StarDot Technologies net camera manual Sun, Indoor Lighting

The Sun

If possible, aim NetCam so that it never points directly into the sun. The best direction is north or south. If you must point the camera in a western or eastern direction, try to get as little sky as possible in the image. What you want to avoid is direct sunlight -- as with any camera, or your eyes for that matter, looking into the sun produces some of the worst images. It can also damage the CCD sensor over time, even with the iris set properly.

There are certain imaging factors that are not controllable. Depending on where the sun travels in relation to the camera, you may find that images look better in the morning than the afternoon or vice versa. This is just the reality of lighting and is normal.

The Sky, Backlighting and Dynamic Range

One thing you can do to control the quality of your images is to reduce the likelihood of backlighting. Backlighting occurs when the background of an image is significantly brighter than the foreground. One example is a group of buildings in front of a bright sky. Depending on the difference in brightness between the buildings and the sky, the buildings can become a dark silhouette against the sky. Most cameras, as well as the human eye, are unable to capture details in both the dark foreground and the bright background at the same time. Dynamic range is the term used to describe the amount of detail a camera is able to capture in both dark and light areas at the same time. NetCam has great dynamic range, but as is the case with most cameras, it has its limits.

Here are a few suggestions for reducing backlighting:

•Point NetCam so little or no sky is visible in the image.

•If you want sky in the image, point NetCam to the north (or south)

•Use gamma correction option on the Image Properties page to increase the details in shadowy areas of the image.

Indoor Lighting

The biggest advantage that indoor lighting offers is control. Unlike outdoor lighting, there is no need to worry about a travelling light source or a strongly backlit sky. However, that doesn’t mean indoor lighting does not have its challenges. Here are some suggestions for improving indoor imaging.

•If light is limited, open the lens iris all the way.

•Avoid pointing the camera at regions with white walls in the background as this may produce an undesired backlighting effect.

•Avoid pointing the camera toward a window.

•If possible, avoid mixed light sources. For example, a room with

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