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Problem: At night, all I see is white.
Solution: The camera is most likely looking through a window. At night, the infrared light the camera
uses to see in the dark can 'bounce back' off a reflective surface (such as glass, water, spider webs,
some ceramics and so on) and effectively blind the camera. If you want to see outside, mount the
camera outside - we made it weatherproof for a reason!
Problem: I see only a blank screen where my image should be.
Solution: Check the wiring to the camera, and ensure the camera is being supplied power from
the included power adapter. Try using a different video lead, or connecting the camera to a different
television or monitor. Be sure there are no devices interrupting your signal, such as a DVR or VCR that
isn't outputting the signal correctly.
Problem: I can't see anything at night.
Solution: The maximum range of the night vision is just that, the maximum range. If there's nothing
in this range, you won't see anything. Also, some dark objects (like the proverbial black cat) may not
reflect enough light to be seen except as a silhouette if the background is brighter. Some objects which
can easily be seen in visible light don't reflect much infrared light.
Problem: My image just doesn't seem as "nice" as it should.
Solution: That's one of the ironic things about so many configurable options on a high-end camera.
You'll probably need to tweak a couple of things before you'll get a really "good" image. We'll deal
with the most common issues one at a time.
You probably need to adjust the focus (the knob on the right). This is simply a matter of turning it one
way until you find the best focus point or it won't turn any more. Then, turn it back the other way. If
there is no "sweet spot" then this indicates one of two things.
1.
Your lens might be dirty. Clean the front of it with a dedicated lens cleaning cloth (available at any
camera store). Avoid using solvents or cleaning chemicals, as these can leave a residue.
2.
You might be trying to focus on something outside the "depth of field" - objects need to be at
least a certain distance from the camera for you to be able to focus on them. Typically, this will be
only a few feet (about 1m) but this distance can increase dramatically if the lens is zoomed in, or
in low light conditions.
The image looks a little 'flat' - nothing really stands out, or doesn't have much color.
You might need to adjust the contrast and/or saturation (see page 5). There's no hard or fast rule to
figure out the right settings, it's all a matter of experimentation. You can always restore the defaults if
there is a problem.
Try changing the Contrast and Brightness settings. Higher contrast will allow you to see more details,
but might reduce the image quality. Adjusting the brightness along with the contrast will give you
more control.
Increase the saturation. Conversely, if things appear too colored, reduce the saturation.
What I want to see is silhouetted, against a properly exposed background.
Turn on Backlight Compensation. This will change the way the camera deals with lighting, ensuring
things closer to the camera are exposed correctly. This might cause the background to "white out".
6 6 6
Troubleshooting
Troubleshooting
Everything looks blurry/soft.
Too little definition (the image "greys out")
Not enough color (or too much color)
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