The Importance of Camera Settings at Night

 CCTV cameras are a vital component in ensuring the safety and security of a location, however, their effectiveness can be greatly impacted if proper attention is not paid to lighting during installation. Lighting is a crucial factor in determining the quality of the image captured by the camera, and without proper lighting, the images may be unusable for the end user, particularly during nighttime incidents.

Modern IP cameras come equipped with a variety of settings and adjustments that are often not fully understood or utilized by technicians and installers. These cameras are designed to automatically adjust to different lighting conditions, but without proper training and understanding of these capabilities, the image quality may be compromised. As technology continues to improve, cameras will likely become even more autonomous in their ability to adjust to lighting conditions, making it even more important for technicians to be trained on the different settings and capabilities of the cameras.

To prevent this issue, technicians should be trained on the different settings and capabilities of the cameras, including the auto day/night mode. This mode automatically adjusts the camera’s sensitivity to the lighting conditions, ensuring that the best possible image is captured. Additionally, proper lighting should be installed in the area where the camera is placed. This can include installing additional lighting fixtures or adjusting the positioning of existing ones to ensure that the area is well-lit during both day and night.

In a recent successful installation, the technician verified that the camera was recording, and the customer was satisfied with the image. However, during a final review before closing the project, ITG’s remote IT support team discovered that the camera was not producing optimal images during the night. This is where the importance of proper training and understanding of the camera’s settings and capabilities comes into play. The team was able to resolve this issue by forcing the camera to change to a color image during the night and adjusting the sensitivity of the auto day/night settings.  The settings were accomplished by making these simple changes – . In the American Dynamics Illustra camera configuration, under Video -> Picture Settings, there is a section called Day Night Mode. The team selected the Day Night Mode drop-down and selected Auto Low.  After more testing, the camera only switches to a black/white video when the lighting is very low which produce a much better picture. 

By making these simple adjustments, the camera produced a much better image, providing greater value to the customer.

Overall, proper lighting and understanding of the camera’s settings and capabilities are crucial in ensuring that CCTV cameras are effective in providing security and safety for a location. It’s important for technicians and installers to be properly trained and for proper lighting to be installed to ensure that the best possible image is captured by the camera. By doing so, it will help customers to have a better image quality and avoid any incident which could happen in the night.

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