Does the Sony Nightshot camera produce its own IR to see in the dark or does it use existing light such as ambient, moon or star light? I am specifically talking about the camera that was known for x-ray vision.

Does the nightshot have firewire?

Sonys níghtshot is basicly a removal of the IR-filter from the sensor, meaning that the camera gets sensitive to "infra-pink". It is not sensitive to heat, but only the high infrared spectrum.

The resolution is the same in nightshot mode as in normal mode, so the color information is discarded in order to boost sentivity and the picture is tintet green in order to look like a picture from a night vision camera.

All Sony cameras has a build in red LED-light that gives some IR-light, and in my experience you have to use this as the pictures otherwise will go totally dark.

You can get extra IR-lights from Sony.

The X-ray camera you mentioned is one of the first Video8 cameras. In all later cameras Sonys has put in two IR-filters, as they discovered the hard way, that certain cotton frabrics are transparrent to low frequency IR. You get sort of instant wet t-shirt effect.

And no - there is no firewire on video8 cameras, but the tapes can be played back on digital8 cameras with firewire.

Thanks for the info. So can the x-ray version see in total darkness? I need to shoot something with ambient star light.

No - The xray vision as you call it is not a light amplifier. Here you have to use real nightvison as this one http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=204309&is=REG&addedTroughType=categoryNavigation

These nigthscopes amplify light, and do have an cameraadaptor so a videocamera can be used with them

Oh, and it's polyester fabrics. Not cotton. Just FYI. Interestingly, and sleazily, most bikinis are polyester.