T54IR-ZE-S3 - IR reflection during rain at night?

[snapo6]

Have an issue with my cam.

Not always but sometime when it's raining I see some kind of light circle and picture get blurred.
Attaching video as example.

Anyone familiair with the issue and is it rain effecting the IR or something else?

 

[duplo]

These are raindrops which are stuck on the front of the camera. In your case it looks like there is a raindrop betweet the lens and IR part. It will cause reflections between IR and optic. Normally these parts are seperated.




Sometimes this can happen. Try to clean the front, maybe it will help the rain.

 

[wittaj]

Yep, try to get the camera out of the rain - move it back a tad or add a cover to try to prevent the droplets from physically running down the face of the camera.

Alternatively is to add external IR and turn the camera IR off.

 

[guykuo]

Here in the rainy PNW, I get good results with a brim of sheet metal attached to the top of my turret cameras. The maximum amount of allowable overhang depends on your lens setting. I first do it in paper to get the size/shape. Then cut a piece of aluminum flashing to shape. A zip tie holds the brim in place. You can paint the inside of the brim black and the upper surface whatever color you need.

Here is a shot of one today out in the rain. You can see the water drops on the camera mount, but the lens remains clear of any drops.
Pict taken by aiming one of my PTZ's at the camera array.

 

[snapo6]

Thnx, clear now what's going on.
Additional IR light is not an option so will go for some kind of rain cover.

Cam is installed on a height of 3.2m with a wall mount bracket, might bring it down to around 2.3m.

During some further search on the issue I found some rain covers. Anything that I need to consider?

https://www.amazon.nl/Universele-Beveiligingscamera-Shield-Beschermend-Outdoor/dp/B0B7M86GW1/ref=sr_1_3?crid=M02SJHZYA40O&keywords=oossxx&qid=1704444081&sprefix=ooss%2Caps%2C103&sr=8-3

https://www.amazon.nl/Bewakingscameraafdekking-Universeel-Weerbestendige-Beschermbehuizing-Regenbescherming/dp/B0BHYWSW9R/ref=sr_1_5?crid=M02SJHZYA40O&keywords=oossxx&qid=1704444678&sprefix=ooss%2Caps%2C103&sr=8-5

 

[duplo]

Problem of these covers is the same as mounting under soffit.
You might will have problems with spiderwebs.

Also the look is questionable.
PFB203/PFB204 could help a bit, depends on rain direction.
For on-wall-mount there is a raincover for domes, which also fits for turret. Somewhere is a picture with turret. Cannot find it.

Dahua rain cover x cameras

Dahua Rain Cover Para compatible with dahua dome cameras or junction boxes. Aluminum and SGCC.

www.setik.biz

i suggest using a spray, which give the front some lotus-effect.
if the cam is brand new, there might be some glue left from the plastic foil.

 

[snapo6]

Cam is brand new, lens are is clean and installed with wall mount bracket PFB205W-E.
Looking to the dimension of the Dahua rain cover it will not cover the installed bracket.

Have not seen any spiderwebs on that side/corner of the house so willing to give the covers from the link a try.

Can I use special lens cleaning spray like from Zeiss?

 

[guykuo]

We DO get rain the the Seattle area. This is what the night image from one of my Empire Tech IPC-T54IR-ZEB turrets looks with a full day of continuous rain. The only rain protection for this camera, mounted atop a pole, is its DIY sheet metal brim.

This is with IR illuminator on. The road is shiny wet. Those streaks in image are raindrops flying by. Notice the lack of droplets rolling down the camera glass. Only a rare droplet hits the optics. A brim is far better than a naked turret in the rain.

Because this camera is the overview camera of a pair, its shutter is set fairly slow. Hence, the streaks for raindrops. Its license plate capture partner is on a fast shutter and much lower exposure so it can capture license plates.

 

[snapo6]

Waiting for rain to check the results

 

[jrbeddow]

Interesting...sort of a hybrid bullet/turret
look going on there. Please tell me you will clip off the long "tail" of the zip-tie after testing, right?

 

[guykuo]

Another thing that helps me with the inevitable water stains, is coating the glass fronts with Enduroshield glass treatment. I had used Rain-X prior to keep water stains easier to remove, but Enduroshiled is more transparent and lasts far longer. Makes wiping the cover glass clean way easier. DO NOT APPLY to the the plastic covering IR emitters of cameras. It can etch the plastic. Be careful and spread it only on the glass optical cover.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CLD3OLG

 

[duplo]

Interesting...sort of a hybrid bullet/turret
look going on there. Please tell me you will clip off the long "tail" of the zip-tie after testing, right?

Nono, dont remove the zip tie. It give it a more aesthetic look. The unused cable holders near to it are also incredible. Piece of art.

 

[snapo6]

Nono, dont remove the zip tie. It give it a more aesthetic look. The unused cable holders near to it are also incredible. Piece of art.

Tie rips will be replaced with fixing to the wall.

Another thing that helps me with the inevitable water stains, is coating the glass fronts with Enduroshield glass treatment. I had used Rain-X prior to keep water stains easier to remove, but Enduroshiled is more transparent and lasts far longer. Makes wiping the cover glass clean way easier. DO NOT APPLY to the the plastic covering IR emitters of cameras. It can etch the plastic. Be careful and spread it only on the glass optical cover.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CLD3OLG

View attachment 182649

Thanks for the tip.