License Plate Capture Camera & Settings Debate

[iwatchlive 0]

Hello all,

 

I am Adam and I am new to this forum and wanted to talk shop about some cameras and their ability to capture tag numbers. I would like to post some pictures, but I am not sure of how to do that and as far as the legalities go, I am not sure if I should post a tag number online.

 

I have been working with several different types of cameras such as the SCC4301 and some generic knock offs as well.

 

I wanted to see if anyone knew any tricks on shutter speed, atw, agc, blc/alc, ufo, cia, etc... or other settings regarding tag numbers such as distances, zoom levels and lighting.

 

I have alot to say about them and to add, but I wanted to hear everyone elses opinion, before I offer mine as I do not want to prejudice the request for info with my own theories and stories of aggrivation . )

 

I look forward to hearing from anyone who KNOWS what they are talking about.

[SteveSurf 0]

Adam - there's a whole list of criteria to consider for this app. before considering camera settings. First off, this is a good thread to research.

 

1-Are you satisfied with just Vehicle Tag recording? Sometimes we spec cameras for both vehicle/personnel/tag identification and the product does nothing well. If you confine the choice, you'll have a better chance at success. A Day/Night camera, coupled with the correct IR illuminator can light up a (domestic US) Tag quite nicely, but you'll miss the details of the vehicle itself.

 

2-Will the capture be done at night? If so, the camera should be able to deal with smear (vertical streaks caused by headlights).

 

3-Do you need the Data from the Tag or just an image of the Vehicle Tag? Today's Megapixel cameras can resolve details from tags at a further distance. There are also specialized systems that will capture the data as well.

 

That said, use of the shutter mode will require a better (aspherical) lens to get more light; otherwise the image from the tag will be just dark. Shutter use is much more difficult than the use of continuous recording together with a constant light source (IR, Metal Halide or Strobe). Since the light varies outdoors, ATW should be used and not a fixed white balance setting.

 

Using the right camera to start with will require less camera adjustments to get the right images.

[rory 0]

Here is an older thread on this topic.

 

http://www.cctvforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=2454

[iwatchlive 0]

Hello Steve,

 

I thank you very much for you input. That is exactely what I wanted to touch base upon. Do you need to us infrare lights to capture a tag, or arew spotlights bettter? I have been trying different lighiting configurations and I wanted to know if you had any experience with the scc4301 from Samsung.

 

I have so amny different applications and install locations that there is not one set all to catch all tags setting,. the auto failed miserably. so I decided to tinker and the settings on one property, due to tree shading and geographical orientation, such as tags or cars fscing east or west kill the settings all together. I did read that PTZ nonsense. I like them, but they are overkill for tags, I feel.

 

Thanks so much again for your reply... Yours too Rory MON!

[SteveSurf 0]

Hello Steve,

 

I thank you very much for you input. That is exactely what I wanted to touch base upon. Do you need to us infrare lights to capture a tag, or arew spotlights bettter? I have been trying different lighiting configurations and I wanted to know if you had any experience with the scc4301 from Samsung.

 

I have so amny different applications and install locations that there is not one set all to catch all tags setting,. the auto failed miserably. so I decided to tinker and the settings on one property, due to tree shading and geographical orientation, such as tags or cars fscing east or west kill the settings all together. I did read that PTZ nonsense. I like them, but they are overkill for tags, I feel.

 

Thanks so much again for your reply... Yours too Rory MON!

 

I really prefer a conservative approach with a good, IR sensitive camera in the 850nm range, coupled with an LED-based IR Light (safety reasons) that is controlled by a photoelectric sensor. If you have a good lens and a sensitive camera, the camera's AGC circuit does not have to work overtime and produce grain that could obscure a Tag. Cameras that have a Day Night "Auto2" setting that prevents hunting when the IR light comes on are also preferable.

 

My "goto" combos are as follows with Fixed Applications:

 

Expensive: Extreme Super LED 850nm, 30 degree FOV, Panasonic WV-CL924A

 

Less Expensive: Extreme as above with Panasonic WV-CP484

[rory 0]

this is the one ive used .. but in black ..

 

[cctv_down_under 0]

Thomas seems to be on the right path, the biggest problem you will face is moving traffic requires a fast shutter speed perhaps 1/500, but in order to get this speed you will degrade your light capture so it will be much darker, also chances are that you will be zoomed in to get the plate but this will close down the iris letting in even less light.

 

You will be having a fast shutter and low light but headlights will be high light, so you also need to set a PEAK level so that headlight smear will not affect your results and the ligths near a plate will not wreck your results.

 

Also you will need to turn down gain levels so that you are not helping the bright light from headlights, the most common mistake people make in trying to capture plates is to get a good picture first and then worry about the plate, the secret is to make the picutre dark, the plate is reflective and faster shutter will make it dark anyhow, the headlights will be all the light you need.

 

The best option is without doubt the BOSCH XF camera, this has a TRAFFIC mode designed to allow this or some other camera that has inversion for the ability to eliminate smear.

 

The Bosh has a default shutter mode that will switch between fast or slow shutter dynamically which gives the best of both worlds and from memory goes up to 1/10,000 speed.

[cctv_down_under 0]

Come on Hermy Let me In!!!!!

[iwatchlive 0]

Is there any clear concse guidelines of what the shutter will do? I wondered to what the shutter speed does and some settings about the IRIS setting when capturing the tag. We in South Florida do not have to worry about the front bumper tag as we only have the rear bumper to contend with.

 

I wanted to see if anyone ever worked with samsungs 431 nega-view cam? Would anyone use infrared instead of flood lights?

 

Help please I am losing my hair I have about 10 properties with nightime problems for the tags in nega-view!

 

HELP!

 

Thanks again for everyones reply I feel so much love in these forums I am so happy to be part of them.

 

Have a great weekend all!

 

Adam!

[iwatchlive 0]

I was thinking along the lines of an automated FTP option. The FTP option works ok, but the webcam application is a pin in the ass. I wish that there was a way for the geo to display live video without having the install all of those codecs and active x controls.

 

Is there a way of taking the code from the joeg viewer which I have successfully used for for apple computers/netscape users & pdas. If that simple java code could be embedded into a custom HTML page that would be friggen sweet baby!

 

Adam-

[cctv_down_under 0]

Adam basically the faster the shutter the lower the lighting I assume nega-view is inversion and is excelelnt for this purpose of tags becasue it eliminates vertical smearing (that white line going vertically accross the screen)> The best I have seen is the Baxhaul (spelling?) camera that has this feature, but any of the XF cameras from Bosch have "default shutter" and "traffic mode".

 

I can not tell you how easy it is to have a mode set for this purpose, so one click and bingo, your set for traffic then it can change to daily settings from the output of your DVR.

[cctv_down_under 0]

CMON HERMY WHAT I GOTTA DO??????

[Marcusl 0]

CMON HERMY WHAT I GOTTA DO??????

 

You probably gotta stop making random posts all over the place begging to be let in. Do you really think that showing that you are missing your dose of Ritalin is going to help your case to get what you want??