cglaeser

Have you compared the two head-to-head? Best, Christopher Edit: Thanks for posting but this camera won't do. I need to monitor a poorly lit foot path from a distance of 80 meters. All I need to determine is number of people and the direction they are walking, so I'm not expecting ID and motion blur etc is fine, but a 15m IR 1/4" CMOS camera is not going to work. IR is not an option unless I get something like a RayMax or Extreme.

Manufacturers need to stop doing that. It's not helpful. Instead, they should indicate that the camera is IR sensitive and list the minimum lux value without IR. Would also be helpful if the industry would specify the IR sensitivity as well. If the big names in the security camera industry would use specifications somewhat similar to the photography industry, a considerable amount of this guessing could be eliminated. Best, Christopher

Thanks for the heads up. Unfortunately, the specs list the D/N cameras as 0 lux. I never know if I should laugh or cry. Is there even one company in the entire security camera industry that knows how to write a meaningful specification? Best, Christopher

+1 Optex outdoor PIRs work exceptionally well in the rain. Crow DareDevils have excellent reviews as well. Best, Christopher

The Wacom pen is a nice touch. Could prove useful for photo editing. Best, Christopher

Most of the samples on Vivotek and Youtube have the camera mounted to a moving car. Apparently the camera was designed for Fellini wannabes. I need a low light camera I can mount to a stationary building. Best, Christopher

Not intending to high-jack the thread, but I've noticed an increase in supply problems. Crow D&D PIRs, Avigilon, Sanyo, are a few examples of delayed shipments. Best, Christopher

"Houston, we've had a problem." -- James Lovell Best, Christopher

As far as I know, the light remains pretty much unchanged during that period. On some nights, it will record a car driving past at 11pm; other nights not. Often, it will record fine until 10 or 11 or 12 pm, then stop recording motion, perhaps for a few hours, then start again. Other nights it will record motion all night. The 502 has excellent low noise characteristics. Until this problem surfaced, the motion recording was very good. We get rapidly moving low flying clouds dropping in from the hills, and this can cause rapid light changes during the day, and the 502 will assume this is motion, but otherwise, it has few false positives and rarely missed an event until this problem surfaced. I do have a Redwall covering that area that triggers an alarm chime. Time permitting, I need to trigger the camera too to make sure I get the coverage I need. However, would still like to get the camera working like new again if possible. Best, Christopher

I'm using Exacq with a Panasonic WV-NW502 dome. The 502 often fails to record motion in the middle of the night. The camera is located in northern CA where the temperature is rarely below freezing, well within the -22 to 122 degree F ambient operating temperature range. It records fine in B&W in the early evening and early morning, but sometimes in the middle of the night, it stops recording. If a vehicle drives by, all of the other cameras will pick it up, but the 502 fails to record. For example, it might stop motion recording around 11 pm and then resume again at 3 am. Other nights it might motion record all night. I never notice any failures to record motion during the day. Any ideas? Do you think it's temp related or something else? Best, Christopher

If the DVR supports it, an iPhone is another approach. Best, Christopher

What is your opinion of the Vivotek IP8151 Supreme Night Visibility box camera? Best, Christopher

Doh! -- H. Simpson

+1 Best, Christopher

Have you seen the pricing on the new Avigilon cameras? I'm guessing no. Best, Christopher

The way those vehicles are lined up makes this job easy. Use an Optex Redwall SIP-100 long range PIR. These PIRs are bad to the bone. Yes, I know they are pricey, but they are superb at detecting people at long range, even in total darkness. The specifications claim 100 meters, and they are not exaggerating. At the highest sensitivity, the SIP-100 can detect small cats at 100 meters. I dial down the sensitivity so that it detects people at 100 meters and ignores dogs. Add this to your camera setup with a chime. When the chime goes off, check your cameras. When you see the burglar, call the police. Best, Christopher

Thanks for posting these. This is what I would expect. The plate can be identified using either positive or negative. Does someone have an example where the plate is only readable in negative and not readable in positive? Best, Christopher

Why do you want negative image option? Have you seen even one comparison example yet? If so, can you please post a link here? Best, Christopher

Well, of course. The reflectivity (and contrast of two adjacent) colors will vary across the spectrum. Two colors may have high contrast at 400 nm and low contrast at 850 nm. I have a black jacket that appears white on an IR camera, and quite similar to a light pair of jeans in IR, significantly less contrast than the visible spectrum. The question we've been discussing is, is there a difference in forensic detail of the positive vs negative at 850 nm. Best, Christopher

If you are saying that sometimes it is easier to find Waldo by reversing video, then yes, I agree. Many thermal and night vision systems have the option to reverse video, and sometimes it's just easier for the human eye to locate objects of interest, and sometimes it's operator preference. But if you are saying that reverse video increases forensic detail, then please post an example of the positive and negative taken of the same plate at the same time. Best, Christopher

If RG59 material and labor were free I wouldn't install it in a new home for security cameras. There is simply no price point at which I would install it. And the bigger the budget, the more likely IP cameras will be installed. I agree that predictions about future technology don't always pan out, but the idea that a new type of camera will become popular in the next decade that requires RG59 and won't work with Cat 5 is something I would bet the farm against. Best, Christopher

Is SpinRite sill the gold standard for hard drive maintenance and recovery? Do you have any other favorite utilities? Best, Christopher

Why??? Are you suggesting negative video provides more forensic detail than positive video? Best, Christopher

Agreed. The shadows do suggest that. Best, Christopher

I'm guessing the original was nearly identical to that double negative. If that's the case, then the negative adds no forensic information. You might be able to pull something out using a photo editor, but just reversing video does not really help. Best, Christopher