The settings that produced the best results so far are:
0-2 shutter
0-50 gain
14 3D NR level
11 2D NR level
30 sharpness
(everything else left default)
I'm not sure what DNT is unless it's sharpness?
Frustrate: Blur....
- Thread starter bbwolfe
- Start date
0-2 shutter
0-50 gain
14 3D NR level
11 2D NR level
30 sharpness
(everything else left default)
I'm not sure what DNT is unless it's sharpness?
I did not mean to ignore your recommended test. I simply got too busy following tuning settings and figuring out how to get an SD card / access to the images yesterday.
Attached is the image I just took with your setting recommendation.
Note: It is 2:15pm on a completely sunny day. Yes, that image is looking monochrome for some reason.
Attachments
No problem.
Yeah it went to B/W because that low gain caused it to not have enough light to stay in color.
Based on what you have shown, I think it is just the camera struggling with enough light to get the crisp image we would be expecting. I think you have enough tree cover that the early/mid afternoon appears to be the best shot.
Yeah it went to B/W because that low gain caused it to not have enough light to stay in color.
Based on what you have shown, I think it is just the camera struggling with enough light to get the crisp image we would be expecting. I think you have enough tree cover that the early/mid afternoon appears to be the best shot.
A couple additional questions.
Do you have a recommendation for night settings? (I now realize that this chip requires a lot more light so the night images will be poor).
Also, since I now have added an SD card and can access video/images on the camera directly (thank you!), I see a setting on the Dahua for "Events>Smart Motion". If I enable it, a warning pops up saying that it will conflict with other settings and prevents me from enabling it.
Should I use this "Events>Smart Motion" setting?
Perfect. Thank you for this. Yes, we are heavily wooded here. I would have purchased a different chip if I had known. (lesson learned). Unfortunately I have a Hikvision with the same chip specs on the way....
(Hikvision iDS-2CD7A86G0-IZHS 8MP Outdoor Network Bullet Camera with Night Vision, 8-32mm Lens & Heater)
We have all been there chasing MP LOL.
Then we learn chase sensor size.
Most feel 4MP on the 1/1.8" sensor is the sweet spot for these cameras.
Most of us use AI IVS and not MD/SMD, so unless your camera isn't triggering for AI and IVS rules, best to leave Motion Detection and Smart Motion Detection off.
We know for what you are trying to accomplish that this camera struggles during the day, so it will be even worse at night, so you will have to compromise on blur.
In terms of getting the most out of the camera, here is my "standard" post that many use as a start for dialing in day and night that helps get the clean captures and help the camera recognize people and cars.
Every field of view is different, but I have found you need contrast to usually be 6-8 higher than the brightness number at night.
We want the ability to freeze frame capture a clean image from the video at night, and that is only done with a shutter of 1/60 or faster. At night, default/auto may be on 1/12s shutter or worse to make the image bright.
In my opinion, shutter (exposure) and gain are the two most important parameters and then base the others off of it. Shutter is more important than FPS. It is the shutter speed that prevents motion blur, not FPS. 15 FPS is more than enough for surveillance cameras as we are not producing Hollywood movies. Match iframes to FPS. 15FPS is all that is usually needed.
Many people do not realize there is manual shutter that lets you adjust shutter and gain and a shutter priority that only lets you adjust shutter speed but not gain. The higher the gain, the bigger the noise and see-through ghosting start to appear because the noise is amplified. Most people select shutter priority and run a faster shutter than they should because it is likely being done at 100 gain, so it is actually defeating their purpose of a faster shutter.
Go into shutter settings and change to manual shutter and start with custom shutter as ms and change to 0-8.3ms and gain 0-50 (night) and 0-4ms exposure and 0-30 gain (day)for starters. Auto could have a shutter speed of 100ms or more with a gain at 100 and shutter priority could result in gain up at 100 which will contribute to significant ghosting and that blinding white you will get from the infrared or white light.
Now what you will notice immediately at night is that your image gets A LOT darker. That faster the shutter, the more light that is needed. But it is a balance. The nice bright night static image results in Casper blur and ghost during motion LOL. What do we want, a nice static image or a clean image when there is motion introduced to the scene?
In the daytime, if it is still too bright, then drop the 4ms down to 3ms then 2ms, etc. You have to play with it for your field of view.
Then at night, if it is too dark, then start adding ms to the time. Go to 10ms, 12ms, etc. until you find what you feel is acceptable as an image. Then have someone walk around and see if you can get a clean shot. Try not to go above 16.67ms (but certainly not above 30ms) as that tends to be the point where blur starts to occur. Conversely, if it is still bright, then drop down in time to get a faster shutter.
You can also adjust brightness and contrast to improve the image. But try not to go above 70 for anything and try to have contrast be at least 7-10 digits higher than brightness.
You can also add some gain to brighten the image - but the higher the gain, the more ghosting you get. Some cameras can go to 70 or so before it is an issue and some can't go over 50.
But adjusting those two settings will have the biggest impact. The next one is noise reduction. Want to keep that as low as possible. Depending on the amount of light you have, you might be able to get down to 40 or so at night (again camera dependent) and 20-30 during the day, but take it as low as you can before it gets too noisy. Again this one is a balance as well. Too smooth and no noise can result in soft images and contribute to blur.
Do not use backlight features until you have exhausted every other parameter setting. And if you do have to use backlight, take it down as low as possible.
After every setting adjustment, have someone walk around outside and see if you can freeze-frame to get a clean image. If not, keep changing until you do. Clean motion pictures are what we are after, not a clean static image.
Then we learn chase sensor size.
Most feel 4MP on the 1/1.8" sensor is the sweet spot for these cameras.
Most of us use AI IVS and not MD/SMD, so unless your camera isn't triggering for AI and IVS rules, best to leave Motion Detection and Smart Motion Detection off.
We know for what you are trying to accomplish that this camera struggles during the day, so it will be even worse at night, so you will have to compromise on blur.
In terms of getting the most out of the camera, here is my "standard" post that many use as a start for dialing in day and night that helps get the clean captures and help the camera recognize people and cars.
Every field of view is different, but I have found you need contrast to usually be 6-8 higher than the brightness number at night.
We want the ability to freeze frame capture a clean image from the video at night, and that is only done with a shutter of 1/60 or faster. At night, default/auto may be on 1/12s shutter or worse to make the image bright.
In my opinion, shutter (exposure) and gain are the two most important parameters and then base the others off of it. Shutter is more important than FPS. It is the shutter speed that prevents motion blur, not FPS. 15 FPS is more than enough for surveillance cameras as we are not producing Hollywood movies. Match iframes to FPS. 15FPS is all that is usually needed.
Many people do not realize there is manual shutter that lets you adjust shutter and gain and a shutter priority that only lets you adjust shutter speed but not gain. The higher the gain, the bigger the noise and see-through ghosting start to appear because the noise is amplified. Most people select shutter priority and run a faster shutter than they should because it is likely being done at 100 gain, so it is actually defeating their purpose of a faster shutter.
Go into shutter settings and change to manual shutter and start with custom shutter as ms and change to 0-8.3ms and gain 0-50 (night) and 0-4ms exposure and 0-30 gain (day)for starters. Auto could have a shutter speed of 100ms or more with a gain at 100 and shutter priority could result in gain up at 100 which will contribute to significant ghosting and that blinding white you will get from the infrared or white light.
Now what you will notice immediately at night is that your image gets A LOT darker. That faster the shutter, the more light that is needed. But it is a balance. The nice bright night static image results in Casper blur and ghost during motion LOL. What do we want, a nice static image or a clean image when there is motion introduced to the scene?
In the daytime, if it is still too bright, then drop the 4ms down to 3ms then 2ms, etc. You have to play with it for your field of view.
Then at night, if it is too dark, then start adding ms to the time. Go to 10ms, 12ms, etc. until you find what you feel is acceptable as an image. Then have someone walk around and see if you can get a clean shot. Try not to go above 16.67ms (but certainly not above 30ms) as that tends to be the point where blur starts to occur. Conversely, if it is still bright, then drop down in time to get a faster shutter.
You can also adjust brightness and contrast to improve the image. But try not to go above 70 for anything and try to have contrast be at least 7-10 digits higher than brightness.
You can also add some gain to brighten the image - but the higher the gain, the more ghosting you get. Some cameras can go to 70 or so before it is an issue and some can't go over 50.
But adjusting those two settings will have the biggest impact. The next one is noise reduction. Want to keep that as low as possible. Depending on the amount of light you have, you might be able to get down to 40 or so at night (again camera dependent) and 20-30 during the day, but take it as low as you can before it gets too noisy. Again this one is a balance as well. Too smooth and no noise can result in soft images and contribute to blur.
Do not use backlight features until you have exhausted every other parameter setting. And if you do have to use backlight, take it down as low as possible.
After every setting adjustment, have someone walk around outside and see if you can freeze-frame to get a clean image. If not, keep changing until you do. Clean motion pictures are what we are after, not a clean static image.
Ok, I think I have AI IVS enabled and setting rules saved. I turned off MD/SMD.
How can I go about getting a recommendation on a camera that might fit my desire?
I want to be able to zoom into around 100ft. Get those clear images, hopefully day and night? (maybe asking too much here for night). I live in an area shaded by trees.
bigredfish
Known around here
100ft?
Either a 2MP 5241-Z12
Or maybe this new camera
or a relatively pricey PTZ
Either a 2MP 5241-Z12
Or maybe this new camera
or a relatively pricey PTZ
Thank you. I am going to try the 2MP 5241-Z12. (going to use EmpireTech)100ft?
Either a 2MP 5241-Z12
Or maybe this new camera
or a relatively pricey PTZ
Do you remember how I ordered the EmpireTech 2MP 5241-Z12 yesterday?100ft?
Either a 2MP 5241-Z12
Or maybe this new camera
or a relatively pricey PTZ
It just arrived................
What is this, Amazon one day delivery?
Quicker and cheaper than where you previously bought cams from lol
Can you look at my current image quality?
I have installed and attempted to configure the new 2MP 5241-Z12 based on what I have learned. Not sure I have it exactly dialed in yet though.
Here is a side-by-side comparison of shots from BI and the Camera itself.
I have installed and attempted to configure the new 2MP 5241-Z12 based on what I have learned. Not sure I have it exactly dialed in yet though.
Here is a side-by-side comparison of shots from BI and the Camera itself.
Attachments
bigredfish
Known around here
Again not great.
I wonder what you have going on? That looks like h.265 or low bitrate, kinda like your other cam.
Can you go to LIVE view in the camera GUI itself and get a full res image?
Make sure you are on Main Stream and there should be a button to export a live snapshot
What are your Video/Bitrate etc settings?
I wonder what you have going on? That looks like h.265 or low bitrate, kinda like your other cam.
Can you go to LIVE view in the camera GUI itself and get a full res image?
Make sure you are on Main Stream and there should be a button to export a live snapshot
What are your Video/Bitrate etc settings?
As I have said before, I think it is a monitor/graphics issue that is presenting itself from a print screen capture.
When you have done the actual snapshot out of BI, something is wacky with it and gives you that green or grey screen, furthering that it is a graphics driver or monitor issue.
When you have done the actual snapshot out of BI, something is wacky with it and gives you that green or grey screen, furthering that it is a graphics driver or monitor issue.
bigredfish
Known around here
That actually looks better, driveway is crisper and not soft
You can take bitrate on a 2MP to 8192
You can take bitrate on a 2MP to 8192
bigredfish
Known around here
I just noticed you're doing a screencap. Noooo
CLick the little camera icon top right and export a full res picture without altering it in any way and post it up