Cameras facing each other?

[davekra]

Could I get some opinions on my camera placement?
I currently have two cheap analog cameras on my front porch. They are about 10' apart and facing each other (Not directly looking at each other but enough that they see each others IR)
This gives me a good view up and down the street and doesn't have a blind spot between the cameras but at night their IR light kinda swamps them.
I'll be replacing them with 4mp EXIR IP cameras with 4mm lens in a few days.

The cameras are only about 7' from the ground, up under the beam at the front of the porch. I have no overhang or gutters. I've not had any problems with vandalism to the cameras over the last 5 years but that is always a concern. My full setup will have 6 cameras to watch the whole perimeter of the house.

Any help or opinions would be appreciated.
Thanks,
davidk

 

[bp2008]

I have quite a few cameras pointing at each other, and the effect of bright IR spots varies from annoying to ... really annoying. It depends largely on how far the cameras are apart, and how they are pointed. If the IR spots are only in the corners it isn't so bad. Varifocal lenses tend to make more of a lens flare though.

 

[mat200]

Remember you can turn off the IR of the cameras and have a separate IR emitter

 

[davekra]

Thanks guys.
I've been contemplating separate emitters. I'm hopeful the EXIR is as without hot spots as the videos.
Are there emitters that use those same type of LED/lens? If the emitters are the normal LEDs wouldn't they have the same hot spot?

 

[kevkmartin]

Here's a shot of a HikVision 3MP bullet looking at a Dahua Starlight VF Turret (to the left of the door in the corner). If there is any motion on the walkway, the light goes up to 100% brightness. It's dimmed to 30% in this shot.

This camera is about to be replaced with another Dahua Starlight Turret. The 3MP bullet will go to sump pump monitor duty replacing a 720P FoscamPro.

 

[kevkmartin]

Here's the 3MP Hik replaced with a Dahua Starlight Turret:

 

[davekra]

Thanks again,
I got the new LTCMIP3042 4mp EXIR turret cameras and have been struggling up the steep learning curve of Blue Iris.
I've just got the cameras in the basement for now. I'm tearing down the porch ceiling to run new wires.
I'm impressed with the distribution of IR light from these cameras. This picture has the cameras about 8' apart and everything is evenly illuminated. The light from the other camera is bright but doesn't seem to overwhelm the rest of the image.
I had to use snipping tool to capture this. Does anyone know how to get Blue Iris to take a snapshot? I see the button but it doesn't seem to do anything.

 

[Arjun]

I'm about to install cameras in a similar configuration, however, what if the cameras are approximate 65 feet apart? Will there be a negative effect by the IR light?

 

[bp2008]

65 feet away, I doubt the IR will be a problem. Unless one of them is a PTZ with long range IR.

You might get a tiny bit of lens flare (a reflection on the opposite side of the image from where the light source is), but it won't be bad. Lens flare can happen even with very distant light sources (this one is over 200ft away and it creates a flare in the upper end of the frame):

 

[Arjun]

Thanks, what about with two cameras installed within feet from each other and facing the same exact direction? My neighbor and I have our own cameras facing the same direction.

65 feet away, I doubt the IR will be a problem. Unless one of them is a PTZ with long range IR.

You might get a tiny bit of lens flare (a reflection on the opposite side of the image from where the light source is), but it won't be bad.

 

[bp2008]

Facing the same direction, no problem, since the cameras won't see each other's IR LEDs any more than they see their own.

 

[Arjun]

Thanks for confirming

Please delete the thread I recently created today ( IR LED Interference from Camera Placement )

Facing the same direction, no problem, since the cameras won't see each other's IR LEDs any more than they see their own.

 

[JamesR]

Here's the 3MP Hik replaced with a Dahua Starlight Turret:

What sort of recording system/NVR are you using? I did not know you could use a Dahua and a Hikvision in the same NVR.

 

[kevkmartin]

What sort of recording system/NVR are you using? I did not know you could use a Dahua and a Hikvision in the same NVR.

I use Blue Iris on a dedicated PC.

 

[JamesR]

I use Blue Iris on a dedicated PC.

Ahhh, that explains it, thanks!