Hikvision Min. Illumination

[kruja]

If we read the technical specifications given by Hikvision, I think that camera number two is better. Am I wrong or is my opinion correct?

Camera 1 --Color: 0.0005 Lux @ (F1.2, AGC ON),0 Lux with light
Camera 2 --Color: 0.002 Lux @ (F1.0, AGC ON),B/W: 0.0002 Lux @ (F1.0, AGC ON),B/W: 0 Lux with IR

To me, this first data for camera number 2 of 0.002 seems very bad, but it is the missing data for camera 1.
For camera number 1, there is no black/white information.

 

[JB1970]

If we read the technical specifications given by Hikvision, I think that camera number two is better. Am I wrong or is my opinion correct?

Camera 1 --Color: 0.0005 Lux @ (F1.2, AGC ON),0 Lux with light
Camera 2 --Color: 0.002 Lux @ (F1.0, AGC ON),B/W: 0.0002 Lux @ (F1.0, AGC ON),B/W: 0 Lux with IR

To me, this first data for camera number 2 of 0.002 seems very bad, but it is the missing data for camera 1.
For camera number 1, there is no black/white information.

Camera 1 has better colour, low light performance (0.0005 being lower than 0.002) What is the model number of Camera 1?

If it is purely a ColorVu camera without IR light and ICR filter it might not be able to switch into black and white at all so that would explain the missing information.

 

[kruja]

And what happens with the range between 0.002 and 0.0002? In the data it says that the black/white image starts from 0.0002.Camera number 2.
Data is for ColurVU G3-Camera number 1and DeepinView cameras Camera number 2.
I understood it as the first camera (ColorVU) switches to black/white operation mode when the light level drops below 0.0005 lux.And camera two switches to black/white mode when the light level drops below 0.0002 lux

 

[JB1970]

And what happens with the range between 0.002 and 0.0002? In the data it says that the black/white image starts from 0.0002.Camera number 2.
Data is for ColurVU G3-Camera number 1and DeepinView cameras Camera number 2.
I understood it as the first camera (ColorVU) switches to black/white operation mode when the light level drops below 0.0005 lux.And camera two switches to black/white mode when the light level drops below 0.0002 lux

Minimum lux figures can give an indication of better or poorer low light performance between models but I really wouldn't read too much into them.

As I see it, the figures specify a minimum illumination at which the camera can produce a video signal with the gain cranked up to 100% ('AGC On'). There are two figures, one for Colour and one for Monochrome. The camera requires less illumination to produce a monochrome signal.

The image that that video signal produces at those minimum level may be unusable, but a valid video signal nonetheless. They further specify '0 Lux with IR' or '0 Lux with Light' (for white LED ColorVu) telling you that the camera can work in complete darkness, though it's not complete darkness at all as the camera illuminator is providing the necessary light to enable that image to be produced.

 

[kruja]

Yes. I think that's OK.
The camera at 0.002 lux, turns on AGC and keeps the image in color. That's how it works with the help of AGC.
My personal opinion is that Hikvision has made progress in digital image processing.It is probably some future that is coming, because the increase in Mp requires better and better digital image processing.The exact model of camera number two is:
iDS-2CD5387G2/V-XS.It's a new product line -- DeepinViewX.
Hikvision promotes it as a camera with a much reduced number of false alarms.
I ordered two cameras from this series. One is 4 mp and the other is 8 mp. I will try it and then I will know if it is better than the series - 2387G3.
The first camera was a Hikvision 2687G3.

 

[JB1970]

Yes. I think that's OK.
The camera at 0.002 lux, turns on AGC and keeps the image in color. That's how it works with the help of AGC.
My personal opinion is that Hikvision has made progress in digital image processing.It is probably some future that is coming, because the increase in Mp requires better and better digital image processing.The exact model of camera number two is:
iDS-2CD5387G2/V-XS.It's a new product line -- DeepinViewX.
Hikvision promotes it as a camera with a much reduced number of false alarms.
I ordered two cameras from this series. One is 4 mp and the other is 8 mp. I will try it and then I will know if it is better than the series - 2387G3.
The first camera was a Hikvision 2687G3.

AGC by default is set to 100% gain. In Auto mode the camera will set the gain at what it needs up to 100. The only way you can control it and the only way you can compare two cameras is to set them in night mode and adjust the gain, DNR and maximum exposure time to the same on each.

It’s better to do those settings on the camera directly. I’ve noticed there’s an NVR bug (or Hikvision oversight) where setting the exposure via the NVR only adjusts the manual exposure on the camera. When the camera is set to auto exposure it should set the higher limit but the NVR is applying it to the manual exposure value that’s not in use/in the background (so the changed value will have no effect)

 

[gp116126]

AGC by default is set to 100% gain. In Auto mode the camera will set the gain at what it needs up to 100. The only way you can control it and the only way you can compare two cameras is to set them in night mode and adjust the gain, DNR and maximum exposure time to the same on each.

It’s better to do those settings on the camera directly. I’ve noticed there’s an NVR bug (or Hikvision oversight) where setting the exposure via the NVR only adjusts the manual exposure on the camera. When the camera is set to auto exposure it should set the higher limit but the NVR is applying it to the manual exposure value that’s not in use/in the background (so the changed value will have no effect)

Interesting JB. Is this a V5 software bug or in 4 aswell.

 

[JB1970]

Interesting JB. Is this a V5 software bug or in 4 aswell.

I think I noticed it on V5 on my VPro but I haven't tested/checked it since the last update. A bit of a long winded explanation follows......

On previous camera models the exposure time setting is not fixed per se. If you set it at 1/50sec then 1/50sec is the longest it will go but it can go shorter (to prevent the image whiting out). So setting the exposure time via the NVR with the older model camera was fine.

On the newer ColorVu 3's you have automatic exposure selected by default and you can adjust the range. It's basically the same as above but you can set both the longest and shortest exposure time for better control. Manual exposure on the ColorVu 3's is a fixed setting so would only be used in a constantly illuminated scene.

In my setup a G3 was set to automatic exposure with a range of 1/10,000sec to 1/50sec. In the NVR I made an adjustment changing exposure time to 1/100sec. When I checked the camera I expected the range to now be 1/10,000sec to 1/100sec but it remained unchanged. However when I switched the camera from auto exposure to manual I found that the default manual exposure was now changed to 1/100sec (even though it was not in use at the time of the change). It's as though the NVR exposure control was mapped to adjust manual exposure on the camera even though auto mode was in use.

I guess that this could be an issue for multiple NVR firmwares where cameras with the auto exposure capability are deployed, until NVR firmware is updated to suit newer cameras. I did notice the changes in the screenshot below for the latest firmware on the 76xx-NXI-Kx/P NVRs (4.84.100) which may fix it:

So when altering a ColorVu G3's exposure time via the NVR it's worthwhile double checking that it has changed the longest end of the range for auto exposure in the camera.

 

[gp116126]

Thank you for getting into the detail on that. I had changed my exp settings for all cams by the NVR gui (M2 8p on v4) hence my interest in this. I'll check cam settings but don't have any G3s so should be ok.

Cheers