Lot of noise/blurry image with DS-2CD2347G-LU 4MP. Need advise.

[robertbus]

See video for what I mean.
Can someone explain how this is possible or is this just because there is too little light in the area? You see a lot of noise / blur on the street and around the white bus. License plate itself is very difficult to see. What can I do about it? I would like your help and advice on what this could possibly be. Shutterspeed is 1/500. WDR is OFF and 25FPS. Camera is 6mm

 

[mat200]

FYI - adding info on the camera here...

update: OP noted has 6mm version ( see posts above .. )







related thread here on ipcamtalk

Review of the Hikvision OEM model IPC-T2347G-LU 'ColorVu' IP CCTV camera.

This is a user review of the Hikvision OEM model IPC-T2347G-LU 'ColorVu' IP CCTV camera. The IPC-T2347G-LU is one of a new-generation of large sensor, high-definition, ultra-low light IP cameras from Hikvision. One of it's main claims is the ability to operate in colour in near dark conditions...

ipcamtalk.com

 

[wittaj]

License plate reading of any 2.8mm camera is going to be difficult unless they are close to the camera...at least in the states....some countries have plates the size of bumpers LOL and they may start to be readable.

All cameras need light...simple physics...regardless of what marketing terms are used.

1/500 is a fairly fast shutter unless you are using just to read plates. Try 1/120 and see if it improves.

 

[SouthernYankee]

A very good camera.

An LPR camera is a specific camera that only does license plates. Your camera is mounted and configured as a general overview camera.

The picture looks ok to me, The bricks in the street have clear lines. The truck headlights are blinding the camera.

 

[fullboogie]

I've got two of those cameras. That's a damn good picture for after sunset. I think you're expecting too much.

 

[robertbus]

Thanks for your comments. When I hear it like this, there is nothing wrong with it and the image cannot be better. Can't you adjust the ability to read the license plate better with a setting for this 6mm camera?

 

[holiday]

if your purpose is to read licence plate, u r probably using the wrong camera ..

 

[robertbus]

Not specifically to read license plates, but it is not visible at all now. This is partly due to the speed of the car, but I expected that you would get a slightly better picture than this.

 

[EMPIRETECANDY]

Full color based on good light, your place already has the good light and the camera works as expected. Pics not REALLY bad.

 

[robertbus]

Do you have more details with a 4K camera or worse? Is there a camera that is better in the evenings?

 

[alastairstevenson]

The picture is actually pretty good for a colour overview scene at that time in the evening.

Can't you adjust the ability to read the license plate better with a setting for this 6mm camera?

As the plates are retro-reflective you'd get a much better result with some illumination from the same location as the camera.
But unless you want to have white light shining out, you can't do that with a ColorVu as it has an IR filter.
I think to get plate images you'd need a non-ColorVu camera that has strong IR.

You say that's a 6mm camera - can you confirm?
The FOV looks wider in your video.

 

[EMPIRETECANDY]

Looks like it's a 2.8mm

 

[robertbus]

Yes, I can confirm that the camera is 6mm.

@alastairstevenson can you advise me a camera with strong IR? Is the Hikvision DS-2CD2385G1-I for example a good camera for that? Or is 8MP to high for the night?

 

[biggen]

can you advise me a camera with strong IR? Is the Hikvision DS-2CD2385G1-I for example a good camera for that? Or is 8MP to high for the night?

https://www.amazon.com/Loryta-IPC-HFW5241E-Z12E-Starlight-Network-English/dp/B07RJQT9NB

 

[alastairstevenson]

Is the Hikvision DS-2CD2385G1-I for example a good camera for that?

That should work quite well.
But what brand / model of NVR or VMS are you using?
Would it handle a 4k camera OK?

 

[robertbus]

I use a Synologoy DS218+. But you don't get more noise/blurry image with a higher resolution camera? Or with above camera with strong IR, the image is black/white en you don't have that issue?

 

[robertbus]

https://www.amazon.com/Loryta-IPC-HFW5241E-Z12E-Starlight-Network-English/dp/B07RJQT9NB

With this camera you get black/wite image and the reflection of the license plate with the IR light, right?

 

[biggen]

With this camera you get black/wite image and the reflection of the license plate with the IR light, right?

Yes. What is your distance? Looks to only be about 20-30 feet judging from the above video. Here is that same camera I linked you at 100' on my house:



Now, I do use external illumination in additional to the built-in IR on that camera. But at your much closer distance, the built-in IR will be excellent. There are plenty of guys on here running that camera at 100'+ using the built-in IR only.

 

[wittaj]

It is simple LOL do not chase MP - do not buy a 4MP camera that is anything other than a 1/1.8" sensor. Do not buy a 2MP camera that is anything other than a 1/2.8" sensor. Do not buy a 4k camera on anything smaller than a 1/1.2" sensor. Unfortunately, most 4k cams are on the same sensor as a 2MP and thus the 2MP will kick its butt all night long as the 4k will need 4 times the light than the 2MP... anything else will do very poor at night unless you have stadium quality lighting (well a lot of lighting LOL).

With few exceptions, the only way to get plates at night is with IR to bounce off the reflective plates. And you do not need 4K or 4MP for plates. A 2MP works just fine. Many still use analog for plates...

You have the wrong camera for plate purposes. The camera you have is great, but a great camera being used wrong does not result in satisfactory results. You are seeing the limitation of an all color camera without the ability to see IR, so even adding an external IR would be useless.

Regarding a camera for reading plates (LPR) - keep in mind that this is a camera dedicated to plates and not an overview camera (which your fixed lens is) also. You will need two cameras - one for overview and one for LPR. For LPR we need to zoom in tight to make the plate as large as possible. For most of us, all you see is the not much more than a vehicle in the entire frame. Now maybe in the right location during the day it might be able to see some other things, but not at night.

At night, we have to run a very fast shutter speed (1/2,000) and in B/W with IR and the image will be black. All you will see are head/tail lights and the plate. Some people can get away with color if they have enough street lights and slow moving vehicles, but most of us cannot. Here is a representative sample of plates I get at night from 175 feet with the 2MP Z12 camera:

 

[The Automation Guy]

If you want to read license plates, then the camera must be set to expose properly for it. During the day, the license plate exposure will be the same as the rest of the environment. But at dusk and at night, if you set the exposure for the rest of the environment, the license plates will be unreadable - just as you are experiencing. If you want the camera to properly expose for the license plate, then the rest of the scene is going to be very dark. See @wittaj image above as an example. You cannot expose of the both the general environment AND license plates in low/no light situations - the dynamic range is simply too great for any camera to handle. You will have to decide which one you want to capture. This is why it is recommended that you use a dedicated camera for license plate captures so it can be optimized for that use only and they are usually zoomed in much greater to capture the plate in most of the screen so that there are a large number of pixels (and therefore greater detail and readability) that make up the plate. If your plate only covers a small portion of the screen, then there are much fewer pixels capturing that plate data and the detail/readability will be much lower.