IP Camera selection no overexposure ?

[markg0lgj]

Hi I am looking to install a IP camera system covering a driveway entrance and also longish drive and then the outside of 2 outbuldings.
I have looked at other systems and Number plates / flourecent jackets seem to get "whited out" or over exposed making them unreadable. Do no need to record the number plates just need to be able to review on the CCTV.
Looking at 4 cameras to start so was looking at 8 channel NVR but unsure of camera type to go for ? Rural location with very low ambient light no streetlights etc.

Thanks in advance Mark

 

[Dan]

Hi @markg0lgj

I think you sent us an offline message the other day, we did respond to it via email but it may have gone into your junk, below is what I said in the email:

The only cameras that will give you reliable plate reads at night are ANPR cameras like the iDS-2CD7A26G0/P-IZHSY

The issue with number plates is that they are reflective and so if you shine any light at them, whether that's visible white light or IR light, it will bounce back into the lens of the camera and whiteout.

ANPR cameras get around this issue by having their sensors configured to be less sensitive to light, this removes the glare from the plate to make it readable but at the same time also makes the rest of the scene very dark. This means that really if want to get general coverage of a scene and read plates you will need 2 cameras, an ANPR camera and a standard camera.

ColorVu cameras might give better results than IR cameras, but if you do have bright light sources in the scene (e.g. security lights, street lighting, etc...) they might reflect off the number plates and into the camera the same way as the IR models.