Get another camera or is this just settings?

[Brian Alan Dixon]

There has been some car break-ins and my neighbor across the street just had a home evasion. So I am trying to spruce up my camera system a bit. Well at least one camera. The camera in the pictures below is a Digimerge (now flir) 2mp HD mini dome Poe-IP camera with a single IR. I would like to get a much clearer image at night. I know the single IR for night view is not going to provide good coverage for the area and leaving the camera in "Day Mode" is not really an answer for me. You will see in the image below that our cul-de-sac is actually lite up pretty well. Thats because of the home invasion a few days ago. Every now has their porch lights on and the HOA finally fixed the street light that is off to the right. It is not always this lit up.

PLEASE NOTE: I have written consent from all of my neighbors to cover this area. All of them love it. (Since I am the only one in our neck of the woods that actually has cameras.

My question is..... Should I ditch the smaller camera? I have tried a higher end bullet camera with a ton of IRs but it would not give me the wide angle this camera offers. I even setup both in the same spot to use the IRs from the bullet to feed the small dome. But again the IR was too overpowering in just one small spot. I've played around with all the settings on the camera but cant find anything that works during the day and at night for a clearer picture on both.

Any suggestions would be awesome. I'd like to stay with a PoE - IP camera. Thanks!!!

Morning Overcast

Night with IR - ON

Night with IR - OFF

 

[fenderman]

Its not going to get too much better than that..yes you can get a crisper image but its not like you can id someone with a wide angle like that and the camera mounted that high...
I would leave it be, unless you are willing to spend some serious money on a camera like the bosch startlight
» Bosch Dinion Starlight 8000 MP 5MP Box Camera Review Network Camera Critic

What is it that you are trying to capture?

 

[Brian Alan Dixon]

I don't mind dishing out a little extra cash. I was actually thinking about getting some type of PTZ but I have read a few post on here saying the PTZs are not really worth the money for night time surveillance. With this camera I would like to capture cars coming and going, but also be able to make out a pretty clear picture of someone walking around at night. I cant find any video of someone walking around this time of night. (I'm sure I have some) but the image is not clear at all. For example, you couldn't make out any clothing, hat, skin color. You pretty much just see a silhouette, unless they walk directly under the street light to the right. But then you have the tree limbs that throw the image off.

I love the image of the camera you posted and that camera is not too far off from what I would like to spend. I will defiantly look into that one. The testing that guy did looks like it was pretty close and closed in quarters. Also...The shape and design of it doesn't even look like it would be a security camera. Interesting tho.

 

[fenderman]

I don't mind dishing out a little extra cash. I was actually thinking about getting some type of PTZ but I have read a few post on here saying the PTZs are not really worth the money for night time surveillance. With this camera I would like to capture cars coming and going, but also be able to make out a pretty clear picture of someone walking around at night. I cant find any video of someone walking around this time of night. (I'm sure I have some) but the image is not clear at all. For example, you couldn't make out any clothing, hat, skin color. You pretty much just see a silhouette, unless they walk directly under the street light to the right. But then you have the tree limbs that throw the image off.

I love the image of the camera you posted and that camera is not too far off from what I would like to spend. I will defiantly look into that one. The testing that guy did looks like it was pretty close and closed in quarters. Also...The shape and design of it doesn't even look like it would be a security camera. Interesting tho.

If you want that type of detail you will need to get a narrower lens...there is no way around it..the ptz wont help much unless you leave it in a zoomed in position...
The bosch is a box camera so you will need to get an external housing...it does not have its own IR...you would need external or use it without IR...you can get a nice adjustable lens for it..
Hikvision has some new darkfighter cameras that are outdoor rated with IR but we dont know when they will be released..http://www.ipcamtalk.com/hikvision/2423-hikvision-ds-2cd4626fwd-izs.html?highlight=darkfighter

 

[code2]

Maybe add a light to help and turn on WDR if you have that option