Best IP camera for low light without IR LEDs

ppp

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Hi,

I've been asked to source 4 cameras to monitor some astronomy equipment during night observations, ideally wide angle.

I cannot use IR LEDs as they will affect the equipment.

Any recommendations on the best setup for such a case?

Thanks!

Peter
 

fenderman

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Hi,

I've been asked to source 4 cameras to monitor some astronomy equipment during night observations, ideally wide angle.

I cannot use IR LEDs as they will affect the equipment.

Any recommendations on the best setup for such a case?

Thanks!

Peter
Best is relative, what is your budget?
 

J Sigmo

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And, how dark will the area be?

The Dahua 2Megapixel "Starlight" cameras that use the Sony Starvis sensors are widely regarded as the best reasonably priced low-light IP cameras.

But you can also get thermal imaging cameras, and presumably image intensified type cameras as well. But now you're talking some serious money.

I got to take a helicopter ride where the local life-flight pilots were demonstrating the new gen 4 night vision goggles that they were able to buy with funding from a charitable organisation where my wife worked. Oddly, very few people turned out for the demo, so we both got to go for hour-long flights wearing the goggles.

To say they're amazing is an understatement. While flying, on a moonless night, far out of town, in "dark sky" areas of Wyoming, you were able to clearly see rabbits, deer, foxes, pronghorns, etc., as well as any features on the ground, and all from only the illumination provided by the stars.

Meteors were frequent, almost constant, and the gen 4 system compresses the dynamic range locally, within the image so well that when a car was in view on a road, its headlights did not affect the low-light view of even very nearby areas in the image. The dynamic compression was astoundingly effective.

If you have $10,000+ to spend on a camera, one of those type systems would be superb! I believe these goggles cost over $30,000 each, but they made it possible for the pilots to safely land, at night, near obstructions such as power lines and the like. So the charity felt the request was justified. It really is just amazing technology.

For around $120, one of the Dahua Starlight cameras with no sound and no PTZ would be pretty darned good, though.

How dim is the lighting in the area? I would imagine things are kept dark, and you are in a "dark sky" area so the telescopes are not hampered by light pollution from nearby civilization. Image intensifiers may be required if it is really dark.
 
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ppp

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Thank you for your responses, great stuff!

Our budget is perhaps a few hundred dollars per camera, the cheaper the better of course.

In terms of darkness, it'd be as dark as under the night sky. The cameras will be placed inside a telescope dome (in Chile). We don't necessarily need high frame rates, so having a long exposure time would be okay too.

Since the camera's are placed in different buildings, spaced 10 m from each other, would you recommend a wired, or wireless connection?


Thank you so much.

Peter
 

TonyR

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Since the camera's are placed in different buildings, spaced 10 m from each other, would you recommend a wired, or wireless connection?
Ten meters? Definitely wired (Ethernet with POE capable camera); the Dahua 2MP 'Starlight" as mentioned by @J Sigmo above is hard to beat.
 

mat200

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Thank you for your responses, great stuff!

Our budget is perhaps a few hundred dollars per camera, the cheaper the better of course.

In terms of darkness, it'd be as dark as under the night sky. The cameras will be placed inside a telescope dome (in Chile). We don't necessarily need high frame rates, so having a long exposure time would be okay too.

Since the camera's are placed in different buildings, spaced 10 m from each other, would you recommend a wired, or wireless connection?


Thank you so much.

Peter
Hi Peter,

As dark as the night sky - no IR - imho this will be a challenge on very dark night with the budget you have.

Perhaps test a IPC-HFW8232x model
 
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