stalked-girl 0 Posted January 21, 2013 Hi Everyone, I'm desperate and in a bind right before the court hearing for my restraining order against my ex-boyfriend who has been vandalizing my property for half a year. He was served with the restraining orders last week and the hearing is this upcoming week. The situation is that he does things like breaking my windows with iron weights, paint-rollering over my second-story windows, egging my windows, turning my fuses off and gluing my fuse box door shut, egging my car, etc. He does all of this in broad daylight as well as at night. He sometimes drives by, but sometimes walks by as he throws objects through my windows. Due to this, I feel like I have ample opportunity to catch him or his car at some point as he passes by my house, either in his vehicle or on foot. I live on the second floor of an apartment building on an intersection corner (so there is decent ambient night-lighting from the streetlights). So far he has targeted all three sides of my apartment that face the streets. Unfortunately, my building is light-colored and even under the eaves there is no place to put an outdoor camera where it wouldn't be easily seen and obvious. Since my objective is to catch him in the act violating the restraining order, my only option so that he doesn't see the cameras is pointing them outside from inside of the windows. Obviously (and unfortunately) because of the glass this rules out the IR cameras, so I purchased an 8 camera system from B&H (specs below), but the image is blurry and identifying faces is iffy at best. I spoke with B&H and they said the reason for the lack of focus could either be due to: 1: Cameras pointing out at an angle through glass 2: The quality of the lenses 3: The non HD cameras. My technical limitations are that I need to have something that retains good visual quality through glass viewing the sidewalk below from my two-story apartment (a maximum of 40 feet from window to sidewalk) in both daylight and at night with good streetlight lighting. This is the current setup: 8 Samsung Cameras: 1/3" Super HAD Color CCD Image Sensor Resolution up to 600TVL Based on W-V DSP Engine 2D/3D Noise Reduction Technology SSNRIII / Digital Image Stabilization SSDR (Samsung Super Dynamic Range) Privacy Masking / Highlight Compensation Motion Detection Camera Control via Coaxial Cable Multi-language On-screen Display 8 Tamron Lenses: Designed for Day/Night CS-Mount Cameras For 1/3" Format Sensors 2.6x Zoom Iris Range f/1.0 to 360 DC Auto Iris / IR-Corrected 850 nm IR Illuminator SD (Super-Low Dispersion) Glass Slip-Mount Mechanism Control Ring Zoom & Focus Aspherical Lens Surface 1 Samsung SRD-852D H.264 Digital Video Recorder (8-channel, 1 TB) Real-time Digital Video Recording H.264 Video Recording Support ADPCM Audio Compression 8-Channel Audio Inputs / 1 Output BNC & VGA Video Output Up to 4 Internal HDD Support 500 ft of Bolide pro grade combo zip coax cable. Keep in mind that I can return everything but the coax cable. I was quoted another option which was returning only 4 of the 8 cameras and replacing them with these: EQH5102 HDcctv 1080p Mini Box Camera 1/3" Panasonic 2.1 MP CMOS Sensor Resolution up to 1080p / Coaxial Control CS/C Mount / Manual & DC Iris Control Electronic Lens Shading Compensation Contrast Boost / Defect Pixel Correction Day/Night Function / Auto Gain Control Backlight Compensation / White Balance 32 Privacy Zones / Motion Detection Standard Definition TV Output 12 VDC Power Supply EDRHD-4H4 HDcctv Hybrid DVR (2 TB) Pentaplex Operation / Dual Streaming Supports 720p & 1080p Resolutions Online Web Interface Multiple Main Monitor Support MobileFocus & MobileView Applications Video Streaming on Mobile Devices Powerful Search with Smart Function Snapshot Search Feature Multiple Control Input Fujinon 3 MP Varifocal Lens (2.8-8mm, 2.8x Zoom) 3 MP / Wide Aperture - f/1.2 Focal Length of 2.8-8mm / 2.8x Zoom Designed for Dome Cameras Manual Zoom, Focus & Iris Offers High Refractive Index Low-dispersion Glass High-accuracy Aspheric Lens CS-type Metal Mount / Lightweight (50g) My main questions, since I don't have any clue what these specs mean or how they benefit/negate my objective of catching him given the circumstances: What type of cameras and lenses should I be using to get a recognizable face given the 40'-50' distance range. Do I need to replace the DVR system? Will the HD signal travel over the coax cable over roughly 60'-70'? I should definitely return my existing cameras or buy new ones ASAP as I'm expecting him to retaliate after the court date... Thanks in advance... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sonyfcb 0 Posted January 22, 2013 Hi Everyone,I'm desperate and in a bind right before the court hearing for my restraining order against my ex-boyfriend who has been vandalizing my property for half a year. He was served with the restraining orders last week and the hearing is this upcoming week. The situation is that he does things like breaking my windows with iron weights, paint-rollering over my second-story windows, egging my windows, turning my fuses off and gluing my fuse box door shut, egging my car, etc. He does all of this in broad daylight as well as at night. He sometimes drives by, but sometimes walks by as he throws objects through my windows. Due to this, I feel like I have ample opportunity to catch him or his car at some point as he passes by my house, either in his vehicle or on foot. I live on the second floor of an apartment building on an intersection corner (so there is decent ambient night-lighting from the streetlights). So far he has targeted all three sides of my apartment that face the streets. Unfortunately, my building is light-colored and even under the eaves there is no place to put an outdoor camera where it wouldn't be easily seen and obvious. Since my objective is to catch him in the act violating the restraining order, my only option so that he doesn't see the cameras is pointing them outside from inside of the windows. Obviously (and unfortunately) because of the glass this rules out the IR cameras, so I purchased an 8 camera system from B&H (specs below), but the image is blurry and identifying faces is iffy at best. I spoke with B&H and they said the reason for the lack of focus could either be due to: 1: Cameras pointing out at an angle through glass 2: The quality of the lenses 3: The non HD cameras. My technical limitations are that I need to have something that retains good visual quality through glass viewing the sidewalk below from my two-story apartment (a maximum of 40 feet from window to sidewalk) in both daylight and at night with good streetlight lighting. This is the current setup: 8 Samsung Cameras: 1/3" Super HAD Color CCD Image Sensor Resolution up to 600TVL Based on W-V DSP Engine 2D/3D Noise Reduction Technology SSNRIII / Digital Image Stabilization SSDR (Samsung Super Dynamic Range) Privacy Masking / Highlight Compensation Motion Detection Camera Control via Coaxial Cable Multi-language On-screen Display 8 Tamron Lenses: Designed for Day/Night CS-Mount Cameras For 1/3" Format Sensors 2.6x Zoom Iris Range f/1.0 to 360 DC Auto Iris / IR-Corrected 850 nm IR Illuminator SD (Super-Low Dispersion) Glass Slip-Mount Mechanism Control Ring Zoom & Focus Aspherical Lens Surface 1 Samsung SRD-852D H.264 Digital Video Recorder (8-channel, 1 TB) Real-time Digital Video Recording H.264 Video Recording Support ADPCM Audio Compression 8-Channel Audio Inputs / 1 Output BNC & VGA Video Output Up to 4 Internal HDD Support 500 ft of Bolide pro grade combo zip coax cable. Keep in mind that I can return everything but the coax cable. I was quoted another option which was returning only 4 of the 8 cameras and replacing them with these: EQH5102 HDcctv 1080p Mini Box Camera 1/3" Panasonic 2.1 MP CMOS Sensor Resolution up to 1080p / Coaxial Control CS/C Mount / Manual & DC Iris Control Electronic Lens Shading Compensation Contrast Boost / Defect Pixel Correction Day/Night Function / Auto Gain Control Backlight Compensation / White Balance 32 Privacy Zones / Motion Detection Standard Definition TV Output 12 VDC Power Supply EDRHD-4H4 HDcctv Hybrid DVR (2 TB) Pentaplex Operation / Dual Streaming Supports 720p & 1080p Resolutions Online Web Interface Multiple Main Monitor Support MobileFocus & MobileView Applications Video Streaming on Mobile Devices Powerful Search with Smart Function Snapshot Search Feature Multiple Control Input Fujinon 3 MP Varifocal Lens (2.8-8mm, 2.8x Zoom) 3 MP / Wide Aperture - f/1.2 Focal Length of 2.8-8mm / 2.8x Zoom Designed for Dome Cameras Manual Zoom, Focus & Iris Offers High Refractive Index Low-dispersion Glass High-accuracy Aspheric Lens CS-type Metal Mount / Lightweight (50g) My main questions, since I don't have any clue what these specs mean or how they benefit/negate my objective of catching him given the circumstances: What type of cameras and lenses should I be using to get a recognizable face given the 40'-50' distance range. Do I need to replace the DVR system? Will the HD signal travel over the coax cable over roughly 60'-70'? I should definitely return my existing cameras or buy new ones ASAP as I'm expecting him to retaliate after the court date... Thanks in advance... HI the bad image is because of your windows glass. Can you test it as: to put your lens+ camera close to glass , Because the will reflect the light from street . And do not use IR lamp . regards Philip Vidocanada@gmail.com Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
stalked-girl 0 Posted January 26, 2013 Because of the angle and length of the mounting arm, I'm not sure I can get it any closer to the window. Are there any cameras that can get a good image despite the glass? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MaxIcon 0 Posted January 30, 2013 Getting good images through glass is tricky. It's not a camera design problem, but an optics problem. IR reflects from the glass and overwhelms the outside light, so that's no good unless you disable it, and if there's light on the inside, it'll reflect off the glass as well unless the room is kept dark. I used to view through glass on vacuum equipment by making a shroud that went from the camera up to the glass, and this kept the reflections out. It's easy enough to test with poster board or cardboard and tape. You still can't use IR, so you'd need to have decent lighting outside, or a good low-light cam. The original analog cams probably won't have the resolution to see much detail unless you can zoom way in. IP cams, like the HD models mentioned, have much better resolution, but tend to suffer in low light without IR unless you go for the expensive models. They run on network cables, and are good for a few hundred feet, no problem. One option would be an Axis P1214e covert IP camera, which would allow you to put the sensor outside and run the wire through the window. Very inconspicuous, but a little expensive, at about $500-ish per camera. Another option would be to install a box that could go in a partially open window and extend into the room, so the camera would be inside and in shadow. Not exactly inconspicuous, though, and if someone looked closely, they'd see the camera. Likewise, a flower box in the window could be a good hiding place, but might also draw attention if someone notices the difference. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jackwang0606 0 Posted February 6, 2013 hi, I believe you won't catch (recognized) any face with existing analog camera + DVR, those analog system only let you know the human or animal or car etc... that's all you could get.. because I been faced quite similar situation like you and I changed whole system with HD camera + HD DVR which is using coax cable, and the result was very clear... i think it's much better than megapixel IP, if you see the image quality of HD camera + HD DVR then you won't never buy analog system.. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
yakky 0 Posted February 6, 2013 hi, I believe you won't catch (recognized) any face with existing analog camera + DVR, those analog system only let you know the human or animal or car etc... that's all you could get.. Completely wrong. You can get very good facial detail over analog. People have been getting put in jail for years with low def analog cameras. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
