How Can Small & Medium-Sized Sites Ensure Clear Color Surveillance Images at Night
SHARE
18
September 8, 2021
Surveillance monitoring for small and
medium-sized sites could be a tough challenge at night. Options are often limited to day/night cameras and
low-light cameras (sometimes referred to as Starlight cameras). These
devices continue to provide color images when lighting levels reduce up to a
point, but switch to black and white when they deteriorate further. But to
maintain color images in low light conditions with these cameras, other aspects
of the image – such as noise and definition – are often compromised. Cameras
trying to maintain color images at night often struggle when there is movement
in the scene, or when there’s a wide dynamic range (the difference between the
lightest and darkest parts of a scene).
So how can we ensure clear color images at night? Here are 3 tips to do that:
1. Use dual-lens camera
Various types of low-light cameras are
gradually becoming in demand. According to an IHS Markit report in 2019, the
number of video cameras equipped with advanced low-light functionality was set
to rise significantly, from 4.75 million in 2015 to 51 million by 2022.
A
dual-lens camera, as its name indicates, offers two lenses: one to capture lightness information, the other to capture color
information. The upgraded Dahua Full-color 2.0 network camera series is equipped with such specification. With pixel-level frame-by-frame mapping, the dual-lens
cameras of this series present high image definition and vivid colors even when
the supplementary white light is off, thus reducing light pollution and
attraction of insects that can adversely affect the monitoring of the scene. What’s
more, these cameras also feature AA (Active Alignment) process, which perfectly
aligns the incoming light with the sensor. Full-color cameras are
available in dome, bullet, box and eyeball formats.
Aside
from dual-lens cameras, the Dahua Full-color 2.0 series
also offers cameras with other intelligent features such as vari-focal lens and 4K resolution.
To learn
more about the Dahua Full-color 2.0, click here.
2. Use IR and white light together
IR light and white lights are common camera
supplementary lights. Depending on how you use them, it can relatively affect
the quality of images in low-light environments or during night time.
Nevertheless, excessive use of white light contributes to light pollution,
especially in urban areas.
Dahua’s TiOC (three-in-one
camera) 2.0 – due to be launched in September – is equipped with Smart Dual
Illuminators, which allow users to flexibly switch between IR mode and White Light mode (also referred to as Full-color mode) based on their monitoring
requirements. Default illumination is provided by the built-in IR illuminator.
When a person enters the monitoring area, the white light is triggered and
Full-color mode is activated. When a target leaves the area, the LED turns off
and the IR illuminator turns back on, significantly reducing light pollution in
the area.
Moreover, powered by OPC
(Optical Path Compensation) technology, the TiOC 2.0 cameras can correct the
angle of refraction of different light rays, allowing Dahua IPCs to output
brighter and clearer black & white images with F1.0 large aperture lens. It also has the addition of VoiceCatcher technology which is a dual
mic array that enhances sound quality and pickup performance. Cameras in the
TiOC 2.0 series come in 8MP, 5MP or 4MP versions.
To learn more about the Dahua TiOC 2.0, check out this unboxing video.
3. Use automatic tracking
Automatic
tracking is an innovative feature that transforms manually controlled PTZ
cameras into automated tracking systems that keep a moving target in focus and
centered in the frame. It automatically follows/tracks the target within its
field of view.
The TiOC 2.0 series is equipped with Auto
Tracking 3.0. It is based on a deep-learning algorithm using the camera’s pan,
tilt and zoom functions to automatically track pre-defined moving targets even in
environments with low illumination or during night time. It provides a smooth
tracking process through deep fusion of intelligent and focusing algorithms,
and can track targets up to a distance of 870 meters. With the Auto
Tracking 2.0 algorithm as its foundation, the requirements for the tracking size of the target are
further reduced, making the target size smaller and the tracking distance
longer.
Conclusion
Difficulties
in night-time monitoring has been alleviated, thanks to continuous
technological innovations that made color monitoring in low-light condition
possible. Dahua Full-color cameras –
whether standalone or as part of the TiOC series – can deliver enhanced images
and surveillance whatever the time of day or night. By utilizing low-light cameras with dual
lens, smart dual illuminators and automatic tracking, users
do not have to put up with poor, unusable images at night, making these devices
ideal for small and
medium-sized application scenarios such as villas,
parking lots, and retail shops.
Note: The online launch conference for Full-color 2.0 and TiOC 2.0 will be held on September 14, 2021 (17:00-18:00 Beijing Time). Click here for more information.
TOPIC: