Please Help IR Halo issue

[Stevefrehey 0]

This is driving me absoulutely mad.

I have a camera I want to set up under the eve of my shed overlooking the backyard...it is limited where I can mount it, as I need to mount the corner of the shed to capture the house. Id rather place it under the shelter than on top of the roof also.

 

(I know its hard without pictures, but I am still working that out!)

 

No matter where I put the camera out the back,..in this area.. I get a fog around the image & a donut glow in the middle.

I thought it was a faulty camera, so I exchanged cameras from out the front which are perfect and I still get the same effect.

 

I have tried moving it away from objects under the eves and pointed it away from windows etc

Ive even tried using a black blanket to try and pinpoint where the reflection is coming from with no results.

Is there a way to actually pinpoint the problem?

Ive been trying to research the halo effect, but dont seem to see alot of circle donut shaped issues like mine, i.e fog around the image & a donut glow in the middle.

wonder if that could help indicate the issue?

 

The donut shaped plastic that blocks the IR on these units seem to be good as they pretrude out of the glass, so I know its reflecting back into the lense from an object, not inside the housing.

I dont really want to have a seperate IR Id really like some ideas on solving the problem of determining how to pinpoint the source of the problem...and actions that can be taken.

Im thinking of installing a senser light at the back, but its not the ideal solution, I might aswell disable the IR

Im using..Uniden Guardian 2720 all outdoor Cameras

http://www.uniden.com.au/australia/p_g2720_index.asp

Any thoughts? help appreciated

[Kawboy12R 0]

You've swapped cameras and it's definitely the location and not the camera, so I'd just watch the tablet while moving the camera around the shed to different locations and see where you get the least reflection. If you have the cam completely away from the shed and pointed towards the house then maybe it's reflecting off a window on the house directly back at the cam? Or the halo is from a white light shining directly onto the lens of the camera from the house or shed? Try making a ring of dark plastic as a collar/tunnel around the front of the cam to see if that helps. Might make it worse if the material reflects IR even if it's black to white light though.

[Stevefrehey 0]

You've swapped cameras and it's definitely the location and not the camera, so I'd just watch the tablet while moving the camera around the shed to different locations and see where you get the least reflection. If you have the cam completely away from the shed and pointed towards the house then maybe it's reflecting off a window on the house directly back at the cam? Or the halo is from a white light shining directly onto the lens of the camera from the house or shed? Try making a ring of dark plastic as a collar/tunnel around the front of the cam to see if that helps. Might make it worse if the material reflects IR even if it's black to white light though.

 

Definitely the location, I have a really large window one side & a screen for a Spa made of corrugated iron the other side, so it probably a gauntlet of IR Light.

Still I need the camera in this spot, so I may have to suffer with it..I have been keeping an eye out for a texta lid or something I could use to trial this...Has anyone tried window tint or even the mirrored film? Seems to be a common problem, I would have thought the market for something like this would be there.

[Stevefrehey 0]

I have found an infra red blocking filter on Ebay. Seems to have good feedback.

Dont know if this will work or not, but Im thinking of giving it a try

 

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1-25-IR-Filter-infra-red-blocking-filter-CCD-cams-/160889649908?pt=UK_Telescope_Eyepieces&hash=item2575c53af4

[Kawboy12R 0]

Hope you have lots of white light. Your camera needs to see ir to be able to see at night. Block the ir spotlight coming out of the camera (plus blind it to any other sources of incoming ir) and it won't see very well without lots of help from a floodlight. Of course it can't see well now from the reflections, so...

[Stevefrehey 0]

your right

I need something that will reflect the IR light from going back into the lense, not shut it out!

I think I will just have to suffer it, a sensor light will have to do, easiest fix for now

[MaxIcon 0]

If the problem is IR reflecting back from local objects onto the hood, then reflecting back onto the glass, this thread might help:

viewtopic.php?f=19&t=33215

 

You can tell if it's internal reflections by pointing the camera straight up into a dark sky. If there's no halo, you're getting reflections from other stuff in the area. If there is halo, it's an internal reflection. Sounds like your donut is good, so internal's unlikely, but this will tell you.

 

Also, if any of the LEDs are bent over and pointing at the hood, that will reflect back.

 

The final solution is often to get an external illuminator and disable the internal IR. That allows you to position it so that you don't get reflections back onto the camera. They run anywhere from $30-40 to thousands of dollars.

[cctv_down_under 0]

Yep max is right, its very impiortant with those cheap and nasty IR leds that the glass covering the lens is clean....in some cases they often leave a small tyhin plastic film that can be removed - for this reason, if left on you would get a halo, threre is a very good chance that you have a bent or faulty Led that is casting bhack towards the glass, however that is unlikely to make a round halo, it could be that the fixed lens is flush against the cover glass, often there is a small gap with can be enough to cause problems.

 

Its also highly likely that there is a reflective effect from glass etc, try pointing it at the ground or a black felt object, just out of curiousity are you using a different power supply for this camera?

 

Thats the issue with inbuilt IR leds, you cant adjust the depth of field and that measn you cant adjust the cast of the light, so it may be ok outside but not inside...think about a hose with water - you could spray all you want outside as it will go forwards and not hit anyhting and come back - but if the hose is on too high and you are indoors - whammo