license plate by night with Hikvision ds-2cd2032-i

[jos123 0]

Hello,

 

I bought yesterday the Hikvision ds-2cd2032-i 3MP to be able to view our parking. By day it's working great, but by night I can't see the license plate because the IR light (see attachment)? Do I need to change any settings?

[MaxIcon 0]

Low light plate capture is tricky, and you usually will get the best results with a dedicated camera using a longer lens and special settings.

 

In this case, your exposure optimized for the entire scene, but is too long for the plate, causing it to wash out. I've found the 2cd2xxx series Hiks are not very good at resolving low light details, but you'll have to check for yourself for your setup.

 

Setting your maximum exposure to a faster speed will get rid of the washed-out plates, and will make the rest of the scene darker. Try 1/250 sec or 1/500 sec to see if you get the plate details. If you do, you still might not have enough pixels to resolve the plate numbers in low light, since it appears you're zoomed in a good bit on the image. If this is the case, you'll need a longer lens as well.

 

Best bet is to try different settings to see what works.

[SyconsciousAu 0]

http://www.cctvforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=44641

 

Carl was doing some number plate capture with that very camera with a 12mm lens. Click on the link to read the thread. His plates were taking up a much greater part of the frame though.

[jos123 0]

In this case, your exposure optimized for the entire scene, but is too long for the plate, causing it to wash out. I've found the 2cd2xxx series Hiks are not very good at resolving low light details, but you'll have to check for yourself for your setup.

Thanks for your answer!

 

Correct, but I have other cams too that are much closer to the parked cars, will try what you said.

If I do want to see clearly the license plate by night, which camera are you suggesting? Or should I better provide my own light spot?

[SyconsciousAu 0]

In this case, your exposure optimized for the entire scene, but is too long for the plate, causing it to wash out. I've found the 2cd2xxx series Hiks are not very good at resolving low light details, but you'll have to check for yourself for your setup.

Thanks for your answer!

 

Correct, but I have other cams too that are much closer to the parked cars, will try what you said.

If I do want to see clearly the license plate by night, which camera are you suggesting? Or should I better provide my own light spot?

 

If you just need to grab the plates on a stationary vehicle, just about any camera with on board IR and enough pixels per meter to read the plate will do that, you just have to tweak the exposure so the plate isn't washed out.

[MaxIcon 0]

Most bullet/dome/turret cams can't use a very long lens due to the tight spacing. I've put a 25mm lens on a Hik 2032, but just barely, and needed longer screws for the imager board. My 2332 doesn't look like it will take a longer lens - there's no space.

 

Best bet is to use a box cam, since you can put all manner of lenses on, but you'll also need an enclosure and external IR illuminator. The cost for the whole setup will be a good bit higher.

 

As SyconsciousAu says, you'll have to play with the exposure settings to see what setting gives a readable plate. Once you get so you can see the numbers on the plate, you'll be able to tell if you have enough pixels to actually read them.

[itstaff 0]

Can you point me in the right direction for that 25mm lens you installed? I have a similar situation and would love to do the same.

 

Thanks,

 

Jared

[itstaff 0]

Never mind. Found it at Wrightwood.

 

Thanks.

 

Jared

[MaxIcon 0]

The Wrightwood lens is different from mine, but may be a better choice, since they say it fits the 2032, and my lens needed some different screws. Their lens is also a 1/3" lens, and mine is 1/2", so mine will give more zoom at 25mm than the 1/3" with the 1/3" sensor.

 

I'm tempted to order one just to see how it works...

 

Here's where I bought mine:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/25mm-1-2-inch-Cmos-MegaPixel-Board-CCTV-PC-camera-Lens-M12x0-5-for-MT9P031-/121375945476?hash=item1c4291f304

 

ETA: Just read the wrightwood text more closely, and that lens doesn't fit perfectly either. They say either use longer screws or let the cable push it against the glass. That may be stable over time, but I like screws!