Through the Looking Glass

[Old-Time-Tech]

Discuss which "inside" cameras provide good quality through windows (if any). "Good" quality meaning allows a good enough resolution to read signs, license plates etc.

 

[mat200]

Discuss which "inside" cameras provide good quality through windows (if any). "Good" quality meaning allows a good enough resolution to read signs, license plates etc.

Welcome Old-Time-Tech,

Is there a particular reason you are looking for a indoor rated camera to capture outdoor views?

In general you want to mount cameras outdoors to capture outdoor views, and indoors to capture indoor views.

It's easy to get swamped with information here, so I wanted to share some notes with you

Please check out @giomania 's notes:
Dahua Starlight Varifocal Turret (IPC-HDW5231R-Z)

I have also made notes which are a summary of a lot of the reading I've been doing here,:
Looking for some advice and direction!

Have fun joining us here.

 

[Fastb]

Old-time-tech,

Welcome to the forum!

I assume night time quality video is important. Therefore, an outdoor cam (which uses IR lighting) is usually employed. Tho in well-lit situations, the IR is sometimes not used. Or when auxiliary IR lighting is used (quite common for License Plate Recognition, LPR). For LPR, the reflective license plate will reflect like crazy, making the plate unreadable, unless special steps are taken. Afterwards, the cam can read plates, but little else.

LPR is specialized, takes a real effort to pull off. Search this forum, lots of threads. For you to start out, as a newbie, with the goal of LPR is ambitious.

Pointing a cam (with IR lighting) thru a window results on IR reflection from the window. It doesn't work well.

Do some searches here, for past threads. Get up the learning curve a bit. Then post a very specific question - you will get a much better response from members.

Again, welcome!
Fastb

 

[Old-Time-Tech]

mat200 and Fastb,

Thank you both for responding so quickly and your welcome messages I really I appreciate it.

As to why not an outside camera, I cannot drill into anything outside my house or at the very least I am trying to avoid it. There are many creatures out here that can make their way into my house aside from how an outside camera affects the appearance of the house. We have strict rules in our home association contract.

As to IR, I know I would be sacrificing this feature of good cameras and I am aware of the reflection in the window as when I initially bought the cameras (several years now) I discovered that "feature".

On how to make my inquiry more explicit, perhaps I need a bit of help here. I really don't know enough to be more detailed in my quest. Certainly, as I regain some of my knowledge I will ask more pointed questions.

But since "most" people will use an external camera for outside applications, I'd thought to start with "inside for outside". -- Thanks again, cheers.

 

[looney2ns]

The Nazi's, ur um, the HOA won't allow cams outside at all, or they must be descrete?

 

[Old-Time-Tech]

Hi looney2ns - HOA not allowed - but if I have no alternative, I may be stuck with an insider. Thanks.

 

[mat200]

Hi looney2ns - HOA not allowed - but if I have no alternative, I may be stuck with an insider. Thanks.

Hi Old-Time-Tech,

You can try out the following camera - HOWEVER, only if you are ready and willing to update the firmware ( instructions in the thread ) - as it as security bugs in the current version of software that Annke is selling this camera with. ( Annke is not a very good brand - this is perhaps the only exception I know of where people here would recommend it - because of the price and the fact that is it good hardware from Hikvision which you can update the firmware - the software on the camera )

ANNKE I61DR 2MP (Hikvision Cube Clone)

For your best results you will need to place the lens on the window and disable the IR - if you are receiving reflections you may need to get some black felt or other material and use it around the lens to block interior light at night from reflecting on the window and getting on the lens of the camera.

 

[alastairstevenson]

For your best results you will need to place the lens on the window

Just something to be careful of if you try one of these in that way - on this model there is no glass cover in front of the lens, and the lens surface is just a little proud of the camera body, so do take care not to scrape or damage the lens on the window glass.

 

[mat200]

Just something to be careful of if you try one of these in that way - on this model there is no glass cover in front of the lens, and the lens surface is just a little proud of the camera body, so do take care not to scrape or damage the lens on the window glass.

So perhaps make a black felt cone around the lens and include a little standoff - you can then tape the cone to the window than that should help give you less issues with reflections from indoor lighting at night.

 

[Old-Time-Tech]

mat200 and alastairstevenson - Thanks folks, I will investigate these solutions. Cheers.