1/1.8" cameras at night

[Parley]

With my S3 license plate cameras I run the IR around the 20% level. It is a fine balance to keep from washing out the new plates that have excellent reflectivity, and having enough IR for the dirty plates so that I can get a good reading on them.

 

[RJM_50]

Couple of thoughts

You should zoom in a bit more
On Day & night tab setting, Dont run this "the transition default setting 2 with a 6 second delay" Set it to fixed B&W"
Set Focus and Zoom menu to 'Manual" SAVE/Refresh, then go to the Focus/Zoom tab, set the speed to 1 and adjust the Focus slide to your ideal capture point with a plate/target in view

Zoom is maxed out, this is a 2.8-12mm turret model, but it's only 10-30ft from passing vehicles in a 25MPH residential area (Southbound has a slow curve 200ft away, Northbound has a stop sign 165ft away). I don't think I need more zoom based on the vehicles take up 1/4 of the field of view. Here are 2 shots of vehicles going under 15MPH. I tried 1/500 and 1/2000 shutter speed with HLC and the rest left alone at default. I'm feeling dumb that other people claim to get great results with the default settings at much further distances than I'm working with.

I'll have to wait until to check if it knows to flip back to day mode, or maybe something is wrong with my camera or a setting was changed that should not have been touched? Not sure if locking it in B&W IR will help when I am only getting plate numbers during the day, at night they are washed out.

 

[RJM_50]

With my S3 license plate cameras I run the IR around the 20% level. It is a fine balance to keep from washing out the new plates that have excellent reflectivity, and having enough IR for the dirty plates so that I can get a good reading on them.

Maybe that is a problem, would I need to turn off auto 3D IR? Frustrating many people claim these 1/1.8 works for them with default settings and I'm on the struggle bus! The pictures above are completely washed out beyond use. I turn up the shutter speed and I get ghosting trail effect that is just as useless.

 

[wittaj]

That is zoomed all the way in? If it is, then your distances are way off.

Are you on Manual Shutter or Shutter Priority? If you are on Shutter Priority, then it has cranked the gain up to 100 and thus your washed out plates.

The car should be a lot bigger. The goal is to try to make the field of view about the size of the vehicle. You having it at 1/4 the field of view is part of the problem. Turn the camera a bit if you need to, but that view is too wide and the plate too small to get reliable plate reads. Remember all this camera's role is to get plates. Overview gets the other stuff.

Switch to Manual Shutter and shutter at 1/1000 and gain at 0-35 and NR at 35 and watch the magic LOL.



Here is a sample of my 5442-ZE-S3 in a similar configuration:

 

[97JeepXJ]

I don't think I need more zoom based on the vehicles take up 1/4 of the field of view

For LPR I prefer 80-90% or even more when it’s a large vehicle. I’m only worried about the plate, other cameras get an overview. 25% is not enough if it’s a difficult plate

 

[Flintstone61]

Zoom is maxed out, this is a 2.8-12mm turret model, but it's only 10-30ft from passing vehicles in a 25MPH residential area (Southbound has a slow curve 200ft away, Northbound has a stop sign 165ft away). I don't think I need more zoom based on the vehicles take up 1/4 of the field of view. Here are 2 shots of vehicles going under 15MPH. I tried 1/500 and 1/2000 shutter speed with HLC and the rest left alone at default. I'm feeling dumb that other people claim to get great results with the default settings at much further distances than I'm working with.

I'll have to wait until to check if it knows to flip back to day mode, or maybe something is wrong with my camera or a setting was changed that should not have been touched? Not sure if locking it in B&W IR will help when I am only getting plate numbers during the day, at night they are washed out.

Those pics look pretty bad. Overall, there is too much IR, and if the shutter is at 1/2000 then the gain has to come way down, try making gain a range from 0 to 40. At night you almost dont see the car except for it's silhouette.

 

[RJM_50]

Those pics look pretty bad. Overall, there is too much IR, and if the shutter is at 1/2000 then the gain has to come way down, try making gain a range from 0 to 40. At night you almost don't see the car except for it's silhouette.

Just woke up and grabbed this image from my phone, this vehicle is parked across the street in my ideal capture zone and it's washed out even sitting stationary. Frustrating it would be a 100% capture during the day. I'll have to play with the settings tomorrow and try again tomorrow night.

It's 80ft to that mailbox and my ideal choke point, 12mm max zoom for the Turret camera is not enough, I'll swap it out for the 32mm max zoom Bullet camera. Both are the same 1/1.8 image sensor and S3 chipset, just different form factors and zoom lenses.

 

[RJM_50]

For LPR I prefer 80-90% or even more when it’s a large vehicle. I’m only worried about the plate, other cameras get an overview. 25% is not enough if it’s a difficult plate

I have a 8-32mm Bullet I can swap into this location and replace the 2.8-12mm Turret camera, but it will no longer be camouflaged on the tree. It should be much closer to the vehicles, but has the exact same settings interface. I'm concerned about using it if this camera can't even get close to a useable shot, is more zoom going to magically solve the rest of the problems being washed out, ghosting, failing to enter B&W mode? Why so many issues when everyone claims it works with mostly default settings? Is this a RMA situation?

 

[biggen]

Post all of your night time camera settings. Screen shot them and drag them here so we can see them.

DID I read correctly above that you said you are using default settings? If so, that is your problem.

 

[wittaj]

As many of us have said, you need to zoom in.

Being able to read plates during the day at that field of view doesn't mean you will be able to at night.

And as I said, you are on shutter priority and thus gain is cranked up.

Reread what I put in post #24

 

[Mike A.]

Not sure where you're getting the idea that everyone's using default settings for good LPR. Day, sure. Lots can get away with that. But night, mostly the opposite usually with quite a bit of tweaking required to optimize the images. wittaj gave you good starting points. Do that and fine tune from here.

 

[bigredfish]

I have a 8-32mm Bullet I can swap into this location and replace the 2.8-12mm Turret camera, but it will no longer be camouflaged on the tree. It should be much closer to the vehicles, but has the exact same settings interface. I'm concerned about using it if this camera can't even get close to a useable shot, is more zoom going to magically solve the rest of the problems being washed out, ghosting, failing to enter B&W mode? Why so many issues when everyone claims it works with mostly default settings? Is this a RMA situation?

LPR is rarely if ever done using default settings. Its gonna take some work. You need to browse the LPR forum and read up a bit. And nighttime settings will be radically different than daytime.
Also forget trying to use color for plates at night.

 

[wittaj]

I have a 8-32mm Bullet I can swap into this location and replace the 2.8-12mm Turret camera, but it will no longer be camouflaged on the tree. It should be much closer to the vehicles, but has the exact same settings interface. I'm concerned about using it if this camera can't even get close to a useable shot, is more zoom going to magically solve the rest of the problems being washed out, ghosting, failing to enter B&W mode? Why so many issues when everyone claims it works with mostly default settings? Is this a RMA situation?

It isn't an RMA situation because you haven't addressed the settings we have mentioned.

Are you on shutter priority or manual shutter?

Are you sure that is zoomed all the way in?

Based on that image, as I said, you are on shutter priority and as such the gain is cranked up to 100.

Granted you have streetlights and I do not, but your image is way too bright at a 1/2000 shutter compared to my image with the same camera (or almost any of us using it for LPR), which is the first clue that gain is too high.

Or you have AI SSA turned on or too much of a backlight.

You have it misconfigured and/or trying to do too much with one camera.

Post screenshots of your settings.

 

[samplenhold]

Why so many issues when everyone claims it works with mostly default settings?

Really don't know where you got that idea?



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[Flintstone61]

Cam is about 50-60 feet from that car so IR is on about 100% to get enough IR.
In your case you can most likely dial it back. second cam sees a Blue SUV going by, but looks like i have work to do dialing that in for night color ID.
I really need to get my 180 4k back in operation over there for overview. need to pull a new run of cable,

Just woke up and grabbed this image from my phone, this vehicle is parked across the street in my ideal capture zone and it's washed out even sitting stationary. Frustrating it would be a 100% capture during the day. I'll have to play with the settings tomorrow and try again tomorrow night.

Put a piece of reflective tape down on the curb where car was. Adjust focus until reflector is sharpest

 

[RJM_50]

Post all of your night time camera settings. Screen shot them and drag them here so we can see them.

DID I read correctly above that you said you are using default settings? If so, that is your problem.

Is there a reason why my Camera's IP address admin user interface screen is White & Blue, I don't have the Gray & Orange user interface others have posted screenshots look different than mine. Is it a old firmware or a plug-in I need to add to the camera's? Why the different User Interfaces?

Lots of people on this site were bragging about how great these EmpireTech (Dahua) cameras with the 1/1.8" image sensor and optical zoom lens works for them capturing LPR with the default settings, and just shutter speed at night, that was all I needed to touch. It wasn't until I asked for help that I'm getting way more advice to change IR, Gain, Contrast, etc. Maybe they should be checked by other users if "works great with default settings" isn't correct, those gleeful reviews and responses were not helpful.

Unfortunately weather delay, I don't want to open the PoE connection and switch cameras and risk water in the connection. The first Turret camera 1/2.8" 8mm max zoom didn't look great after 6 months with the waterproof connection and inside conduit, so I added dielectric grease to the Turret 1/1.8" 12mm max zoom camera couple weeks ago. I'll have to mount the Bullet 1/1.8" 32mm max zoom camera a few feet higher on the tree where it blends in better with a branch.

 

[wittaj]

Is there a reason why my Camera's IP address admin user interface screen is white & blue, I don't have the Gray & Orange user interface others have posted screenshots look different than mine. Is it a old firmware or a plug-in I need to add to the camera's?

Lots of people on this site were bragging about how great these EmpireTech (Dahua) cameras with the 1/1.8" image sensor and optical zoom lens works for them capturing LPR with the default settings, and just shutter speed at night, that was all I needed to touch. It wasn't until I asked for help that I'm getting way more advice to change IR, Gain, Contrast, etc. Maybe they should be checked by other users if "works great with default settings" isn't correct, those gleeful reviews and responses were not helpful.

You have the new S3 chipset that uses the new GUI (blue and white) versus the old camera with the older GUI that is the grey/orange user interface. You have the better camera....

Regardless, where did someone post this camera works well with default settings using it specifically as LPR? Folks have said these are the first cameras that tend to work well on default, but that wasn't meant for LPR, nor would we not dial the cameras in. It is just this S3 chipset is very good. But for kicks I tried it at default 50 with the only change being a 1/2000 shutter and gain 0-25 and guess what, it works. I wouldn't use it that way and would dial it in, but you are making a bigger deal out of this than it is.

You are acting like changing parameters like brightness to 45 and Contrast to 55 is a big deal....

But this camera is easier to dial in than the previous version due to how much more light this sensor lets in.

And again I ask, since you seem to keep ignoring my posts, are you on shutter priority or manual shutter? As I have said at least 3 times, you appear to be on shutter priority so the camera has cranked up the gain to 100 and thus causing your white out plates.

My post 24 shows this exact camera and what is possible in approximately the same install.

We are just spinning circles now. Post the requested screenshots of all your camera settings so we can provide input and you can start capturing plates....

Until then, people are just going to drop out of this thread trying to help you like I am ready to do because you are not supplying requested info to help you....

 

[RJM_50]

You have the new S3 chipset that uses the new GUI (blue and white) versus the old camera with the older GUI that is the grey/orange user interface. You have the better camera....

Regardless, where did someone post this camera works well with default settings using it as LPR? Folks have said these are the first cameras that tend to work well on default, but that wasn't meant for LPR. But for kicks I tried it at default 50 with the only change being a 1/2000 shutter and gain 0-25 and guess what, it works. I wouldn't use it that way and would dial it in, but you are making a bigger deal out of this than it is.

You are acting like changing parameters like brightness to 45 and Contrast to 55 is a big deal....

But this camera is easier to dial in than the previous version due to how much more light this sensor lets in.

And again I ask, since you seem to keep ignoring my posts, are you on shutter priority or manual shutter? As I have said at least 3 times, you appear to be on shutter priority so the camera has cranked up the gain to 100 and thus causing your white out plates.

My post 24 shows this exact camera and what is possible in approximately the same install.

We are just spinning circles now. Post the requested screenshots of all your camera settings so we can provide input and you can start capturing plates....

Until then, people are just going to drop out of this thread trying to help you like I am ready to do because you are not supplying requested info to help you....

S3 chipset = different user interface, thanks, my Blue/White felt like I had the wrong firmware, or some user error I had clicked incorrectly, was trying to figure out before posting screenshots.
It is set to shutter priority, I've tried 1/500 and 1/2000 last 24 hours. Haven't touched the Gain.

Settings on 1/1.8 for me, have been much easier than with a 1/2.8 Z12E cam. i have captured plates at 1/500, 1/1000, & 1/2000 shutter speeds, with practically default settings except for focus.

Default settings have not worked well at all

 

[wittaj]

And like I said you have something else going on - that image is too bright even if you have gain on default 50.

Maybe you have the camera actually on the wrong profile at night and isn't using the settings you think it is. We will not know that until you post your screenshots.

I just tested mine with default except for shutter and gain and it captures plates.

This is a great camera. But even a great camera on default settings will result in poor performance. Nobody here advocates for keeping cameras on default settings.

That quote you posted from Flintstone is AFTER you purchased and tried said camera - show me in one of the review threads where someone said this camera works on default for LPR.

And as others have pointed out, his captures aren't the best if using it solely for LPR. He just happens to be one of those perfect situations of lighting and vehicle speed to capture like that. But for those of us wanting it for pure LPR we would not set it up the way he did. You make the vehicle about the size of the field of view to make the plate as large as possible.

 

[RJM_50]

Any advice for locking in the focus on the Northbound traffic camera? I could add a reflector to that tree. But the tree is 70ft away. My vehicle choke point is only 15-25ft from this mailbox as vehicles pass by. The plan is to get plates long before they get to the tree, or stop sign 135ft at the end of the road. Focusing on the tree would be off.