok, now that you have a basic understanding of how, and why, full spectrum cameras are used for ghost hunting, let’s talk about the best ones you can get. After that, we’ll dive a bit deeper into how these cameras work.
Best Full Spectrum Cameras For Ghost Hunting
Here is a list of what I think are the 3 absolute best full spectrum video cameras for ghost hunting. All of these recommendations are based on my personal experience, research, and opinions.
Ancter Full Spectrum Camcorder, 1090P Full HD 30FPS Infrared Night Vision, WiFi Enabled.
Check price and pick it up here.
This is by far the most popular full spectrum camera for ghost hunting currently, and for good reason. It is a quality, high definition camera that has been modified to allow it to capture the full spectrum of light. It also provides 30 FPS night vision through it’s infrared camera mode.
It is small, simple, and feature rich, making it the ideal camera for any ghost hunt, it’s also relatively inexpensive.
Here are some of the features that you get with the Ancter full spectrum camera:
- Dual Built in High Lumen LED Fill Lights with Ultra bright infrared light for best possible infrared night vision
- Built in high quality microphone for high quality sound recording.
- WiFi Enabled – This is a fantastic feature, as it allows you to set up a camera on a tripod, and view it remotely from your connected smartphone. This allows you to set up, but view from another room for increased chance a spirit may appear.
- Only Camcorder in the World with full color infrared and full spectrum video recording.
- Utilizes Sony Exmor CMOS Sensor, with 3 inch TFT-LCD touch screen.
- Comes with 16gb SD card
- Comes with High Definition Wide Angle Lens
- Battery Life – Comes with high powered battery for 220 minutes of active use.
The bottom line is, you aren’t going to find a camera more suited for ghost hunting. The Ancter Full Spectrum camcorder is specifically modified and developed for ghost hunters and paranormal investigators, and packs an insanely high quality camera full of features in a fairly small price.
You can buy the Ancter Ghost Hunting Full Spectrum Camera on Amazon.
Cleveland Paranormal Supply Company 4K Ultra HD Infrared Night Vision and Full Spectrum Ghost Hunting Camera
Check price and pick it up here.
The next contender is made by the Cleveland Paranormal Supply company specifically for ghost hunting. It has a few nice features that the Ancter lacks, such as 4k, but also lacks in some areas. All in all it is a fantastic full spectrum camera. It does have some nice simplicity features, such as switching between it’s normal camera, Infrared night vision, and full spectrum mode with just a push of a button.
This version here was also just released in March of 2018, so you’re getting the absolute most up to date technology and firmware.
- 4K Ultra HD (3840px X 2160px) video capture (24 fps)
- QHD (2560px X 1440px) video capture (30 fps)
- Full HD (1920px X 1080px) video capture (60 fps)
- Built-in Infrared Light (5 feet distance)
- JPEG still pictures up to 24MP image resolution
- Full Spectrum Mode
- 2 Rechargeable Batteries are included
- Ports: HDMI, SD Card, USB 2.0
- Wide 3″ Touch Screen LCD
- Industry standard H.264 – AVI format
- Comes with Tripod mount
- Supports up to 128GB Class 10 SD Card
- 30x digital zoom
This is also a fantastic choice for any ghost hunter, and is an all around great full spectrum camera.
Paranormal Playground Ghost Hunting Full Spectrum Night Vision GhostPro Waterproof Action Camera Full HD 1080p 12mp
Check price and pick it up here.
You can think of the GhostPro as a GoPro modified specifically for ghost hunting (although it is NOT GoPro brand). The camera is modified by a company called Paranormal Playground, to open it up and allow it to record in full spectrum, as well as night vision recording for investigations. It also has motion detection capabilities so it works well to be left behind at a haunted building in hopes of capturing movement.
It does capture video in full 1080P, so it’s not the 4k of the Cleveland Camera, but will still be plenty high resolution to make out images. The camera does not comes with the infrared illuminator you need to take advantage of this feature, but can easily be added on.
It does come with a camera mount and waterproof casing though, and can be modified with GoPro accessories.
You can pick the GhostPro up on Amazon.
Ok, now that we’ve taken a look at the three best full spectrum cameras for ghost hunting, let’s go a little bit more in depth into the concept.
Difference Between Night Vision And Full Spectrum
If you’ve been a ghost hunter hobbyist or professional for a while now, you may have had a night vision camera with you for a while. You might be thinking, why do I even need a full spectrum camera? Well, let’s talk a bit about the difference.
First, let’s talk a little bit about what Night Vision actually is. You aren’t actually seeing in the light, you’re seeing a composition recreation of what the camera is getting reflected back from the infrared light spectrum. I know that sounds complicated, but it means essentially this. Night vision cameras are only reflecting what can be seen by the infrared light on the front of them, and in fact some only reflect a small portion of the infrared spectrum.
With night vision you will not see anything coming from the normal visible light, or from ultraviolet light. This doesn’t mean night vision isn’t useful, it is incredibly useful. However when we’re trying to identify ghosts or spirits, we need the maximum amount of information, this is where Full spectrum cameras are important.
So what is a full spectrum camera?
What Is Full Spectrum?
Full spectrum just means that it can accept and process ALL light, even beyond what the naked eye can see. From ultraviolet, to infrared, full spectrum is exactly that, the entire spectrum of light. Many cameras are capable of this, but they have to be specifically modified to allow it to accept all of this light.
People differ on the best way to modify these cameras, many have the filters completely removed which actually allows all light in, while some have a modified filter that accepts only what our eyes can’t see, ultraviolet and infrared.
This is why full spectrum is just the absolute best option for ghost hunting, it provides the most flexibility by far. Not only can you have the same night vision capabilities of any simple night vision camera, but you can also capture images of the full light spectrum. There have been many cases of people capturing spirits using these full spectrum cameras, that any other camera would not have been able to capture.