IPC-T5442T-ZE: Trouble Focusing and Field of View Changing

KCSooner

n3wb
Joined
Oct 2, 2021
Messages
2
Reaction score
3
Location
Kansas City, MO
I have two IPC-T5442T-ZE's. After changing the angle to adjust the field of view of one over my driveway, I am absolutely unable to reproduce a field of view that it had a few days ago. The camera is mounted in exactly the same location. I have only loosened the adjuster to pivot the camera.

When I attempt to zoom out all of the way, the FOV looks similar, but it is very out of focus. After focusing, it has narrowed the FOV considerably.

I understand that focus can affect focal length on some lenses, and I can absolutely see that happening while it hunts. However I am getting very different results now compared to a few days ago. I have power-cycled the camera, and I have tried using the browser interface to the camera, as well as the Blue Iris app's zoom and focus controls.

Additionally this camera is hunting for focus for a long times, sometimes taking a minute or more to focus. Several times it has failed to focus entirely without assistance on the zoom slider. Regardless of the procedure, once it has achieved sharp focus, it results in a different FOV than before.

Have others experienced this kind of random variability or focus hunting? Are there any hints to mitigate it?

This camera is running firmware V2.820.15OG001.0.R, Build Date: 2021-05-25.

Thanks for any help!
 

IAmATeaf

Known around here
Joined
Jan 13, 2019
Messages
3,287
Reaction score
3,252
Location
United Kingdom
Mine will focus hunt if you adjust in low light conditions.

Can you post screens of what you’re experiencing?
 

KCSooner

n3wb
Joined
Oct 2, 2021
Messages
2
Reaction score
3
Location
Kansas City, MO
Thanks for the replies. I did the reset as Andy suggested, and it now focuses on the full wide FOV. Hopefully that is not a repeat occurrence, because I did have to through the whole setup routine again, including setting my computer to a static IP so I could access the router's default 192.168.1.108, changing it to static IP, etc. For now the problem is solved. Thanks!
 

Flintstone61

Known around here
Joined
Feb 4, 2020
Messages
6,587
Reaction score
10,894
Location
Minnesota USA
Speaking of Hard Resets,
I'm eyeballing this old Dell Optiplex 960 and the old 10/100 Dlink switch.....as an initialize/setup/reset workaround PC/rig.
Like put the Opti 960 on top of the rack, and set it to 192.168.1.101.... and then i can plug in whatever ailing camera I have, and go straight to it's static IP, or if reset, go to 192.168.1.108, jump in and set the Static Ip and other settings then release it back into the wild.......Like Marlin Perkin's assistant Jim used to do after getting Sperm samples from White Rhino's :)
I was thinking of this idea, rather than pulling the BI machine offline to play screw around.
Last time i had a camera problem, i brought it in and plugged it into the Dlink switch. but it is not POE. but dangling nearby was 12VDC CCTV cable. Used to plug in Analog cams. So then I simply moved the BI ethernet jack off of the Cisco POE, and stuck it into the Dlink, and thought" hey I might be onto something." ( I'm so SMRT) :)
 

IAmATeaf

Known around here
Joined
Jan 13, 2019
Messages
3,287
Reaction score
3,252
Location
United Kingdom
I just have a spare POE switch and plug the cam and laptop into it, change the IP address in the laptop and job done, no need for something dedicated.
 

Sphinxicus

Getting comfortable
Joined
Aug 30, 2017
Messages
174
Reaction score
341
Location
Ireland
I just have a spare POE switch and plug the cam and laptop into it, change the IP address in the laptop and job done, no need for something dedicated.
same same - just a cheap n nasty 5 port PoE switch i used to use before i got too many cameras for it.

But then i'm not adding/replacing cameras that frequently. @Flintstone61 has a mahoosive number of cameras so maybe there is a continuous lifecycle swapout in place which would make something like this handy if you have the space and gear sitting about doing nothing. Or i guess a simple raspberry pi configured to 192.168.1.0/24 network with a ethernet cable and a 12v adapter could achieve the same. no need for a switch.
 

Flintstone61

Known around here
Joined
Feb 4, 2020
Messages
6,587
Reaction score
10,894
Location
Minnesota USA
yeah, I like the laptop idea better. I should resurrect my old dell laptop and leave at work for this. My idea would include a whole nother keyboard and mouse and yada yada blah blah blah...Monitor connection.....
 
Top