5 MegaGixel 1/1.8" low light destroyer for $90-AVOID LONGSE JUNK

[pozzello]

I did muck with image settings since my first posted day shots.

- switched to manual white balance as the default auto settings are ghastly for color.

- I didn't like the motion blur with the 'AE mode' set to 'auto', so i tried manual and reduced the exposure to 1/75.
This worked fine for night time, but once it was daylight again, image went totally white (over-exposed).
On most cams I've used, the manual exposure setting is a maximum allowed exposure time, but this one
seems to treat a manual setting of 1/75 as exactly that always. Not sure how to allow the cam to auto-adjust
exposure and iris and still observe my max exposure time, if this is even possible with this thing?

So far, not impressed. Will keep twiddling, but the increased detail (when I can get a decent image) so
far doesn't seem worth the hassle of the other issues noted in my (admittedly brief) time playing with it.

TIA for any tips on gettng the most out of it...

 

[klasipca]

As I mentioned before messing with image settings messes up the picture and makes things worse. I leave everything default and the only thing I bump up is bitrate to 10k and to 30 fps. In your case it looks like lens is not focused properly. It fairly easy to open the cam and adjust it.

 

[pozzello]

I have another (still in box.) Will set that one up and see if the focus is any better/different before I go opening this one up...

 

[klasipca]

I have another (still in box.) Will set that one up and see if the focus is any better/different before I go opening this one up...

They seem to have bad "focuser" I have gotten two cams where I ended up adjusting focus. It's easy to get to it but they add glue on the lens thread which takes some monkeying around. As far as image goes you can see my samples as well as others and it should produce sharp almost noise free images at night

 

[Rice]

Has anyone done a successful firmware update to this camera yet...?

Rice​

 

[klasipca]

Has anyone done a successful firmware update to this camera yet...?

Rice​

Yes, why?

 

[FlipNJ]

My S500 is a little horrendous. Played with the image settings to improve image. Night image is very noisy. Disappointed as it was a bitch to locate this camera. Gonna spend more time in a little bit to see if I can improve it. May end up re-hanging the Hik 2432

 

[Q™]

My S500 is a little horrendous. Played with the image settings to improve image. Night image is very noisy. Disappointed as it was a bitch to locate this camera. Gonna spend more time in a little bit to see if I can improve it. May end up re-hanging the Hik 2432

I'll buy it for $50.00...with free shipping.

 

[FlipNJ]

Left is Hik 2432, Right is the S500

 

[FlipNJ]

I'll buy it for $50.00...with free shipping.

View attachment 11533

Haha, Funny!

 

[Q™]

My S500 is a little horrendous. Played with the image settings to improve image. Night image is very noisy. Disappointed as it was a bitch to locate this camera. Gonna spend more time in a little bit to see if I can improve it. May end up re-hanging the Hik 2432

I believe that Klaspica runs his at the factory defaults...so do I. I tried messing with the settings in the Longse's browser interface but I could never get the image better than the default settings displayed. So I too run the defaults.

 

[FlipNJ]

I believe that Klaspica runs his at the factory defaults...so do I. I tried messing with the settings in the Longse's browser interface but I could never get the image better than the default settings displayed. So I too run the defaults.

The defaults weren't good on mine. I had to make adjustments. Just wish it was a big improvement over my 3mp Hik. Wasted $130. Maybe I will re-purpose the Hik. One thing to note is, if you uncheck auto and make adjustments THEN recheck auto, it doesn't go back to the same settings. I had to do a Factory Reset. Fortunately it saved the IP network settings. After the reset, I gingerly made adjustments.

 

[FlipNJ]

just got my first S500 (3.6mm turret) hung up next to a Hik 3MP (2.8mm turret)

image settings at default/auto.

not real happy with the colors, but the light is kinda weird right now (as sun is setting)
Longse S500 on the left, Hik 2332 on the right. (BI snapshots at 100% jpg)

View attachment 11509View attachment 11511

field of view is about the same. i prolly shoulda gone with the 5mm tho.

as it get darker, the s500 is starting to come into it's own:
(the dusk-activated xmas lights on the tree are already on)
View attachment 11513View attachment 11512

and just after they both switched to B/W (still some light out):
View attachment 11514View attachment 11515

pretty much as dark as it's gonna get tonight:
View attachment 11517View attachment 11516

Yours seems clearer than my 500. Maybe it's because the distance between your cam and where you are standing is much closer than my setup. I may be expecting too much. 60 plus feet is far at night.

 

[klasipca]

View attachment 11535View attachment 11536
Left is Hik 2432, Right is the S500

This does NOT look like a screenshot from s500 cam, as matter of fact it looks identical to a Hik. Are you sure you got cam with IMX178? They come in many different flavors using the same housing, so might have gotten different sensor in there or it was sent to you by mistake. Especially considering that you are running 1080p there while 1080p should look skewed with 4:3 format cam.

Can you run this IPSearcher tool and it will tell you what sensor you have running. Post a screenshot if you can.

http://www.herospeed.net/en/index.php?m=content&c=index&a=lists&catid=16

 

[FlipNJ]

I used Blue Iris for the capture. The product details specify 1 1/8", IM178 Sony. Hisilcon, whatever that means. I was super careful when I ordered it and made sure it matched every aspect of your posts. The housing looks identical to your first pic of the camera. Using defaults suuuucked! So bad! After hours of moving sliders, it not that bad. Definitely was hoping for much better.

 

[FlipNJ]

This does NOT look like a screenshot from s500 cam, as matter of fact it looks identical to a Hik. Are you sure you got cam with IMX178? They come in many different flavors using the same housing, so might have gotten different sensor in there or it was sent to you by mistake. Especially considering that you are running 1080p there while 1080p should look skewed with 4:3 format cam.

Can you run this IPSearcher tool and it will tell you what sensor you have running. Post a screenshot if you can.

http://www.herospeed.net/en/index.php?m=content&c=index&a=lists&catid=16

 

[klasipca]

Very strange, perhaps you got a fake one? whatever you got in there doesn't look like a cam with IMX178, you can check out this live demo for yourself and at night it looks very good and it has a lot more ground to cover.

http://183.233.190.41:8856/snap.jpg

 

[klasipca]

Btw, I did end up resetting camera and reloading firmware multiple times when I was messing with image settings. It seemed that resetting cam didn't entirely clear out image modifications and required firmware reload. Perhaps you can try this before calling it quits.

 

[FlipNJ]

Btw, I did end up resetting camera and reloading firmware multiple times when I was messing with image settings. It seemed that resetting cam didn't entirely clear out image modifications and required firmware reload. Perhaps you can try this before calling it quits.

I will try to figure that out tomorrow after work. Will to try anything. I really doubt its fake. Its too cheap even bother counterfeiting. Maybe just a reflash of the FW like you said. Got nothing to lose.
Thanks man

 

[klasipca]

I wouldn't rule out the "fake" part. The IMX178 sensor is the most expensive part of this cam. Sensor alone priced over $100 at Aliexpress

http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Newest-5-0MP-Low-illumination-CMOS-IP-Camera-Module-Board-Dual-Core-32bit-Hi3516A-1-1/32544029374.html?spm=2114.30010308.3.26.eGyFaD&ws_ab_test=searchweb201556_0,searchweb201602_3_10037_10017_405_404_507_10032,searchweb201603_1&btsid=643cd242-32a6-4a3b-9eed-794b786e0cc7

So, putting a fake "cheaper" or not very sensitive 5MP sensor is very much possible

You know, if I would be getting exactly same result as Hikvision 2432 (which btw I owned 4 and these were my favorite cams) you got there I would never recommend this cam