VCM-24VF Excessive noise

[HTElectrical 0]

I installed a VCM-24VF recently, and the daytime pictures are ok, but at night it is terrible. Here is a screen shot of the CNB and the next is of a Mintron™ Model 64G2DHN pointing the opposite direction. Both have similar amounts of light. What am I doing wrong? I tried adjusting the different settings, but this is rediculous.

 

Specs for Mintron

[rory 0]

One of my biggest issue with them, is they dont switch to BW unless it is very dark .. and then comes the noise in color ... they do have an external switch mode though, but IMO a photocell switch would be 10x better than its built in video switchover - even the Bosch $2000 camera, I had to switch that to photocell switchover as it was using video by default, but unlike that camera the CNB doesnt have that option.

 

Only things you can do is:

1-change DN switch to 4

2-change DNR to high.

3-Try adjusting the AGC to lower.

4-SBLC also brightens it up a little (with some artifacts)

 

I didnt have as much time as I would have liked to play with them, but putting the AGC right up to the highest it stayed in color in next to no light, while turning it back down it switched to BW. SO I imagine turning that down some from the default, may help. If it gets too dark, then adjust the GAMMA to .35 and see if that helps. I started to play with them some but then the dengue fever epidemic cracked in so I stopped going outside at night for the most part.

[HTElectrical 0]

For a camera that is suppose to be so good the night time picture SUCKS. The MIntron looks great at night, even at lower light levels and is only in color, with very little noise. Rory, I will try your recommendations and see if I can get anything better out of it. Thanks.

[shockwave199 0]

Maybe it's me, but I've only ever seen pictures of this camera being nosiy at night. In BW, it's noisy in BW. It impresses me in daylight but I would certainly not choose it for nightime, wanting low noise out of the picture. It needs IR support I think. But from all the examples I've seen of this camera- daylight only.

 

What's wrong with going with something like the LDM-24VF from them? IR no good inside that dome?

 

Btw- the mintron looks good but is that angle good for much?

 

Dan

[HTElectrical 0]

Not the best, but there is another camera in the left corner pointing to the street. Cutting down the tree didn't seem reasonable, even though I suggested it.

[rory 0]

The trick with them is this. IMO.

 

1-They are good in full light in Color

2-They are good in very low light in BW

 

Anything inbetween becomes noisy.

In fact I found the DFL-20s to perform better in color in low light, but that is for indoors ..

I think its a default AGC setting issue, its maxed out for ultra low light ..

But then for that to work it really needs to switch to BW, and many times it does not if there is even a single small light in the video.

[shockwave199 0]

But then for that to work it really needs to switch to BW, and many times it does not if there is even a single small light in the video.

I know I'm talking about a completely different camera, but it does just that. The overhead light is enough to keep it in color, but then along the way it'll switch to BW anyway. Sometimes it takes hours though. The green on the brick is actually green moss.

 

 

And with that light off, it's nice BW

 

 

This one gets just enough of the same light to be in color too.

 

 

These are not TDN's. No control over any settings. Point and shoot cams. I don't mind the color really, so long as it's not super noisy.

 

HT- you don't happen to have saturation up a ton for the daytime shot do you?

 

Dan

[Soundy 1]

That first picture looks more like compression artifacts caused by the DVR trying to process and compress a B&W image as color. I bet if you dial down the saturation on that channel, it clears right up. Ditto if you lock the camera in day mode, I bet it's a lot cleaner.

[Birdman Adam 0]

I think its partly your DVR, because I never got noise like that with my 6 VCM-24VFs. A video:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gi4zLasNu-w

 

In super-dark situations, (darker than your area), you just can't see much of anything. There is some noise, but is that not to be expected?

[tomcctv 187]

Hi. done alot of the CNBs and not had a night image like that. its more of a interference than noise.

 

how have you connected the camera ? are you on coax or cat5

 

i have seen something like this before on a call out were the installers used 2 pair of cat5 for video (which give the same effect) sould always use 1 pair for video and the rest for power. (if on 1 camera)

 

might be a little work. but swap both your cameras around and see what you have.

[thewireguys 3]

For a camera that is suppose to be so good the night time picture SUCKS. The MIntron looks great at night, even at lower light levels and is only in color, with very little noise. Rory, I will try your recommendations and see if I can get anything better out of it. Thanks.

 

 

^^^ agreeed " title="Applause" />

[SEANHAWG 1]

The first picture looks like it has alot more light than the second picture. I bet if you move the CNB in the same position as your other camera you would get good results. Your still gonna get noise if the area is real dark, no matter how good the camera is.

[rory 0]

Hi. done alot of the CNBs and not had a night image like that.

Thats common with the VBM and VCM 24VFs if it stays in color under low light.

Happens alot. I Have some at one location, some nights they goto BW, but most nights they stay in color, but its too dark for its color and it gets noisy.

[Birdman Adam 0]

Which one is the Minitron? The top one? I'd put the two next to each other so we can compare better.

 

If the top image is the CNB, I think it may be defective or something, because I haven't seen one like that before. It is real grainy.

[rory 0]

Which one is the Minitron? The top one?

 

If the top image is the CNB, I think it may be defective or something, because I haven't seen one like that before. It is real grainy.

Its the same with all the monalisas, its just how it is.

I had 10 monalisa box cameras, same thing as 5 different sets of the domes over the past year.

Color is noisy under low light, and they dont switch to BW if there is a light in the view - doesnt have to be enough light, just a light, even if the light is 100 feet away. Heck I got some noise in my video with a 500 watt dusk to dawn light, but thats the same with alot of the newer cameras, their gain is adjusted to high I guess.

 

one thing to note, different codecs will show it up the noise more or less.

But there is noise regardless of how it comes out after compression.

turning the contrast down and brightness up on the DVR helps also.

[rory 0]

eg. its very dark in most of this image but its seeing the garage lights.

generally its so dark its hard to see to walk, yet it stays in color.

[Birdman Adam 0]

So Rory, in that image is it still in color? I have never known how to change the D/N settings to change how easily it switches.

[rory 0]

Yes still color.

[rory 0]

Here is another example of where different mounting locations determine whether it switches to BW.

 

Its difficult to see at that size but the top right is very noisy. Actually in BW it is noisy also but not as bad, after all it is low light.

 

Left is with halogen on, right is with it off and only some light from a spotlight around the corner.

 

 

although this brings out the noise a bit better (I dont have any large images of that right now). Both using the same filters.

 

 

And this shows the light, light is the dark areas, notice there is less in the bottom right image, the one that goes to BW.

 

 

and yes I was still working on christmas day

[rory 0]

Lets go back to the original images for this thread

 

Actually there is not much light in the CNB image at all, but there is some right by the camera on the eave ... get that out of the video image and perhaps it will then switch to BW. Zoom it in a little to get past that.

 

 

lots of light in mine, but most of it is far away from the camera

[Go3Team 0]

I don't have any low light color images of my VCM-24VF, I have these that are at night, one with flood lighting, and the other with IR lighting. Mine seems to do ok in low light color scenarios.

 

 

 

Edit: Oh, and default factory settings as well.

[HTElectrical 0]

That first picture looks more like compression artifacts caused by the DVR trying to process and compress a B&W image as color. I bet if you dial down the saturation on that channel, it clears right up. Ditto if you lock the camera in day mode, I bet it's a lot cleaner.

I am using a GV600 capture card, and viewing live video looks the same as the image I posted. I don't know what you mean by the DVR trying to process and compress a B&W image as color. The camera is obviously not switching to B&W mode. The card isn't trying to change it to color???????

[HTElectrical 0]

Hi. done alot of the CNBs and not had a night image like that. its more of a interference than noise.

 

how have you connected the camera ? are you on coax or cat5

 

i have seen something like this before on a call out were the installers used 2 pair of cat5 for video (which give the same effect) sould always use 1 pair for video and the rest for power. (if on 1 camera)

 

might be a little work. but swap both your cameras around and see what you have.

 

Camera is connected using coax. A lot of work. The Mintron is in a outdoor housing with RS-485 connection.

Edited September 2, 2011 by Guest

[HTElectrical 0]

The first picture looks like it has alot more light than the second picture. I bet if you move the CNB in the same position as your other camera you would get good results. Your still gonna get noise if the area is real dark, no matter how good the camera is.

If anything the first picture has less light than the second.

[HTElectrical 0]

Lets go back to the original images for this thread

 

Actually there is not much light in the CNB image at all, but there is some right by the camera on the eave ... get that out of the video image and perhaps it will then switch to BW. Zoom it in a little to get past that.

I will try that. There is a light to the right of the camera (when facing it) on the same wall, a standard 3 sided porch light. I blocked off the pane on the left side of the light closest to the camera with similar reflective material as used in the rear of the light.

 

 

 

I don't have any low light color images of my VCM-24VF, I have these that are at night, one with flood lighting, and the other with IR lighting. Mine seems to do ok in low light color scenarios.

 

 

 

Edit: Oh, and default factory settings as well.

How bright is your flood lighting? The second image isn't much use, since you are supplementing the light with IR.