compatible camera for night recording with varied light

[gelliott 0]

Hi, first time poster and user of this board. I'm looking for some knowledge to help me out!

 

I have a small business with a small surveillance set up. I need a new camera for my outdoor area that works well at night with variable lighting that is compatible with the cable already ran. I've missed out on a lot of license plates because the resolution is so poor (at least that's what I think the problem is). During the day the resolution is adequate, but at night it is terrible. I can't make out license plates, faces, or sometimes even car models.

 

Info I think may be relevant:

-Avermedia Hybrid 8 channel DVR kit, NV5000, 120FPS

-Camera is CNB 24volt with Sony Super HAD CCD 600TVL 2.8-10.5MM varifocal 3 axis - CNB-INTDOME-208

-and the cable used is Siamese RG59 with 18/2 stranded 500ft

 

Within Avermedia Software: NTSC video, 640x480, Advanced MPEG4

 

I have attached a screenshot of what it currently looks like. Please let me know if there is any additional info that can be helpful. Also, please forgive me if this is the wrong forum category to be posting in for this specific inquiry.

 

Thanks!

[Ken Layton 0]

Looks like your camera needs focusing.

[Firefighter 0]

Yeah, that's a focus issue. Fix that, and I bet things will be much better.

[MaxIcon 0]

Is this an IR cam, and does your daytime focus look sharper than that?

 

This is what my IR cams look like when I use a non-IR compensated lens on them. They can be crisp and beautiful in the day, and when the filter switches out and the IR comes on, it all goes blurry like that.

 

If the daytime shots are blurry as well, yeah, it just needs focusing.

[Horizon 0]

Hello gelliott.

Try focusing the camera at night.

If the camera has an automatic iris, the depth-of-field will be narrower at night when the iris fully opens. During day time when the iris closes up, the depth of field increases, so more of the image appears in focus.

[Kawboy12R 0]

I'd also zoom in a bit closer and to the left of those dumpsters before you try to refocus. With a dome camera, I'm assuming that you haven't swapped lenses to a non-IR if it's an IR dome? I'm not sure which model of dome it is from Googling it. If you're at max zoom on that camera, consider at least a 12mm and maybe a 16mm lens on something else. You'll lose more of what's going on around the dumpsters but you'll be better able to identify who is throwing their trash in them. I assume that's the problem? Shame you apparently HAVE to use the existing cable when you have a hybrid dvr. You'd get much more detail with an IP camera and wouldn't have to lose as much image width zooming in to get enough detail for a positive ID.

[creek 0]

please confirm is it a IR camera first. is it support night version. then check the focus. the picture indicate it is a focus problem.

[vin2install 0]

This is not CSI, you cannot capture license plates with that field of view.

[rwx 0]

I agree with the field of view comment. I am trying to size a license plate camera for a friend. I found that my 750 TVL camera needs to have about a 6' wide field of view to get a good picture of the tag. This will require that the zoom go out to 40 mm.

 

Also, the live view is may be at half resolution.

[gelliott 0]

You guys rock! Thanks for all the input =)

 

I'm not sure if it's IR or not; I can't seem to find an actual model number so I'll have to grab the ladder and get to it. If it is I will look for a lens around 15mm. The image is a lot better in the day.

 

I am interested in Kawboy12R's idea.

Shame you apparently HAVE to use the existing cable when you have a hybrid dvr. You'd get much more detail with an IP camera and wouldn't have to lose as much image width zooming in to get enough detail for a positive ID.

 

Can the cable I need for an IP camera plug into the same computer card that the RG59 is in? The card I have now is for all the BNC plugs, and I am not sure what is required for an IP camera.

[Kawboy12R 0]

IP cameras use RJ45 cables (same as ethernet cables for your computer) instead of twinned coaxial cables (power and BNC) like analog cameras. Most IP cameras do POE (power over ethernet), so you don't need a separate power cable, just the one ethernet cable as long as you don't need a heater on your camera (can't push that much power over a cat 5 ethernet cable). Not a big deal to run another cable for power though. You could get cameras that do hidef over coax but your video recorder doesn't support those. Not much sense buying a camera AND a new DVR just to reuse existing cables.