StarDot Technologies net camera, User Manual

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NetCam Page 35
Chapter 4 Imaging Tips
As is the case with any camera, whether digital or film-based, steps can
be taken that will great improve image quality. NetCam is no exception to
this rule. The following tips will help you achieve the best possible images
with NetCam.
4.1 Lighting
Lighting is the single most important factor in quality photography.
Proper lighting makes the difference between an amateur-looking snapshot
and a professional-looking image. Lighting for a live still camera such as
NetCam can divided into two categories: outdoor and indoor.
Outdoor Lighting
In most outdoor imaging situations, you do not have much control
over the lighting since most of your lighting obviously comes from the sun.
However, you do have control over the lens settings and the positioning of
NetCam. If you have a motorized zoom lens, you can ignore the iris section,
since the iris is controlled automatically by NetCam.
The Iris
The first thing to consider with outdoor lighting is the lens iris. The
iris is an adjustable ring that controls the size of an aperture inside the lens
barrel. The smaller the iris, the less light that reaches the CCD sensor. The
bigger the iris, the more light that reaches the CCD sensor. It is critical that
NetCam’s lens iris is set properly when pointing NetCam outdoors. The
reason for this is twofold -- it provides much better image quality and it
prevents permanent damage to the CCD sensor. If your lens has iris markings
on it, adjust the iris to ƒ16 (the larger the ƒ-stop, the smaller the iris). If your
lens does not have numerical iris markings, look into the lens and visually
watch the aperture change size as you turn the iris ring. You want to adjust
the aperture until it is roughly the size of a pinhole.
Precisely Setting the Iris
• With NetCam in its permanent outdoor position, set the iris to the
size of a pinhole.
• In the Overlay Properties page, add $e to the Text string.
• Monitor the live image. In bright daylight, the exposure should read
between 100 and 500.
• If the exposure is less than 100, close the iris more. If the exposure is
more than 500, try opening the iris slightly.
• Note: Make sure “Auto Exposure” is enabled. The iris setting is a
one-time procedure.