Panasonic WV-CP480

[sjmaye 0]

You will probably find that the reason your camera is out of focus is because of back focus, did you focus the camera at night or during the day with a neutral density filter...

 

We focused the camera during the day with no filter installed. The picture may not be out of focus. We adjusted focus back and forth many times until we got the best focus we could. I think it is just we are tryign to take in too much of the parking lot with one camera. It limits how much detail can be seen clearly...maybe?

 

If I could download an image or mpeg from the DVR is there a way to up load it here to show you?

[C7 in CA 0]

 

If I could download an image or mpeg from the DVR is there a way to up load it here to show you?

 

For images I just started using http://www.photobucket.com . It's free and easy.

[sjmaye 0]

Thanks very much for the link. I will try to post some photos below.

 

The color WV-CP484 is looking at the right side of employee parking. The B&W camera is looking at the left side of employee parking. Both shots were taken at 3am with F1.4 autoiris lenses.

 

Panasonic WV-CP484

 

Panasonic WV-BL204

 

I find the light sensitivity of the WV-CP484 remarkable.

 

I have looked at some of the links you guys have posted to look at some of your installations. I know these photos look terrible compared to yours.

I am open to input (be gentle, please). FWIW- The focus of the color camera looks about the same same day or night.

 

All ideas are welcome and appreciated!

[rory 0]

looks like it just needs to be focused ... if you send me a plane ticket id be happy to come and do it for yah ))

[G22 0]

I thought the Auto Back Focus feature on these CP484 cams would compensate for quite a bit of adjusting? I imagine images will always look clearer though connected directly to a CCTV monitor though bypassing the DVR.

[rory 0]

check the back focus also, if it has one?

focus it in early evening when the sun is going down.

take it off the DVR to get the real image.

 

What are you using to focus it on? TV, CCTV Monitor, Portable Monitor, PC Monitor? Are you focusing it at the camera or having 2 people do it ..?

Sure you have the right lens ... CS or C mount?

[G22 0]

Although I really like them, it is a pain to have to adjust these Panasonic cams via the menu/cursors on the side of them. They have many settings that I want to do on the fly, and not put a ladder up with a portable monitor any time I want to adjust something.

 

That is why if I stick wth 474/484's etc, I am definitely getting a Panasonic Matrix Switcher like the WJ-SX150 (or perhaps the Data Multiplex Unit) with WV-CU360C controller, unless there is other software/hardware out there that has their protocol.

[rory 0]

Here's a tip to all, set your camera up before you install it, makes life easier. If you are an installer fully test and set up your camera at your location under similar lighting and focal conditions, before you take it to the job site. That way at the job site you only have minimal lens adjustments to make if any. A viewfinder will help with this so you can use it to get the exact focal length required when you quote or spec the job, then adjust the camera accordingly at your location. Personally I prefer Dip Switches over the OSD.

 

Rory

[G22 0]

Can't Be Done.

[rory 0]

explain ..?? I do it all the time.

[G22 0]

I dunno... we had this employee who said "Can't Be Done" most of the time when asked to do web stuff.

[rory 0]

he he he he ......

[G22 0]

sjm, you be needing this cam I played with one for a while with a 360C controller. They are quite nice... and large.

[rory 0]

on PTZs im putting up a GE CyberDome next week,. well would have been this week but the distributor sent the housing without the darn camera! Even got the GE Keypad with Joystick to go along with it ..

[Cooperman 0]

Agree with you 100% rory, if you set a camera up on a bench it should work anywhere (it may possibly need to have the exposure control adjusted slightly if it's an auto iris lens).

 

100 feet in the Bahamas is the same as 100 feet in London or anywhere else for that matter. In the past I've focussed cameras out the window, and then sent them off to Africa (with my fingers crossed ).

 

sjmaye, you're out of focus, that's the bottom line. Do as rory suggested on refocussing the camera. Do it as late as possible, with the iris wide open (twist the 'Level' pot with a small trimmer or screwdriver to open the iris before adjusting the focus, then turn the level back to close the iris to it's correct setting).

Personally, I would love to have known how you would have got on with the Manual Iris lens I originally suggested.

 

If you are ever up for trying it, estimate the focal length you've set with the varifocal, and then buy an equivalent fixed focal length manual iris lens (preferably Pentax) and fit it with the "Electronic Iris" fucntion switched on, and the iris closed to f4 (after you've focussed at maximum aperture).

 

You appear to have bucket loads of light available, so I would be very surprised if you couldn't use a manual iris lens to much better effect.

[MetzLyov 0]

Hey guys, if I can put my 2 cents....

 

Rory, a good approach on adjusting the camera before installing - didn't we all know this??

 

Is the picture quality the same during the night as during the day??

 

The real question that I have if this camera's picture quality is better during the day and it fades during the night - these pictures were taken at night, so we can not make the assumption automatically that the lens is not focused correctly.

 

I will not push adjusting the back focus yet, rather concentrate on the type of lens being used. I have seen this type of problems and yes, by playing around with the focus, sometimes it works and you should do everything possible to focus the cameras at its best...

 

However, if proper focusing does not correct the problem, then it is possible that this application needs Aspherical and IR corrective varifocal lens that adjusts IR and the lighting conditions automatically and this will become obvious at night...

 

Sometimes spending few dollars more for a better lens does save tremendous amount of labor time and resources...

 

Levon

[rory 0]

Hey levon yep thanks.

 

One thing i noticed on a samsung I recently set up here for someone. yep at my home . It would accept a C or CS mount camera without an adaptor. This meant adjusting the back focus until basically it became clear. The backfocus basically controlled the entire focus of the camera. If i set it to wide and then made it clear, if i wanted to set it to narrow/far, i had to adjust the back focus again. Not sure if this camera is similar but that feature i have to say I hate! Arghh .. but i got the darn thing nice and crisp anyway

 

Anyway no matter what, always set the camera up, or at least Test it, before you mount it at the location, and never focus it through a DVR, always use direct to the camera such as a CCTV Monitor or even a decent 13" TV (at least if you drop it off the 20' ladder its only $50 lost!). Also never use an LCD Monitor (any size TFT or not) to focus the camera. Portable Technician monitors are great for adjusting the camera position but not for focusing. FM systems even has a meter that has a focus mode, not sure how good it is, but the specs say it basically lets you focus the camera without a monitor.

 

Rory

[sjmaye 0]

looks like it just needs to be focused ... if you send me a plane ticket id be happy to come and do it for yah ))

 

The way things go for me that might be the cheaper route!

 

Things are pretty hectic at the plant right now. I will have to get the hydraulic lift out to get back out there. May take a few days. I will take it down and give it a good going over on the bench, put it back up, and try the suggestions you all have given.

 

One thing to note- These shots are from a Kodicom DVR. When looking at the pane views of 4 cameras the pictures are much smaller and look alot better. In order to take the snapshots I pasted here I had to go full screen which made the picture significantly worse.

[sjmaye 0]

sjm, you be needing this cam I played with one for a while with a 360C controller. They are quite nice... and large.

 

Nice cam. Out of my league AND price range.

[cctv_down_under 0]

Quite simply you are out of focus, I made a promosie not tobe so Bosch, but pardon me as this solution could be avoided, the pana can move the sensor back and fro and can be done to suit your field of view and lighting, what is in focus during the day may be aeasily out of focus at night, this is whay a back focus needs to be doen with a filter to simulate night time and the Auot Iris level needs to be adjusted to what it would be at night.

 

The Bosch cam simulates this during the day so that you do not need to do this, this means it simultes the Iris fully open and pretends a filter has been placed at teh front, this means the focus you set by day.. when in this mode is the same focus you get at night.

 

My sugestion is to use the pana auto adjust senser but do it at night or use a ND filter.

 

there is no substitute for a quality lens and from those pictures any cam should have heaps of light, infact you almost need to set a wide dynamic range and peak stteings as you have quite a bit of light in that image.

 

Just focus the cam at night and use the function that moves the CCD to accomodate for auto back focus, you should get a better result then, you migt also find that backing the wide angle off ever so slightly may help to increase the ability of the lens.

[cctv_down_under 0]

One last thing, you are looking at a compressed image so of course it loks worse.. but me thinks your still out of focus, its very hard to focus on a DVr and even worse if the video source is set to 320x240 as you are stretching the image you are trying to focus, try to set it up on an anologue monitor to get the best result, you can alwaays get a 12v Monitor and use your dril battery to power it while you are up the ladder.

 

Also keep in mind, wide angle = less detail!!