Help with DS-2CD2387G2-LU setup

[AnWeNeT]

Hi,
My backyard gets pretty dark at night, not many light sources.
For last year I have been using Hikvision 4MP ColorVu 2.8mm.
It was OK, but I wished it had more detailed image.

I purchased DS-2CD2387G2-LU 2.8mm, 8MP with hope I would get the same image quality, but more detailed.
It would appear this is not a case. I spend few evenings messing around with settings, resetting to defaults and making small incremental changes.
Read more forum postings, and no matter what I do, I cannot get the quality from DS-2CD2387G2-LU.

DS-2CD2387G2-LU seams to be foggy and much darker. Originally I tried to replicate settings from 4MP camera.. they did not work.

Any ideas what else I can try?
Both images were taken from the same time - approx. 1:50AM

Attached all settings from both cameras.

 

[Phil]

Try removing the light sources that are in the scene.
You can utilise their light (if it helps).
But do not have light sources in the scene.
i.e. do not point the camera at a light bulb / LED.
It makes the camera squint.
It forces the electronics to attempt the very challenging task of lifting the dark areas whilst dimming the bright areas.

 

[AnWeNeT]

I agree with your statement, coming from photography field myself. However, Hikvision DS-2CD2147G2-SU 4MP ColorVu 2.8mm had no problem with the same scene. By getting 8MP, I was hoping I would get the same quality, but with more details.

 

[JB1970]

My backyard gets pretty dark at night, not many light sources.

If there's insufficient light you need to have the ColorVu's integral LED light enabled - you have it switched off so it's really going to struggle. At 1/6 second anyone who walks through the cameras field of view is in danger of being so blurred that they look like some Marvel superhero! If the shutter is set at 1/6 sec and the camera is encoding 24 frames per second - 1 shutter opening is spanning 4 frames. You need to be at 1/25 sec minimum.

Set the camera back to it's defaults and you shouldn't need to change much to get a decent picture. Set the shutter speed to a minimum of 1/25sec, drop the contrast from 50 to 45. With the LED coming on automatically that should be fine. Only use BLC if there is a backlight issue and keep the noise reduction at it's default. Having the noise reduction too high will 'smooth' out the image too much taking away detail.

 

[cymruchris]

Definitely need to up your shutter speed - I wonder what you had the 4mp camera set to. If it was also a very slow speed, you'd get a better 'static' image - but a fairly dire image for anything moving through the scene. I tend to keep my cameras at 1/100th of a second minimum - and then add supplemental lighting if needed. (It usually doesn't need very much - but a simple dusk till dawn LED lamp can give off enough ambient to get your faster shutter).

 

[henry]

Hello--you can tweak the settings all you want--but just use an ir light to fill in where needed--they are cheap and work well---cmvision has good ones i have used----hh

Amazon.com

 

[henry]

they scrubbed my link--

Amazon.com

 

[JB1970]

Hello--you can tweak the settings all you want--but just use an ir light to fill in where needed--they are cheap and work well---cmvision has good ones i have used----hh

Amazon.com

This is a full time colour camera. An IR lamp is no use as the camera has a filter that cuts out infra red light.