Am I just not spending enough money?

[megavolt512 0]

I'm having really poor performance from a Nuvico dome camera (CD-SD3895N/P-AI-L) This model is 550TVL and IR's that should cast many feet. Mechanical IR cut, etc. I thought I was buying quality.

 

The IR's are ON in the dark-shot. This room is a 25x50ft shop with the camera in a corner, focal length open all the way (3.6mm).

 

I'm using it with a Nuvico NVJV series DVR. The other cameras (outdoor bullets) look better. But this seems like lousy dark-room CCTV? I had a cheap D-Link CMOS camera that did better than this. Any ideas? What do I need to spend for a quality IR image in a room this size? I'm a newbie to CCTV so I'm not sure what level of video quality to expect in a dark room. Am I asking too much out of a $300 dome? I appreciate the help.

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[Lolo Wolf 0]

Not your particular model but Ive had issues with the (easyview) nuvico domes. The Nuvico bullet cams Ive used seem to perform well I ordered a mini PTZ cv-z10 to test, been waiting awhile for the delivery and my dealer informed me that the company told him there were "production" problems on some of their dome lines. Kinda hit or miss with some of their camera products. I dont use IR dome type cams much but did a install in a small wood shop out building and although I am no fan of Vitek.....the VTC-IRHCM1 employed was priced right and did the job. Didnt have the common Halo problem that most IR type cams have, a lot of OEM stuff out there, Nuvico Korean etc....but if you have the money go with the EX40N but I would stay clear of the Wizkid line of domes they didnt perform well for me. Perhaps others here on the forum have used some of the other IR domes and can provide you with their opnions....really not the cheapest but the best alternative would be to use a high quality D/N cam and employ a dedicated IR source...

[megavolt512 0]

I guess I'm just disappointed as I bought this system as an "upgrade" to a cheapo D-link DCS-900 network camera.

 

These cheapys are 100 bucks - complete IP web server with built in dynamic DNS support, etc. Honestly, the night-time performance of the D-link was better than this!! And it has no IR LEDS at all! I could at least see the back of the shop slightly.

 

This Nuvico has 36 LED's that are supposed to shine up to 100ft. But I can hardly see the grainy shop-floor 10 ft in front of it. That desk barely visible in the night-shot is only 18ft from the lens.

 

This just doesn't seem right. Certainly a high-res dome with IR cut filter, 550tvl, 36 LEDs, etc. should do better than this???

Edited February 21, 2007 by Guest

[2mRobert 0]

I am probably paranoid but I have had a lot of issues with any IR domes that doesn't have a flat area for the lens and IR (I swear the concavity of the dome screws the IR's up or some thing).

I would talk to your seller and see about an exchange to a bullet style or one of the cheap vandal proof IR's that have a flat shooting area like the VTC-IRHCM1

or one of those Korean models that are popping up all over the place.

[Rebco 0]

what is the voltage and how far are you away from the powerbox?

I use alot of Nuvico brand cameras and have very good pictures with it.

I did have a problem with other bullet ir cameras and fixed it fixing a voltage problem.

[megavolt512 0]

what is the voltage and how far are you away from the powerbox?

 

You might be on to something here. I'm only 10ft from the power supply, but my Fluke says 11 volts. I'm using a PC power supply - and it's possible it's under-loaded (it's the switching type). It puts out considerably more than 4 cameras require. I just replaced it with a linear 12v - and the rails now are showing a full 12 volts. I don't see any difference in the daytime picture quality, but I'll try the test again tonight when the light levels drop down.

 

 

BTW, this room isn't that dark. I have some street light comming in from 2 large glass garage doors. I'd guestimate .1-lux. Maybe more.

[rory 0]

I think its just the camera .. i used a IR Dome camera from Eclipse and they (we have tested a few of the same models in different locations) looked just as bad as that ..

 

this was the one that gives the same image as you posted above ..

http://cctvco.com/ECL-5HI.html

 

Unfortunately in the Dome area there isnt much out there, unless you use a Decent Day Night Dome with seperate IR .. otherwise in that price range you are stuck with IR Bullets for a decent image with IR.

 

Optionally a decent Day Night vandal Dome like the Sanyo, and use motion lighting instead of IR.

[protecvideo 0]

Looks like a bad camera to me. This camera here is really buget and still holds a half-way-decent picture at night for the distance your wanting.

[protecvideo 0]

These might also work if you have a little light coming in. Little more pricy but nice day and limited lighting.

[megavolt512 0]

Alright - I've solved some of the problems. Thanks to the responses here - most of you were right.

 

What a difference a volt makes. Below is the same picture now with 12v applied to the camera instead of 11. I still wouldn't call this high-quality - but it's a big improvement.

 

Through experimentation, I found the biggest factor affecting night image quality was IR illumination. This unit has relatively poor IR coverage - in spite of nearly an amp of LED's. I used a bullet camera to supplement the IR illumination and the quality improved rather dramatically. I think I'll add an IR illuminator or motion-activated lights as suggested.

 

This is not the image quality I was wanting. If I don't have a picture sharp enough to identify someone, it doesn't seem that useful.

[WirelessEye 0]

What is the lux rating on the camera (without IR)?

[Lolo Wolf 0]

A lot of IR integrated cameras do not perform to their quoted spec. Aside from Extreme cameras ........ most claims for distance and low light performance in the field will come up far short of the spec. Some products have gotten better but better to stay clear of the all in one type of solutions and work with dedicated IR sources and good quality D/N cams, especially for a critical security application, in the long run over time it pays.

[rory 0]

I know this is a sticky already, but incase MagaVolt didnt see it ..

http://www.cctvforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=6122

[CollinR 0]

Looks like a bad camera to me. This camera here is really buget and still holds a half-way-decent picture at night for the distance your wanting.

 

 

That should be the absolute no questions best case senario for a cheap IR cam. You can't compare that to looking into a good sized open space without a lot of stuff to bounce the IR off of.

[galen 0]

This image is a 45 ft room with a 12 ir bullet. [/img]

[WirelessEye 0]

Wow that's a horrible picture. I would say the 0.03 lux rating is "generous". You'd be better off with a UNV2650 and a night light. We've got a couple on our test bed and they work VERY well in low light. The only thing is that they are quite a bit more expensive than the Nuvico's you bought.

[megavolt512 0]

With some more experimentation, I found out the real culprit: the polycarbonate dome!

 

I had the clear dome removed from the camera during my experiments. I didn't think a clear-dome would affect image quality...but not so.

 

The 11 vs. 12 volts was not the issue after all. With the dome installed on the camera, apparently it blocks quite a bit of IR transmission. Not good.

 

I'm convinced a good IR illuminator needs a glass (or none) lens.

[rory 0]

Dome covers are one of the biggest culprits for low quality and other image issues when dealing with Vandal Dome Cameras. They also tend to get scratched easily, so make sure to use a distributor that can supply you with the specific dome covers sold separately; they typically differ in size/shape from one model to the next. Otherwise you will be up the creek without a paddle when there are no "clear" spots left on the dome cover.

[megavolt512 0]

Dome covers are one of the biggest culprits for low quality and other image issues when dealing with Vandal Dome Cameras. They also tend to get scratched easily, so make sure to use a distributor that can supply you with the specific dome covers sold separately; they typically differ in size/shape from one model to the next. Otherwise you will be up the creek without a paddle when there are no "clear" spots left on the dome cover.

 

If there's one thing I learned in all this: avoid dome cameras unless you need vandal resistance (ie: someone swinging a bat at the camera).

 

I should have spent the bucks on a good box camera (and possibly separate IR illuminator).

[rory 0]

Dome covers are one of the biggest culprits for low quality and other image issues when dealing with Vandal Dome Cameras. They also tend to get scratched easily, so make sure to use a distributor that can supply you with the specific dome covers sold separately; they typically differ in size/shape from one model to the next. Otherwise you will be up the creek without a paddle when there are no "clear" spots left on the dome cover.

 

If there's one thing I learned in all this: avoid dome cameras unless you need vandal resistance (ie: someone swinging a bat at the camera).

 

I should have spent the bucks on a good box camera (and possibly separate IR illuminator).

 

Definitely separate IR with Domes, I learnt that along time ago, the hard way also .. Also if you wall mount domes, and they are exposed to weather, they will require even more frequent cleaning. Other than that, the biggest issue is the cover .. Im still looking for a manufacturer that can supply those quick and cheap .. Im going to check out GE some more again, as their Vandal domes were always very good, compared to others ive used.

[phred 0]

Dome covers are one of the biggest culprits for low quality and other image issues when dealing with Vandal Dome Cameras. They also tend to get scratched easily, so make sure to use a distributor that can supply you with the specific dome covers sold separately; they typically differ in size/shape from one model to the next. Otherwise you will be up the creek without a paddle when there are no "clear" spots left on the dome cover.

 

 

 

Problem is even worse for those domes with the black inner shell with a small cutout for the lens to see through. Often the shell is fixed, so you can't move it round and get a fresh unscratched area – would like to meet the genius that thought that up .

 

A possible solution that has worked for me on a few occasions is to polished out minor scratches with car polish, not the ordinary wax but the stuff used for restoring the paint finish. You would need to test different brands as some are more aggressive than others. Can also be used for polishing out scratches on DVDs.

[rory 0]

 

Problem is even worse for those domes with the black inner shell with a small cutout for the lens to see through. Often the shell is fixed, so you can't move it round and get a fresh unscratched area – would like to meet the genius that thought that up .

 

A possible solution that has worked for me on a few occasions is to polished out minor scratches with car polish, not the ordinary wax but the stuff used for restoring the paint finish. You would need to test different brands as some are more aggressive than others. Can also be used for polishing out scratches on DVDs.

 

Yeah those are even worse .. i just take them out anyway, but its already too late .. the manu scratched it putting them in ,,, arghhh!

 

Ill have to take a look at the car polish thing .. i have 2 wizkid domes here that are unused but scratched from the factory!

[phred 0]

Yeah those are even worse .. i just take them out anyway, but its already too late .. the manu scratched it putting them in ,,, arghhh!

 

Ill have to take a look at the car polish thing .. i have 2 wizkid domes here that are unused but scratched from the factory!

 

You may be able to find a proper Lexan polish – for motorcycle windshields etc

 

Have used one called Novus that came from the US. Comes in 3 grades. Novus1 is the finest - only use Novus 3 if you want to make the dome cover into a lens!

 

Harley dealers often stock it.