MarioCCTV

Hi all, I'd want to test a few cameras but I'm not so expert on how to perform it well. I've built a sort of test box (4m long, 1m wide, 0.8m high) where I will install my camera and do all the tests. On one side of this box I fixed a test chart that I bought from vidilabs.com. The camera, on the other hand, can be placed anywhere along all the lenght of the box. I illuminate the chart with 4 tungsten lights (that i can move along the box) controlled by a light dimmer. At approx 0.5m from the chart, I fixed 4 fluorescent lights on both side of the box (2 per side). There is no external light. In this way I can test the cameras' quality at different light conditions (eg. fluorescent/tungsten lights, 1000 lux, 400 lux, low light conditions). Illumination is measured (using a lux meter) in the centre of the chart as close as possible to and parallel to the chart plane. The videosignal can be analyzed using a Video Measurement Set (Tektronix VM700T). Now I know that I can measure the performance of the camera and compare different cameras if I do the measures with the same light conditions and recording the same chart. In this way I can objectively measure: Resolution, S/N, color output. Anything else? Furthermore, looking at the details on the chart, I can measure: reflection, licence plates recognition capability, face recognition capability, intrusion detection capability. But i guess that for these measures I can just give a subjective value for example using a scale from 1 to 10. Am I right? If not, please suggest me how i can perform an accurate measure of these features. Anyway, I have several doubt regarding how to perform these tests: Lights: Should i care about light temperature? is there a "recommended" light (and lux level on the chart) to use for the objective measures i mentioned above? Should i fix the tungsten light in a stable position (e.g. 3m from the chart)? Camera settings: For varifocal cameras, should i set the lens at minimum, middle or maximum focal lenght? When possible, should i switch off all the video processing features of the camera (AGC, BLC, etc)? Hope you can help me! Thanks in advance! Mario

thanks for your reply! Anyway first of all i would like to check if Manufacturers and OEMs tell the truth in their specifics for the cameras they sell... So, if they say that cameraA has 320 TVL, I want to check if that camera has actually 320TVL. Then i would like to test S/N and other values that are not subjective. Please give a look at www.vidilabs.com to have an idea about what i want to do! Thanks again!

mmmh.. how can you compare different cameras in that way? The only way would be recording the same subject at exactly the same time. That's something I can't and wan't do. I would like to have a system where I can test my cameras (and compare them) whenever i want..