Best Setting to capture face in night mode using ZE4 camera

[aboyz]

Hi,

Anyone know what is the correct setting to capture clear picture of faces at night? There is a light pole outside so there is some light. I can't seem to adjust it to be clear. In the morning its amazing clear and and I can see the faces so clearly. But during nighttime its just so blurr. This is the camera i'm using. Loryta IPC-B5442E-Z4E 4MP Starlight+ WDR IR 8mm–32mm. Compare to the morning picture its totally different.

Attached is the setting and also a picture I captured at night. Any suggestion will greatly appreciated...

 

[wittaj]

Yep, good reason to show people why an 8MP camera on a smaller sensor than this is crazy (cross-threading LOL).

But anyway, you are dealing with the issue that many of us experience - thinking we have enough light to run color and we don't.....

Now with that said, some things to try. Adjust picture settings to try to brighten the image a bit (suggest not going above 60). I have found you can run sharpness a little higher on this unit as well.

You are probably on the edge of gain to get ghosting, so maybe by bumping picture settings up you can bring this number down.

Change shutter from fixed to manual priority 0-8.33s - doubt it, but maybe it could run faster than 1/120 and this range would allow that.

Bring down NR until you feel too much noise. You can probably get to 40ish or so and will bring some of that detail back.

And finally if none of that works, then try backlights, but be careful because at night too much and it will be blur city.

Or you could go to B/W if you have another overview cam that can be left in color to get color details.

I bounce back and forth with my Z4 on if I run in color or not.

 

[aboyz]

Yep, good reason to show people why an 8MP camera on a smaller sensor than this is crazy (cross-threading LOL).

But anyway, you are dealing with the issue that many of us experience - thinking we have enough light to run color and we don't.....

Now with that said, some things to try. Adjust picture settings to try to brighten the image a bit (suggest not going above 60). I have found you can run sharpness a little higher on this unit as well.

You are probably on the edge of gain to get ghosting, so maybe by bumping picture settings up you can bring this number down.

Change shutter from fixed to manual priority 0-8.33s - doubt it, but maybe it could run faster than 1/120 and this range would allow that.

Bring down NR until you feel too much noise. You can probably get to 40ish or so and will bring some of that detail back.

And finally if none of that works, then try backlights, but be careful because at night too much and it will be blur city.

Or you could go to B/W if you have another overview cam that can be left in color to get color details.

I bounce back and forth with my Z4 on if I run in color or not.

Thank you for the tips.. I will try that suggestion.. Hopefully I get some some clear picture at night.. That is the reason I brought this camera . The zoom feature is what I needed and the the 4MP is great!! I will see if this work out better. thank you again!!

Do all camera have this issues? or there is some type of camera that is better at night? If so please advice..

 

[rahhazar]

Thank you for the tips.. I will try that suggestion.. Hopefully I get some some clear picture at night.. That is the reason I brought this camera . The zoom feature is what I needed and the the 4MP is great!! I will see if this work out better. thank you again!!

Do all camera have this issues? or there is some type of camera that is better at night? If so please advice..

at night light is never sufficient. All of us have the same issue running a camera on color mode at night so most cameras used outdoor have the same (lack of light) issue.

 

[wittaj]

They all suffer from this in one fashion or another. This cam seems to be one of the better ones as it has a larger sensor, but you are certainly seeing that chasing MP even on a bigger sensor still struggles. You probably thought those street lights provide enough light.

I don't have street lights, but I have 4 house lights on the front, each putting out 5,400 lumen. I have a yard lamp putting out 5,400 lumen. I have a floodlight with two Night Chaser bulbs putting out 6,000 lumen.

So I have 33,000 lumen radiating off the front of my house. Most would think that is a lot.

It is not enough light for my 4MP on a smaller 1/2.8" sensor for an image without blur and ghosting at the end of my driveway 50 feet away if I want color. I have to run a way slower shutter (1/40) than I would like and a higher gain (77) to make it work if I want it in color. And I have to force it into color as well as that is not enough light for the camera to automatically stay in color. I shutter to think what an image on the same sensor or smaller would be at 4k.

I got the the Z4 hoping I wouldn't have to force it in color if I wanted color, but I had to if I want to run in color. I can go with a slightly faster shutter and lower gain, but not the improvements I was expecting. I suspect if you put day/night to auto it probably goes to B/W? Just shows you how much light cameras really need.

Now that is if I want a usable image and video... I could let the shutter run auto and look like daylight at midnight, but then motion is a blur and ghosts...

More people would be happier at night with a 2MP picture than a 4MP because you need double the light for a 4MP on the same sensor as the 2MP. At 50 feet away, my 2MP is better because it doesn't need as much light, either forcing in color or going IR with B/W. But people chase megapixels...

 

[Mike A.]

Or just go IR and make it a lot easier to get good results.

Everyone wants daylight-like full-color images with no blur or noise but without enough light, whatever that may be for the sensor, that's not happening.

 

[aboyz]

Thank you all for the advise.. I mean I don't want the night mode to be fully color as the image in daytime. What I just needed is a clear picture of someone face if they are walking up the house in night mode.l I guess setting the nightmode always use black/white will get me that clear night mode image?

thank you again

 

[wittaj]

B/W with IR will generally give you the best clear night image, but it is B/W lol.

Remember to adjust the IR settings - Smart IR or full IR or Zoom Priority or whatever you need to add more IR. Between the IR and your street lights you will get clean, clear B/W images and can run a faster shutter.

 

[aboyz]

B/W with IR will generally give you the best clear night image, but it is B/W lol.

Remember to adjust the IR settings - Smart IR or full IR or Zoom Priority or whatever you need to add more IR. Between the IR and your street lights you will get clean, clear B/W images and can run a faster shutter.

I made some setting as suggested by you and the quality at night is pretty good. Please look at the image and see if i need to make anymore adjustment. Attached is also my setting.

 

[wittaj]

That looks pretty good! Maybe knock gain down just a bit and I think you could knock noise down a bit too just to get a little more details.

 

[aboyz]

That looks pretty good! Maybe knock gain down just a bit and I think you could knock noise down a bit too just to get a little more details.

the gain is the one that is 20 - 75? I will set it at 20 - 60? is that the one? i cannot find the noise where is that at?

 

[Mike A.]

Maybe try adjusting contrast and gamma too. Play with it some, see if it's any better. Might make it look a little less flat/washed out. Pretty good as is though. Much better than what you started with.

 

[samplenhold]

FWIW, I run my B5442 Z4 in color at night with a street light at the intersection and one about a half a house down the road. Here are my settings and a shot. Try setting your focus mode to manual so that it does not try and focus at night.

 

[bigredfish]

As many have said, full color at night is hard. Most cameras in most settings simply don’t have enough light. Your B&W image is very good as noted.

Also most don’t understand that the location/direction of the light to the subject matters greatly!

Take your image in the first post and compare it to the image above from @samplenhold.

Your subject is facing away from the light, effectively backlit. @samplenhold ‘s subject is facing the light. Big difference.

 

[aboyz]

FWIW, I run my B5442 Z4 in color at night with a street light at the intersection and one about a half a house down the road. Here are my settings and a shot. Try setting your focus mode to manual so that it does not try and focus at night.

View attachment 82147View attachment 82148

wow!! that image is so clear at night!! I'll try to adjust my setting and see if i can get the same clear image..

 

[aboyz]

As many have said, full color at night is hard. Most cameras in most settings simply don’t have enough light. Your B&W image is very good as noted.

Also most don’t understand that the location/direction of the light to the subject matters greatly!

Take your image in the first post and compare it to the image above from @samplenhold.

Your subject is facing away from the light, effectively backlit. @samplenhold ‘s subject is facing the light. Big difference.

I see your point.. he is facing the light.. i want to see if he got picture that is facing away from the light..

 

[aboyz]

FWIW, I run my B5442 Z4 in color at night with a street light at the intersection and one about a half a house down the road. Here are my settings and a shot. Try setting your focus mode to manual so that it does not try and focus at night.

View attachment 82147View attachment 82148

do you got a capture of a person walking and facing the other way.. if so can you post a picture i want to see the quality

 

[samplenhold]

do you got a capture of a person walking and facing the other way.. if so can you post a picture i want to see the quality

No, sorry. The light pole is the black pole you see there next to the stop sign on my corner. Anyone in the street will be facing the light.

 

[aboyz]

Something is strange or my setting need adjustment..

Attached as you can see picture from today in daylight mode. The picture are capture around 11am and 2pm. and now at 5:21pm the picture is not clear is it because the sunlight is going down and not so bright? or is he walking too fast? the picture is blurr. anyone know how to fix this?

thank you

 

[Holbs]

So I roughly have installed a 5442 6mm birdhouse camera on lamp post 50' from my front door....with tire slashing incursion discussion

You filed them online? I figured you were calling the police department after each event and filed the report with the responding officer. In any event, I'm glad you finally got the ball rolling.

ipcamtalk.com

start around post #79
I had to fine tune my 5442 for night settings. Increase the shutter speed to help alleviate motion blur. Mostly happy with end result but it does take time to tinker.
I just installed my 5442 z4e tonight. Everything is set to default but will tinker.