New member. Have some questions pertaining to IP camera's. (pictures included)

[jmw132001]

I had been looking around on google for a good forum to maybe help me out and I ran across this forum, so I just now joined. I had purchased an IP camera last year to keep an eye out on my driveway (live on a farm and have people who like to try and "steal" if you know what I mean). I had purchased one off of ebay and installed it. The camera worked great and had great daytime quality and the night vision was actually great.
Well, we had a storm come through and stupid me did not have a surge protector hooked up to the power supply for the camera, so it blew it out. I looked around online and was not able to find the same exact camera I had before, but was able to find the specs for it.




The above pictures show the specs of the cam. Granted, the only downside of this camera was that the fps was low and would not show a "steady" flow. You would get a little "skip" when cars or someone walked by, but it was clear.
Now, I went and purchased what I thought was going to be a way better camera, the Zmodo model# ZP-IBH13-W . Below are the specs for this camera.




Now, This new camera has great daytime quality. No glitches and the video is smooth, but the night vision is completely horrible! What am I missing here?


old camera daytime photo
View attachment 192.168.1.128-09.42.52.bmp

old camera night picture.



-----------------------------------------

new camera daytime picture




new camera night time picture


What am I missing here? Sorry for just the long post, But I have found it is best to try and provide all the information possible when asking for help/advice. Thanks

 

[bp2008]

Hello!

The foggy effect you are seeing is caused by light (most likely infrared light from the cam's LEDs) being scattered back into the image sensor, causing the image to be polluted by this unwanted light.

There are two likely possibilities here. One possibility is that your new camera is having infrared light reflected back toward it from a nearby object. For example I once installed a cam under the eave of my house but far enough back that the eave extended in front of it a bit. I got the same effect you have there. Even though the eave was not visible in the video, a lot of infrared was hitting it and scattering back into the lens. The solution was to move the camera a bit so the eave was no longer within the light path. That is the most likely cause of your problem here. Note that it could even be an object several feet away. Go out there at night if you can, and play around with the direction the camera is pointed and see if the foggy effect changes.

If the above does not help, it is likely that the infrared is scattering off the front of the camera itself. Most cameras have a black ring of rubber or foam around the lens to prevent this, but it is possible that yours is damaged or defective. You may be able to take the camera apart and 'repair' this ring with dark tape. If the glass across the front of your camera is one piece also, it is possible it is dirty or scratched and this would cause infrared light to scatter.

 

[jmw132001]

Hello!

The foggy effect you are seeing is caused by light (most likely infrared light from the cam's LEDs) being scattered back into the image sensor, causing the image to be polluted by this unwanted light.

There are two likely possibilities here. One possibility is that your new camera is having infrared light reflected back toward it from a nearby object. For example I once installed a cam under the eave of my house but far enough back that the eave extended in front of it a bit. I got the same effect you have there. Even though the eave was not visible in the video, a lot of infrared was hitting it and scattering back into the lens. The solution was to move the camera a bit so the eave was no longer within the light path. That is the most likely cause of your problem here. Note that it could even be an object several feet away. Go out there at night if you can, and play around with the direction the camera is pointed and see if the foggy effect changes.

If the above does not help, it is likely that the infrared is scattering off the front of the camera itself. Most cameras have a black ring of rubber or foam around the lens to prevent this, but it is possible that yours is damaged or defective. You may be able to take the camera apart and 'repair' this ring with dark tape. If the glass across the front of your camera is one piece also, it is possible it is dirty or scratched and this would cause infrared light to scatter.

Thanks for the quick reply. I went ahead and took a few pictures of how I have it mounted (same place the old one was).









BTW, I checked out the glass and it seems to be completely clean and clear. Also, from what I can tell the rubber gasket is in properly like it should be.

 

[bp2008]

Hmm. Unless the IR LEDs on that cam shine at an absurdly wide angle, I don't think that tree trunk is the cause. It might be prudent to try adjusting the aim at night anyway, with a tablet or phone for live view if possible. If the foggy effect remains regardless of where you point it, then the IR has to be 'bleeding' through internally somewhere. If that is the case, you could open up the camera (possibly voiding the warranty) and investigate closer. It may be possible that IR is reflecting off the front glass, back into the camera, through gaps in the IR LED board, and finding a way to the image sensor (which is located immediately behind the lens). If I were you I would consider wrapping the area at the base of the lens with black electrical tape to see if that solves it.

Some other options:

Return the camera and buy a much nicer camera instead. Like this one: http://www.aliexpress.com/item/2013-Hikvision-Original-infrared-gun-waterproof-network-camera-DS-2CD2032-I-3MP-IR-ip-camera-support/1397052584.html They do take a while to arrive from China and due to the cost of return shipping you will have lost your money if it fails. But you simply can't find a better cam for that price and they cost $140 minimum if you buy from a local reseller that offers a warranty.

If you can't or don't want to return that camera, you might consider using 3rd party IR illumination. First you'd have to turn off the camera's IR LEDs through the camera's interface if possible, otherwise by unplugging the IR LEDs from their power source inside the camera. This will eliminate the source of the IR bleed. Then a couple feet away you can install one or more 3rd party IR illuminators from amazon or ebay. I have had good luck with these: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001P2E4U4 -- Note that most cheap illuminators don't come with a power supply so that is an extra $5 or so on top of the cost of the illuminator.

 

[jmw132001]

Hmm. Unless the IR LEDs on that cam shine at an absurdly wide angle, I don't think that tree trunk is the cause. It might be prudent to try adjusting the aim at night anyway, with a tablet or phone for live view if possible. If the foggy effect remains regardless of where you point it, then the IR has to be 'bleeding' through internally somewhere. If that is the case, you could open up the camera (possibly voiding the warranty) and investigate closer. It may be possible that IR is reflecting off the front glass, back into the camera, through gaps in the IR LED board, and finding a way to the image sensor (which is located immediately behind the lens). If I were you I would consider wrapping the area at the base of the lens with black electrical tape to see if that solves it.

Some other options:

Return the camera and buy a much nicer camera instead. Like this one: http://www.aliexpress.com/item/2013-Hikvision-Original-infrared-gun-waterproof-network-camera-DS-2CD2032-I-3MP-IR-ip-camera-support/1397052584.html They do take a while to arrive from China and due to the cost of return shipping you will have lost your money if it fails. But you simply can't find a better cam for that price and they cost $140 minimum if you buy from a local reseller that offers a warranty.

If you can't or don't want to return that camera, you might consider using 3rd party IR illumination. First you'd have to turn off the camera's IR LEDs through the camera's interface if possible, otherwise by unplugging the IR LEDs from their power source inside the camera. This will eliminate the source of the IR bleed. Then a couple feet away you can install one or more 3rd party IR illuminators from amazon or ebay. I have had good luck with these: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001P2E4U4 -- Note that most cheap illuminators don't come with a power supply so that is an extra $5 or so on top of the cost of the illuminator.

I will go out tonight and see if any movement changes the outcome of anything. Also when you say use electric tape at the base, do you mean cover the bottom of the lens to see if it helps? Thanks again

 

[bp2008]

I mean use the tape to seal any gaps where light might reach the sensor without going through the lens first.

 

[jmw132001]

I mean use the tape to seal any gaps where light might reach the sensor without going through the lens first.

Well, I just tried all the suggestions and it made no difference at all. Even moved the camera away from the tree and tried various other outlooks and nothing. Must have just got a bad deal on the camera.

 

[vector18]

It seems that camera doesn't have noise reduction. Also, it's hard to tell, but is your connection to camera open air? If so, that is gonna get destroyed the first few rainfalls.

 

[dalepa]

Well, I just tried all the suggestions and it made no difference at all. Even moved the camera away from the tree and tried various other outlooks and nothing. Must have just got a bad deal on the camera.

most likely just the camera hardware...

Get the Hik2032, 3MP and much better IQ camera for $88... It will take 7-10 days from this vendor, but that should be enough time to still be able to return the 1st cam... Its not wireless, but if you can get power to it, you can get POE to it most likely

 

[jmw132001]

It seems that camera doesn't have noise reduction. Also, it's hard to tell, but is your connection to camera open air? If so, that is gonna get destroyed the first few rainfalls.

The connection to the camera itself is wireless (running wifi). Have not had any issues with that and it shows around 50% signal strength.

most likely just the camera hardware...

Get the Hik2032, 3MP and much better IQ camera for $88... It will take 7-10 days from this vendor, but that should be enough time to still be able to return the 1st cam... Its not wireless, but if you can get power to it, you can get POE to it most likely

Only thing is I do not want to run ethernet cord to it if at all possible. Would prefer the wifi ones. I guess what baffles me the most is the fact that cheap camera I had done 10 times better in night vision then this one did. I also cannot return this one or I would. Not really sure what in the world the issue is with it when it comes to the night time, but the day video is great.

 

[fenderman]

Quite frankly both have horrible night vision, though the new one is worse. How are you powering this camera?

 

[jmw132001]

Quite frankly both have horrible night vision, though the new one is worse. How are you powering this camera?

Well of course none were the "best", but at the very least I could actually see more detail and the vehicle that pulled into my driveway with the older one. This one here is just awful..lol

I am currently using 12-2 wire to an outdoor electrical plug (housed unit). Then using a surge protector that the cord for the camera plugs into.

 

[fenderman]

Did you bury the 12-2 wire in a conduit?

 

[jmw132001]

Did you bury the 12-2 wire in a conduit?

Yes, and it is also the 12-2 underground. Not normal inside house wiring.

 

[fenderman]

If its in conduit it should be easy to just pull ethernet, then you could use any camera you want.....I know you want to salvage this one but it doesnt seem likely. Is there a noise reduction setting? Can you post a screen shot of the video settings page?
If you bought the camera on a credit card that provides purchase protection you may be able to get a refund.

 

[vector18]

Those wires hanging, are they just hanging and nothing is connected to them? Is that camera battery operated? If it's not battery operated, than there IS a connection and it's going to get destroyed if it's open air as shown in your picture. If it is battery operated, and there is nothing connected to those wires, than my mistake and I apologize.

 

[jmw132001]

Those wires hanging, are they just hanging and nothing is connected to them? Is that camera battery operated? If it's not battery operated, than there IS a connection and it's going to get destroyed if it's open air as shown in your picture. If it is battery operated, and there is nothing connected to those wires, than my mistake and I apologize.

The wires that are hanging would be the ethernet connection and of course the power connection. The camera is NOT battery powered. It uses a regular wall outlet style plug.

 

[vector18]

Can you post a pic of how it is powered with the surge protector? What is the distance from this tree to your house? You don't necesarily have to change the wire if you don't want to. If you get a big enough outdoor weatherproof box, you can buy a wifi bridge, power any camera you want into the surge protector and than plug the camera into the wifi bridge.

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The wires that are hanging would be the ethernet connection and of course the power connection. The camera is NOT battery powered. It uses a regular wall outlet style plug.

Is the transformer and surge protector in an outdoor box?

 

[jmw132001]

Can you post a pic of how it is powered with the surge protector? What is the distance from this tree to your house? You don't necesarily have to change the wire if you don't want to. If you get a big enough outdoor weatherproof box, you can buy a wifi bridge, power any camera you want into the surge protector and than plug the camera into the wifi bridge.

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Is the transformer and surge protector in an outdoor box?

From the tree to the house I would "guess" roughly 150 feet. The plug and the surge protector are located in it's own little outside box. I can try to get pictures tomorrow if I get the chance to. Since I am running on wifi only as my "connection" to the camera and video feed, I only need the power going to it. Right now the wifi signal is of course about 57%. The one main reason I do not want to run ethernet to it and have it be "wired" is because of trying to bring that cable into the house and getting it to the router. I also plan to expand more camera's in the future so wireless is the best for me on that point.

 

[bp2008]

Ok. It is extremely likely that your foggy night image is due to IR light bleeding inside the camera as I described earlier. If the IR is getting in through the front of the lens then there is little you can do besides using 3rd party IR illumination, but this assumes you can disable the IR LEDs on the camera and still have the mechanical IR filter functioning normally. However if the IR is getting in through gaps near the image sensor or IR filter, then you should be able to solve it by wrapping the area with black electrical tape as this will stop IR from bleeding in. Inside the camera, you will likely find the imaging sensor just a few millimeters behind the lens, with a small mechanical IR filter between them (this may have its own wire, making it easy to identify). If there is any possibility that scattered IR inside the camera enclosure is making it through a gap in this area, it could be the source of the IR bleed.

If you decide you need a different camera, the Hikvision is a really good choice. Yeah, I know you'd prefer one with WiFi but I think you'll find that all the really high quality cameras only ever have WiFi on their indoor models. Ideally you would run shielded ethernet from inside your house but if that is not possible you can try Powerline networking gear from Amazon. Pricing varies... I tried this one http://smile.amazon.com/dp/B006L6X7PM which is about $50 for the complete kit. I installed my powerline wall warts on separate circuits at opposite ends of the house and got about 40 Mbps throughput. Kind of crummy for something that advertises 500 Mbps, but it has been rock solid for over a month. Another alternative would be a a wifi adapter that you could use to connect the camera to your home network. An Ubiquiti Nanostation Loco M2 with its power output set to the minimum would do the job nicely, assuming you have a sheltered place to make the power and ethernet connections for it.