Iris Innovations launches Photon next-generation marine night vision camera
Fort Lauderdale, Fla. – Iris Innovations, a world leader in specialized marine camera technology, has announced the launch of Photon, a compact ultra-low-light 4K night vision camera designed to make safe nighttime navigation accessible to every boater.
Whether cruising after dusk, fishing before sunrise or patrolling remote coastlines, Photon delivers exceptional clarity and full-color imagery in near-total darkness – all without the need for infrared or thermal imaging. Unlike thermal cameras, which can struggle in low thermal contrast conditions, Photon excels in real-world environments, maintaining exceptional visibility and situational awareness. With an incredible minimum illumination of just 0.0003 lux (extremely high sensitivity to low light), the camera captures detailed, full-color video even under starlight conditions. Combined with best-in-class ultra-high-definition 4K resolution and a highly competitive price tag, Photon sets a new benchmark for performance and value in marine imaging.
“Photon is for anyone who wants to navigate with confidence after dark and can be used on any vessel: from leisure and sports fishing boats to yachts, commercial operators and law enforcement patrol craft,” said Carl Hitchcock, CEO of Iris Innovations. “It delivers extraordinary low-light performance at a fraction of the cost of thermal and other night vision cameras, and because it’s 4K, the detail and definition are outstanding. We’ve designed it to work seamlessly with leading marine electronics systems, so it’s ready for any boat.”
Built for the demands of the marine environment, Photon is fully EN60945 EMC compliant and rated to IP67, ensuring long-lasting performance in saltwater and harsh weather. Power over Ethernet (PoE) connectivity simplifies installation, while an included rugged, waterproof PoE injector makes setup quick and reliable.
Compatible with major navigation systems including Raymarine, Navico (Simrad, B&G and Lowrance), Furuno and Garmin (via Iris’s CMAC management system and IrisControl App for Garmin OneHelm), Photon integrates effortlessly into modern helm displays.
“We’ve always focused on designing rugged, purpose-built cameras for demanding marine and commercial applications,” added Hitchcock. “With Photon, we’ve taken that expertise and combined it with cutting-edge low-light and 4K processing technology to deliver a camera that performs brilliantly at a price point that puts it within reach for all boat owners and operators.”
Iris Innovations will be launching its Photon camera at METSTRADE 2025 in Amsterdam this November. Retailing at just $1295.00, Photon will be available worldwide through Iris Innovations’ global dealer network from the end of November and is available with a standard 12mm lens for viewing at distance, and a 2.8mm super wide-angle lens option for rear view, side view and backup applications.
For more information on Iris Innovations and its range of high-performance cameras, visit www.boat-cameras.com or email [email protected].
Related Posts:
Panbo publishes select press releases as a service to readers and the marine electronics industry. The release contents do not reflect the opinion of the editors and are not fact checked by the editors
Been trying to get in touch with the guys on the release date and pricing. It looks like a big fight towards SIONYX digital . Excited to try it out 🙂
I agree that this is an exciting product. The first Sionyx handheld impressed me greatly with what an ultra-low-light CMOS can do, and here we are at 4K pan and tilt for 1,295 USD.
I found the most detail on Photon in Iris’s 2026 catalog:
https://www.boat-cameras.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/IRIS-PRODUCT-BROCHURE-26v2.pdf
And they’ve also put up website showing UK pricing:
https://photon-camera.com/
So my curiosity is once again piqued. Stop doing this so well Ben, you’re costing me money.
I should say keep doing this Ben, you’re saving me lots of money.
Anyway this certainly is very very interesting. On the last cruise to ME we did a bunch of overnights. I vowed with Gabi that because visibility is so low as to be nonexistent we absolutely need to stop doing this. This was confirmed when going through Norfolk just off the edge of the channel along carrier row when I almost ran into a very large dark brown Navy mooring can. Picked it up at the absolute last second and missed it by 5 feet. This is an extremely well illuminated area because of the Navy base and still I hardly saw it.
FLIR is just way out of my budget. This is within my budget reach.
My only question now is how does it integrate with my all Garmin system? Hopefully it is just plug and play.
John, I suspect it will depend a lot on what model Garmin MFDs you have, and we’ll know more when the install manual is available. Meanwhile, I think the video quality will best with a high def screen using HDMI or other high performance port, and the press release suggests that you may an Iris CMAC for full control integration:
“Compatible with major navigation systems including Raymarine, Navico (Simrad, B&G and Lowrance), Furuno and Garmin (via Iris’s CMAC management system and IrisControl App for Garmin OneHelm), Photon integrates effortlessly into modern helm displays.”