5442TM-AS Day Image Quality Issues

bigredfish

Known around here
Joined
Sep 5, 2016
Messages
17,025
Reaction score
47,496
Location
Floriduh
What is your bitrate and FPS and are you running H264? Show us your video page with these settings.

I have 5 of the bullet version and have installed 20+ including the turret and none of them look like that. Default everything, Auto Exp, 8192 bitrate and 30 fps h.264 and see what it looks like.., are you recording to a NVR or BI?

Are you making any changes on the NVR/BI or just the camera interface direct?
 

jd415

Getting comfortable
Joined
Jun 1, 2019
Messages
316
Reaction score
998
Location
Los Angeles, California
Thank you everyone for all your help, this forum is awesome!

@bigredfish I only changed to H265 to save disk space and I also tried with default H264. I just tried tried with 8192 bitrate on CBR and it looked the same.

I tried with default EVERYTHING using the reset to factory option. I'm recording to an NVR and using SmartPSS to take those screenshots. Other cams screenshots look perfect and so does the old camera that used to be there.


@TheDank Its the 2.8 mm from Andy. The camera is not inside, its mounted under an eave to protect it from the elements. I tried with default and custom FPS and bitrate. The old camera is no longer mounted. Below is a image when its dark outside and it looks great (no street lights). All the IR you see on the left is coming from the PTZ.
 

Attachments

bigredfish

Known around here
Joined
Sep 5, 2016
Messages
17,025
Reaction score
47,496
Location
Floriduh
There is a hell of a difference between 8192 and 2048 on my cameras...

And match iframe to FPS
 

biggen

Known around here
Joined
May 6, 2018
Messages
2,539
Reaction score
2,765
@TheDank I got ya. Here it is at 1080 since that's the resolution I run it in. It does look like something is amiss with his.

20200627_191125.png
 
Last edited:

jd415

Getting comfortable
Joined
Jun 1, 2019
Messages
316
Reaction score
998
Location
Los Angeles, California
@bigredfish I put both images side by side and I think I can see the difference now. You can barely tell but the image quality is slightly better on the higher bitrate image.
 
Last edited:

bigredfish

Known around here
Joined
Sep 5, 2016
Messages
17,025
Reaction score
47,496
Location
Floriduh
I agree your first set of images look like crap compared to the ones Im used to seeing with the 5442...

I can attest the these are extremely WDR sensitive. Anything over 20 washes out the image horribly.

WDR 17
(Long story that has to do with burnt italian sausage... ahem)
20200131151606404ch01.jpg

No WDR
DVR_DriveWest_main_20200626135951_@1.jpg
 
Last edited:
Joined
Aug 8, 2018
Messages
7,386
Reaction score
25,889
Location
Spring, Texas
@bigredfish if I remember correctly, your 5442s are varifocal bullets, right?

If so, I wonder if the differences are that the OP is using a fixed 5442 turret? Could it be the difference in the lens? An F1.6 versus an F1.8?
 

bigredfish

Known around here
Joined
Sep 5, 2016
Messages
17,025
Reaction score
47,496
Location
Floriduh
The two covering the drive are fixed 3.6mm bullets. The fixed are a bit brighter than the VF. I prefer bullets in most cases as they seem to have a little better depth of field.

I'll get some shots from my buddies install with the fixed turrets,
 

shalem2014

Getting the hang of it
Joined
Nov 18, 2018
Messages
75
Reaction score
69
Location
Ohio
Thank you everyone for all your help, this forum is awesome!

@bigredfish I only changed to H265 to save disk space and I also tried with default H264. I just tried tried with 8192 bitrate on CBR and it looked the same.

I tried with default EVERYTHING using the reset to factory option. I'm recording to an NVR and using SmartPSS to take those screenshots. Other cams screenshots look perfect and so does the old camera that used to be there.


@TheDank Its the 2.8 mm from Andy. The camera is not inside, its mounted under an eave to protect it from the elements. I tried with default and custom FPS and bitrate. The old camera is no longer mounted. Below is a image when its dark outside and it looks great (no street lights). All the IR you see on the left is coming from the PTZ.
Looking at your nighttime image, there is definitely something not right with the alignment of the lens on this camera. The entire left side of the image is blurry, while the right side is razor sharp. If you can get the camera replaced, I would recommend doing so. If not, you could take it apart and attempt to correct the issue yourself. I would be checking to make sure that the lens holder is properly and tightly seated on the circuit board and that the lens isn't cross-threaded. If both are right, then perhaps the CMOS sensor wasn't soldered down flat. To correct for this error, you would need to ascertain which side is off (same or opposite side as is blurry), loosen the lens holder, insert a tiny shim under that side, and then possibly refocus the lens.
Regarding the garish, contrasty look, I do not believe this is a camera defect. I noticed that several other people's images on this thread were also over-sharpened, and believe that this may have more to do with your scene and lighting than anything else. I don't know what else to suggest other than to try the settings I proposed earlier, as my 5442s don't look like that!
 

jd415

Getting comfortable
Joined
Jun 1, 2019
Messages
316
Reaction score
998
Location
Los Angeles, California
@EMPIRETECANDY please see the last post by @shalem2014 and several other folks and my pictures below. The left side of the camera images are blurry or not in focus. There is a hardware issue with the camera, it's not software related. Camera has also been reset to factory settings as well.

May I please return the camera for a new one. I kept the original packaging, paperwork, box and I got it a few months ago from you. I will direct message you as well. Thank you
 

Attachments

bigredfish

Known around here
Joined
Sep 5, 2016
Messages
17,025
Reaction score
47,496
Location
Floriduh
One thing correctly noted by @shalem2014 is that the 5442’s do seem to have an over sharpening effect out of the box. I’ve turned sharpness down (40-45 or so) on a few of mine and it seems to improve a bit.

The other thing I’ve noticed with some turrets, is a barrel distortion along the top of the image when they are pointed at a more severe angle down like your front yard. I’m not a photog so pure speculation, but on my neighbors turrets we noticed improvement by lowering the mounting location to get a more straight on view. Now this could just be we are seeing more sky and less physical objects so that the barrel distortion isn’t as easily perceived?
 
Last edited:

biggen

Known around here
Joined
May 6, 2018
Messages
2,539
Reaction score
2,765
See those bushes don’t look out of focus to me. Your corners are warped a bit though.
 
Top