# Low-Light FPV Camera Guide: Lux, TVL, FOV and Video Format

How to compare low-light FPV cameras: what a lux rating does and does not tell you, TVL over an analog link, field of view, PAL / NTSC, power and size, with the listed DL-W5010 figures as the example.

Source: https://thermal.torsuntech.com/resources/low-light-fpv-camera-guide/

[Resources](https://thermal.torsuntech.com/resources/) / Low-light FPV cameras

# Flying after dark: how to choose a low-light FPV camera

A low-light FPV camera has to give the pilot a usable picture when there is very little light. Datasheets compete on lux, TVL and field of view, but those numbers only help if you know what they measure. Here is what to check, with the listed figures of DL-W5010 as the example.

## Low light is not no light

A low-light camera is a visible-light camera with a sensitive sensor and processing tuned for dim scenes. It still needs some light: moonlight, starlight, street lighting or the glow of a town. In complete darkness, or to find people and animals by their heat, a thermal camera is the right tool. To read the ground, obstacles and signs at dusk and at night, a low-light camera gives a more natural picture with more detail.

## Read a lux rating with care

Minimum illumination says how dark the scene can be before the picture stops being usable. There is no single test method: exposure time, gain, noise reduction and what counts as “usable” all change the figure, and many datasheets do not state them. DL-W5010 lists 0.00001 lux, without test conditions. Use lux to shortlist, then compare cameras side by side in the same dark scene, through your own video link.

## TVL and the analog video link

TVL (TV lines) describes horizontal resolution on analog video. DL-W5010 lists 1500 TVL from a 1/1.8-inch sensor. What the pilot sees also depends on the video transmitter, the receiver and the goggles or monitor, so judge sharpness on the complete link you fly, not on the camera figure alone.

## Field of view

A wide view helps the pilot judge position and gaps; a narrower view shows more detail ahead. DL-W5010 uses a 3.0 mm lens with a listed 125° field of view, a common choice for FPV flying. When you compare cameras, ask whether a field-of-view figure is horizontal or diagonal, and expect some barrel distortion at wide angles.

## Bright lights in a dark scene

At night, street lights and headlights sit next to deep shadow. Wide dynamic range keeps both readable. DL-W5010 lists 84 dB dynamic range and WDR above 100 dB, with 3D noise reduction for dim scenes.

## Video format, power and size

- Video: CVBS analog in PAL or NTSC. Set the camera to the format your transmitter and goggles expect.

- Power: DC 5–20 V input, with a listed supply current of about 200 mA at 5 V and 85 mA at 12 V. Check that your power rail stays inside this range.

- Size: a 19 × 19 mm board, the size often called micro on FPV frames. Check the mount and the camera depth in your frame.

- Settings: image options are set through the OSD menu.

## Five questions to ask before you order

- Under what exposure, gain and noise-reduction settings was the lux figure measured?

- Is the field of view horizontal or diagonal?

- Which video format, and which connector or cable comes with the camera?

- What is the input voltage range, and what current does it draw at your supply voltage?

- What are the exact board size and depth, and which mount does it fit?

[View DL-W5010](https://thermal.torsuntech.com/products/dl-w5010/)

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