Finally installed my 2x IPC-HFW71242H-Z-X cameras

[sunny0101786]

Now the picture is total dark. What next?

 

[guykuo]

Depends on your goal. If you want the camera to record the visible scene, you increase shutter duration until you get the scene you want.
If you want to catch license plates, very slightly increase the shutter duration until you just BARELY seen anything but black. One camera cannot get both ends of the dynamic range.

 

[wittaj]

Now you see what we were saying about don't chase MP if you want night time performance with motion. I can run the 4MP version at 1/500 shutter or 2ms and get incredible captures of motion of a vehicle driving by at 30MPH. Run it at 1/1000 and I am getting plates (If I turn the camera down the street to be able to see plates LOL).



Shutter can be expressed and entered as a fraction like 1/120 which is 1/120s or 8.33ms.

You are on the input screen of ms. Select the custom option and the pop up window will then show it as a fraction of a second.

You don't want to go any slower than 1/60s or 16.67ms or you will get ghost blur motion.

 

[sunny0101786]

First thing I noticed was OP joined the forum in 2017 so thinking he's probably been exposed to the highlights and lowlights of cams discussed here. Next thing I do is notice the cam is 12MP with a smallish 1/1.7" sensor. Okay, hope this is daytime use only or it's lit up like Fort Knox at night. Second post shows a nighttime image. Oof....SMH.

I just installed the cameras on default settings, and I was seeking help on this forum to get better results. But some of you are just looking at the unfinished work and commenting, "Ohhh, 12 MP camera, and look at the picture during nighttime," etc. Lol! If you don't have the skill to help someone with better settings, then please don't comment to make someone feel bad about their purchase. Or, if you own a similar camera and have achieved better results with some tweaks in camera settings, then just share your knowledge. That's what I expect from this board. I was made aware by the very knowledgeable board members of some pros and cons about high megapixel cameras on this forum, and they are still helping me achieve better results, and I'm very thankful to them. I was advised to go for some very good cameras, but it was my choice to go for this camera. I believe it has lots of room to achieve better quality pictures than what I have posted earlier. Whatever the final results will be, I'll be okay with it. The world is not ending, lol!

 

[sunny0101786]

Now you see what we were saying about don't chase MP if you want night time performance with motion. I can run the 4MP version at 1/500 shutter or 2ms and get incredible captures of motion of a vehicle driving by at 30MPH. Run it at 1/1000 and I am getting plates (If I turn the camera down the street to be able to see plates LOL).

View attachment 187224

Shutter can be expressed and entered as a fraction like 1/120 which is 1/120s or 8.33ms.

You are on the input screen of ms. Select the custom option and the pop up window will then show it as a fraction of a second.

You don't want to go any slower than 1/60s or 16.67ms or you will get ghost blur motion.

It's daytime now. What are the best settings for daytime so I can test them out?

 

[sunny0101786]

Now you see what we were saying about don't chase MP if you want night time performance with motion. I can run the 4MP version at 1/500 shutter or 2ms and get incredible captures of motion of a vehicle driving by at 30MPH. Run it at 1/1000 and I am getting plates (If I turn the camera down the street to be able to see plates LOL).

View attachment 187224

Shutter can be expressed and entered as a fraction like 1/120 which is 1/120s or 8.33ms.

You are on the input screen of ms. Select the custom option and the pop up window will then show it as a fraction of a second.

You don't want to go any slower than 1/60s or 16.67ms or you will get ghost blur motion.

is that cropped picture or camera is set on that zoom level?

 

[sunny0101786]

The daytime settings have been posted. Please let me know if any other changes can be made to improve the results.

 

[wittaj]

is that cropped picture or camera is set on that zoom level?

That is the camera optically zoomed in.

As far as the daytime settings, same applies as night time. You want everything as fast or low as you can go. Fortunately the sun is helping.

Based on your field of view and the amount of light reflective pavement, I would start with the following

Shutter 0-2ms
Gain 35
Brightness 35
Contrast 42
Gamma 40
3dNR 24
2dNR 24

 

[wittaj]

And then for night, ideally you don't want to go slower than 1/60 shutter or 16.67.

So with that as your shutter try:

Brightness 58
Contrast 64
Gamma 60
Gain 58

And then test it with someone walking by and see if they ghost.