4. Camera mounting
Correct camera mounting ensures that image quality can achieve its full potential. Professional expertise is needed to achieve an optimal installation, but here are some factors to consider when planning a camera’s position.- Surveillance objective – Make sure the camera is right for its task, and correctly positioned to achieve its objective.
- Add light, if needed – It is usually easy and cost-effective to add lighting to provide the necessary light conditions to capture good images.
- Avoid direct sunlight – This can ‘blind’ the camera and reduce image sensor performance. If possible, position the camera so it is always between the scene and the sun.
- Avoid backlight – This problem occurs when capturing a scene in front of a window or a strong source of light. If you can’t reposition the camera, make sure to use a camera that supports wide dynamic range.
- Reduce dynamic range – In outdoor scenes, too much sky in the image often causes a high dynamic range. If the chosen camera does not support wide dynamic range, plan to mount it high above the ground.
- Adjust camera settings – To obtain an optimal image, it may be necessary to adjust white balance, brightness and sharpness. In low light situations, you must also choose to prioritise either frame rate or image quality.
- Legal considerations – Video surveillance may be restricted or prohibited by law. Always check local laws before installing a video surveillance system.
No single type of camera is optimal for every application. The best solution often combines HDTV
network cameras, megapixel network cameras, and standard resolution network cameras that are
optimised for different needs - such as pan/tilt/zoom, extreme light sensitivity or cost-efficiency.
5. Camera configuration
Configuring means tuning, or fine-tuning, your installed cameras, so you can make the most of them. For example, with the Axis camera range this is easy, thanks to features such as:- Remote zoom – This allows you to make final adjustments to the zoom from the computer. It helps ensure that the viewing angle is optimised for the scene and required image resolution.
- Remote focus –This eliminates the need to manually focus at the camera location. It also allows you to make key adjustments from the computer.
- Pixel counter – This enables the installer to draw a rectangle (on-screen) around an area of interest in the scene, to get immediate feedback on the size of that image area and verify that the installation fulfills regulatory or customer requirements for pixel resolution.
How many 'interest' areas need to be covered for a given location? Are they located close together, or far apart?
This decides the type and number of cameras needed.
6. Viewing screen calibration
You can only fully appreciate surveillance video when your computer screen or TV is correctly calibrated. Check these four points to ensure your viewing screen is correctly calibrated:- Brightness – Adjust to suit your personal needs.
- Contrast – If contrast is too low, the darker shades in the image will be difficult to differentiate from each other. If too high, lighter shades will be difficult to differentiate.
- Gamma – This is a measurement of contrast that affects midtones in an image. Pick the gamma mode that best suits your needs.
- Sharpness – Compare the borders between tones in different parts of the image, to decide what sharpness suits you best.
Conclusion
To get the best video surveillance installation, image usability must be the first consideration as well as the litmus test for all other decisions. This is easy to achieve if project development follows the right sequence, and the results will likely be more satisfying and cost-effective too.
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