LPR / Security Cam duty

I'm using the utility, so should fix my focus issue tonight when it goes back to Night mode in 1/2000.
 
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Not sure if this is happening because I went back and "fixed" the exposure to 1/2000 during the day, but most LP's are blown out white in the sun?

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Since you are running the utility, you can bump up the shutter during the day, or use the customized range...recognizing though that then at dawn/dusk some plates may be a little hard to read, but that is usually the case anyway.
 
That's why I have to use a range. Let the camera decide the minimum shutter speed so you don't overexpose and set your maximum.
 
wittaj said:
Since you are running the utility, you can bump up the shutter during the day, or use the customized range...recognizing though that then at dawn/dusk some plates may be a little hard to read, but that is usually the case anyway.
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So customized range during the day, not at night?
 
Definitely fixed shutter speed at night - the customized range will probably work in daytime for you - mine is so zoomed in that every cloud was activating a trigger running as a range so I went back to fixed shutter speed, but my sun angle is different than yours.
 
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pbc said:
Not sure if this is happening because I went back and "fixed" the exposure to 1/2000 during the day, but most LP's are blown out white in the sun?

View attachment 65235
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This photo looks like over exposure, probably because of the angle of the sun. You can see there is total blow out on the plate AND the doors of the van.

This is a common problem at sunrise/sunset, when the sun is low over the horizon it blasts the vehicles. Just like when you are driving, sometimes the sun is so strong you can't see as you are going straight into the sun.

I have this problem very badly at sunset, it was blowing out my plates for 1 or 2 hours (depending if summer or winter).

I ended up doing some coding to calculte the angle the sun is over the horizon and when the sun angle gets low enough, I adjust the settings on my camera to reduce how much light is hitting the plates. It helps a lot, but of course on days when it is raining then I don't have enough light for a propert exposure. You can never get it perfect :-(
 
So with 1/2000 at night, I am picking up no plates right now. Weird. All plates are pitch black pretty much.
 
pbc said:
So with 1/2000 at night, I am picking up no plates right now. Weird. All plates are pitch black pretty much.
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Make sure the utility is running?

Was the schedule set to Full Time day so that the utility will switch to night.

Sounds like it is running in color.

Can you go out and see if you see the red IR?
 
pbc said:
So with 1/2000 at night, I am picking up no plates right now. Weird. All plates are pitch black pretty much.
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You need to drop it down. The higher the number, the more light you need. 1/2000 might be fine for day but too fast for night based on your lighting.

If you have it at 1/2000 and do not get any thing you need to reduce it.

Try at 1/1000 at night, the value you need depends on your IR lights and camera settings.

If you were to drop it to 1/500 you might see more light, but things would probably be blurry. You need to find a balance based on your lighting.
 
I am running 1/2000 at night with zero street lights and minimal ambient light. IR will bounce the crap out of a plate.
 
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Man, it is impossible to focus at night.
 
pbc said:
Man, it is impossible to focus at night.
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That is why I have said several times you need to do a B/W test during the day to figure out the focus number. Otherwise you will never get it focused at night at that shutter speed unless a car sits in one spot.
 
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Okay, had my wife head out there and focused it with 1/500. Will see how that works out.
 
Strangely all plates have stopped registering with OpenALPR since 8:30 tonight (2.5 hours ago)...hmm
 
pbc said:
Strangely all plates have stopped registering with OpenALPR since 8:30 tonight (2.5 hours ago)...hmm
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If you don't see a plate, then OpenALPR probably doesn't either.

Was your cam in color or B/W when she went out there?
 
wittaj said:
If you don't see a plate, then OpenALPR probably doesn't either.

Was your cam in color or B/W when she went out there?
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Plates are well focused (used my SUV to focus at 1/500), so not sure why they're not registering now.

Was on B/W.
 
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pbc said:
Plates are well focused (used my SUV to focus at 1/500), so not sure why they're not registering now.
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Do you have any photos of what you are capturing?
 
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