Best practices: Capturing images
To obtain high quality images from a camera, a few basic rules apply. These rules are equally applicable to network cameras as they are to any other type of camera.
Here are some simple tips for capturing good images.
Use lots of light
The most common reason for poor quality images is a lack of light. Generally, the more light, the better the images. With too little light, the images will become blurred and dull in color. Professional photographers always use strong lamps.
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Lux is the standard unit for measurement for light. The table shows how much light you can get in different kinds of conditions.
At least 200 lux is needed to capture good quality images. A high-quality camera might be specified to work down to 1 lux. This means you can capture an image at 1 lux; not that you will get a good image at 1 lux. Different manufacturers use different references when they specify the light sensitivity, which makes it hard to compare cameras without looking at captured images.
Avoid back light
Bright areas in the images should be avoided. Bright images might become overexposed
(bright white) and objects can then appear too dark. This problem typically occurs when
attempting to capture an object from behind a window.
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| Avoid very bright areas in an image by changing the camera position. | Advanced cameras include the feature to compensate for back light. |
Reduce the contrast
A camera adjusts the exposure to obtain an average level of light in the image. When trying to capture an image of a person standing in front of a white wall, the person generally tends to appear too dark. This problem is easily solved by substituting the background color for gray instead of white.
