I have two Panasonic WV-SC385 cams, both about 15 years old. I bought them on Ebay at different times. I use them because they have excellent, very fast PTZ response, sharp 18X optical zoom and good low-light color imaging. They're great for zooming in on distant activity.
I've been using #1 for about 8 years and it works exactly as it should. Cam #2 has been out service for a year or so but I'm now putting it back in operation. It won't stay focused at zoom levels beyond 9x. It may have been "banged around" while out of service.
I have the available user documentation and am very familiar with the operation of these cams, having taken them apart and done internal repairs a few times. However, I've had no success locating more detailed technical documentation (service manuals) to help me fix the zoom problem.
From Google searches I've determined that there are two lens groups for zoom and that the mechanism transitions from one to the other at 9x. So I suspect that the focal plane for the zoom range from 9x to 18x has shifted. Apparently, there is a software table of settings that the firmware uses to adjust focus at different zoom levels, but I can find no information on how to re-calibrate the focus tables.
Any help fixing the zoom problem would be greatly appreciated.
Also of interest: these are intended to be strictly for indoor use but I've used #1 outdoors for 6+ years in a custom-made housing. The weather in central VA is relatively mild, so that helps.
I've been using #1 for about 8 years and it works exactly as it should. Cam #2 has been out service for a year or so but I'm now putting it back in operation. It won't stay focused at zoom levels beyond 9x. It may have been "banged around" while out of service.
I have the available user documentation and am very familiar with the operation of these cams, having taken them apart and done internal repairs a few times. However, I've had no success locating more detailed technical documentation (service manuals) to help me fix the zoom problem.
From Google searches I've determined that there are two lens groups for zoom and that the mechanism transitions from one to the other at 9x. So I suspect that the focal plane for the zoom range from 9x to 18x has shifted. Apparently, there is a software table of settings that the firmware uses to adjust focus at different zoom levels, but I can find no information on how to re-calibrate the focus tables.
Any help fixing the zoom problem would be greatly appreciated.
Also of interest: these are intended to be strictly for indoor use but I've used #1 outdoors for 6+ years in a custom-made housing. The weather in central VA is relatively mild, so that helps.