Mounting Camera To View Through Window

[kdberg 0]

Customer wants to have a camera that shoots through the glass pane above their strip mall shop front door to watch the parking lot. The door frame is metal and there is a drop ceiling. Was planning on using a day/night camera.

 

Any suggestions on mounting or gotchas I should look out for (like reflection off the glass interior back into the camera lens)?

[rory 0]

Just one, you will loose image quality. Why not just sell them a vandal resistant weatherproof dome? Provideo has some for cheap. And if its primarily for night time, just use B/W.

 

Rory

[rikky 0]

Also keep in mind following:

 

. Backlight could be a major problem on sunny days.

Use a Wide Dynamic Range camera like the GE Ultraview with CMOS chip

 

. Reflection by light should be taken care of, by using a higher light level on the outside than inside the room.

[kdberg 0]

I should have mentioned that the need to mount the camera indoors is a lease restriction issue.

[rory 0]

Your best bet then would be like ricky said, a wide dynamic camera such as the Kalatel Ultra View, so it will see indoors and outdoors, with a standard plastic camera mount, and a 2.5-10mm auto iris lens.

[Cooperman 0]

If you are looking out of a window, a) make sure the window is kept clean both sides, b) mount the camera with the lens as close to the window as possible to minimise internal reflections (use a rubber lens hood if the window is subject to vibration, or very bright internal lighting) or c) if the camera / lens is away from the window and there are reflections on the glass, use a polarizer filter to reduce / remove the reflections.

 

If the sun shines directly on the outside of the window, it's exactly the same problem as if the camera were mounted in a weatherproof housing. Remember also that the nearer the camera is to the ceiling the hotter it gets, unless of course it's air conditioned!