Plus5toTech
  • Home
  • Cameras
  • Alarms
  • Pricing / Rates
Picture

Camera FAQ

Here at Plus 5 to Tech we use the awesome range of Hikvision products, our suppliers are able to stock most models of Hikvision and Hilook.  This gives us many options such as dome, turret mini dome or bullet cameras.   Cameras that use Infra Red or ColorVu.  Cameras with Acusense or IntelliSense and Liveguard.  Maybe a camera with Darkfighter or Lightfighter is better for you.  Once we settle on the type of camera, we can then decide what MegaPixel camera you need, what size fixed lens, or perhaps a variable focus lens you need.  Somewhere in that combination is the right setup for you!

Ok, but that was a bunch of brand name jargon, what does all that mean, and what does it get you??  Good questions, lets break it down a little.

Infra Red

This is a cool name for your standard black and white night vision picture. The cameras can see the infra red spectum of light, but the human eye can not. Its a good way of illuminationg an area subtly​, as the led lights on the camera will glow a dull red, but thats about all you can see.
IR Pros:
  • Technology has been around for a while and is the cheapest way to get night vision. IR range is around 30-40m
  • With a 2k or higher camera and a well IR illuminater area, you get some crisp images
  • Ability to monitor an area fairly subtly as there is nothing lighting the area and only a dull clow on the camera
IR Cons:
  • As the image is greyscale, you can't make out identifying colours.
  • If the camera is exposed to a bright light, say that of a torch or headlights of a car, the image will blow out to white and can take a few seconds to come back once the light has gone.
  • IR light really doesn't like reflective objects, a high-vis shirt or a numberplate tends to reflect the IR light and just glow, whach can make identification hard.

ColorVu

This is Hikvisions techie name for their ultra light sensitive cameras. The camera sensor and lenses are designed in a way that they only need minimal ambient light (0.0005 Lux) to give a full colour picture. Something like a streetlight at the front of your yard is enough light to make them work well.
In areas that still don't have enough ambienrt light, the cameras have their own white LED lights and generally provide enough light to see about 30-40m. The brightness is dimable, so you only need to have enough for them to work. They are probably as bright as a solar powered shed sensor light, although can be quite bright if you look directly at them.
ColorVu Pros:
  • Full colour night video. Very helpful to be able to advise authorities what colour shirt someone is wearing.
  • Does not reflect as much off high-vis and numberplates, can usually still read a numberplate at night.
  • Recovers from bright lights being shined at it much quicker.
  • If onboard light is used it can act as a night light for that dark area of the yard, or for when you forgot to turn your outside light on when you went for a night out. Light range is around 30m
  • Makes it quite obvious an area is under surveilance at night with the onboard lights on.
ColorVu Cons:
  • If the onboard light is used, it can also provide unwelcome visitors with the light they need to have a better look around.
  • If not adjusted properly, the onboard light can be an annoyance to neighbors, or even yourself if its shining in a window.
  • They are more expensive than an IR camera, although the margin is narrowing.
  • The camera shutter speed neccesary for a good colour night image may be lower than normal which can cause fast moving objects to blur slightly. This is highly dependant on camera settings.

Darkfighter

The Darkfighter range is similar to the ColorVu range of cameras. Both are designed for very low light colour images. One of the main differences is when a Darkfighter camera finds the area too dark, below around 0.002 lux it still reverts back to an Infra Red light in order to continue working, instead of the white light that the ColorVu uses.  This means in super dark areas the Darkfighter will still show a traditional black and white image.  THe Darkfighter series generally use much longer range IR illuminators as well.  We also find most Darkfighter cameras tend to use a lower MegaPixel sensor. This is because they use larger pixels to gather more light.  This is normally not a problem as most of these cameras also use zoom lenses, so they can be adjusted to the right magnification to still capture the scene you want in good quality.
Darkfighter Pros:
  • Full colour low light images
  • Use IR light in pitch dark areas and do not make it obvious an area is under surveilance. IR range tends to be 50m or over
  • Most use a zoom lens, so the captured sceen can be adjusted as needed.
Darkfighter Cons:
  • Tend to be more expensive than standard or ColorVu cameras
  • ​Use IR light which really doesn't like reflective objects, a high-vis shirt or a numberplate tends to reflect the IR light and just glow, this can make identification harder.
  • Generally have a lower resolution than other cameras of the same price, this can lead to a lower quality image if not set up correctly.

Lightfighter

Lightfighter cameras are designed to solve a differnt issue to the Darkfighters... light.  A Lightfighter camera can resolve a good picture even when pointed toward lights bright enough to disrupt other cameras. They use a high frame rate a large WDR (Wide Dynamic Range) to filter out the light from an image. They are a more specific use type camera, but do well in areas that are brightly lit, or an room that has standard lighting but faces a bright object, such as an office with large windows in full sun. A normal camera will show the office but not outside the window, a Lightfighter will do both.
Lightfighter Pros:
  • Can see in bright light
  • High frame rate captures motion more smoothly
Lightfighter Cons:
  • Quite expensive
  • ​Are not as capable in lower light situations.
Image credit: Freepik
Site powered by Weebly. Managed by CheaperDomains.com.au
  • Home
  • Cameras
  • Alarms
  • Pricing / Rates