I've read many articles claiming you can use a sony niteshot IR camera.
I mounted one to my scope and used a T20 IR light, but the results have been less than I'd hope for. The chip in the camera does seem to pick up the IR light out to 30 or 35 yards, but then it starts to fade out around 40 y.
The chip in MY camera is to small. If I'm correct, it's call 1/3 and you need at least a 1/2 chip to gather the light. Then the shutter speed is slower to give the chip more time to receive the light. That makes things more blurry. The auto focus doesn't have enough light to see what to focus on and that makes the cross hairs go out of focus. If you want to shoot rats in your barn at 25 or 30 yards, it may be ok. But far lest than I deal trying to shoot fox at 40 or 50 y.
The bullet cam ( about the size of a 38 special shell ) seems to be a better way to go. Marky610 on youtube tests a very long list of that style camera.
The sensitivity of the CCD chip is far better and clearer. Then record the footage to a mini DVD recorder.
It's just not the POOR MANS setup. The thermal scopes seem to be even better, but you need to pay even more to get a real nice one.
I've had the same thoughts you're having about recording footage at night.
But I don't think you can do it on a budget. You'll need to spend a little bit of money to get where you want to wind up.
I hope this helps.
If you find an inexpensive way to record the footage, I'd be interested in that myself.
CH