WDR vs SSA

bigredfish

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Sep 5, 2016
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The Other Swamp
So I dont typically like to use any kind of Backlight if I can avoid it. Tends to wash things out and introduces some blur esp in low light.

But I was playing with my carport fixed 3.6mm 5442 turret and finally found a use for SSA . Running 0-4 (1/250) exposure
Had to dial back Saturation a lot (25) as it was cartoonish at 50

No backlight
Home_FrDoor-5442_main_20230524093829_@5.jpg
WDR 10 (gets worse the higher I set it)
Home_FrDoor-5442_main_20230524093805_@5.jpg
SSA
Home_FrDoor-5442_main_20230524093734_@5.jpg
 
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Its a backlight choice on newer firmware, not on all models.... I dont know for sure which

It also isnt so great on all cameras. I have it on a high end PTZ and didnt like it at all.
 
We know someone will ask, so I will LOL. What is it like on motion? Mine was acceptable most of the day.

And in my experience another option not to run at night.
 
Here's 3 screenshot from my Color4K/X:

No backlight compensation:

20230524_102937.png

WDR @ 10:

20230524_103013.png

SSA:

20230524_103040.png

Not seeing a whole lot of difference between OFF and SSA. The garage areas at the bottom and the alleyway at the bottom right look too dark. WDR image seems to have some white balance issues but that can be corrected.

As the sun moves from left to right, the shade moves across the scene and it can make it hard to get decent footage of people, particularly those with darker complexions.

I think I'll stay with WDR and work on correcting the white balance.

It was worth a shot.
 
Yeah for some reason it doesnt seem to do well on my 4K-X either but ok on the fixed 5442
 
Is this normal behavior? I have noticed this happening out of the corner of my eye while I have the monitor on and working, but never really paid attention and looked into it. It is almost as if it shut the SSA off. I tried refreshing the settings in the UI and a reboot of the camera, but it persisted. The only thing that got it back to normal was switching from the Day profile to Night and back, and 5 minutes later it did the same thing and is now back to acting as if SSA is off.

 
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That looks like the camera trying to decide if SSA is needed or not. Kind of like when I set my cameras to auto day/night mode and they spend 5 minutes at dusk and dawn going back and forth between day and night settings.

Like we're always told to never leave the exposure settings on auto, maybe SSA is better avoided as well. According to Murphy's Law, the camera will start vacillate between settings at the critical moment.
 
I'll try mine again on my 5442 varifocal. When I messed with it last week using SSA in the afternoon with long shadows made it look very cartoony. I'll knock saturation down and give it another try.
 
What is the SSA mode? On my PTZ I can't find that mode anywhere, only WDR, BLC and HLC. The third image with SSA mode looks very good.