Cameras and Maintenance

[heffneil]

I have installed a bunch of cameras in my property.  I have noticed after several years they seem to need considerable maintenance including refocusing often.  I don't know if this is common.  Some of the cameras I am using are Speco so a quality (at least I think they are) brand camera.  Others are cheapos for about $60 to $70 maybe less it has been a while but all claim to have a decent sensor in them.    Some of the cameras (a monoprice which wasn't cheap but probably not good) only works at night which seems very odd.  I have no signal during the day - most of the time - sometimes it does work during the day (Crazy huh?) but consistently works at night (it is IR).
 
Another problem I am having is that several of the cameras appear to have lens issues.  The picture is faded or overly white.  Almost like the iris is stuck and can't adjust.  Are cameras disposable like this?  I mean the specos are a couple hundred bucks a piece and to have to replace them I am a but unsure what is "better" and more durable.
 
Any thoughts or insight would be much appreciate as I am a bit of a newb with a camera fetish
 
 
Thanks!
 
Neil
 

 

[Del91574]

Focusing the cameras is a routine maintenance item. If they're varifocal, they'll tend to creep with temperature changes, even if the set screws are cranked down.
 
I can't comment about your failures. It sounds like the one that only works at night, assuming it's running in B/W would be the color chip is shot and you're only getting signal when it's running B/W.

The washed out picture would be ATW or BLC not functioning, or worse, a failed or stuck iris. It happens.....but sometimes with certain cameras (the low light units that manipulate the iris to get images in the dark) tend to fail more often. Could also be a bad batch, I had a couple come through a couple of years ago. Speco offers a 5 year warranty if bought through appropriate channels.

 

[heffneil]

They are intensifiers so they adjust the iris at night I imagine hence the failure?  Yeah its just hard to maintain them and to constantly focus.  On the second story and really high up.

 

[Del91574]

I had a few failures with the INT2's that were iris based. Once they're focused, they can be locked down, so the drift shouldn't really be significant or really noticed.
 
Bullets or domes?

They work by speeding/slowing the shutter to allow more/less light, so the components seem to take a slight beating over time.
 
Since they're a newer camera, as long as you can deal with the original vendor, they should be under warranty still.

 

[heffneil]

These are the bullet domes.  I actually have one intensifier bullet that is doing the dead during the daytime and ok at night (some of the time).  
 
One of them is really pale and Im not sure if rebooting it would fix it but I am doubtful.  I have some newer bullet domes and they seem to come out of the box sharper and require less focusing.
 
I am seriously considering going IP with cameras that have motorized focus but they are pricey as all get out and probably not worth it.

 

[pete_c]

Here I have noticed that the cams least affected by the weather have been the Optex.  Some 3 years ago I did update the lens assembly on these an the insides  including the legacy lens showed no signs of "weathering".  Focus / function remained fine over about 10 years.   I am not sure on the type of plastic utilized nor the assembly material inside. 
 
I tested one Speco dome with a varifocal lense.  The case was an IP-67.  It was outside for approximately 2 years.  The lens assembly did show signs of weathering along with the assembly for the mounting bracket.  It was brittle and on disassembly did sort of crumble a bit.  The plastic cover also became opaque making me replace the camera.  I am currently doing a DIY with these camera domes using IP HD cameras and boards.  The new ones that were never utilized sitting on a shelf today have brittle plastic and have never been outside.  They are the easiest for my to do my DIY stuff though.
 
An Everfocus IP67 case and camera dome assembly also tested outdoors (abused somewhat) show no signs of any weathering inside or outside of the case.  The assembly / brackets for the camera lens assembly was made of metal.  The varifocal camera lens board here was inside a small metal case.
 
Smaller cheaper analog with lens in the center, rubber grommet and LEDs surrounding all did show weather degradation mostly with the rubberized grommet collapsing over the lens in a year or two. (throw away's after a year type use cameras)
 
I am only mentioning the cameras that I played with.

 

[newalarm]

Have these camera's been logged into the camera database? it would be interesting to get the specs and your experience with them.
 
When you say the cases get brittle, or dome/lens yellow, is that due to it being hit by sunlight? If not, would reflective light cause this?

 

[pete_c]

Just the Speco and Optex cameras.  These were analog cams.  They are directly exposed to the weather with no shielding from the sun et al.
 
The Optex plastic (clear and white) never faded, nor did get brittle from the sun exposure over the last 10 years. 
 
The Speco inside plastic camera mounting bracket did get brittle in a bit over a year.  That said the ones on my "do what" shelf in MFG boxes sitting for XX years have brittle plastic not exposed to the weather but just time; which is a bad thing.  I cracked off the little mounting pivotal protrusions gently taking it apart.  The one tested outdoors was adjacent to an evergreen tree and wondering now if it was the sap of the tree that caused the discoloration of the dome.  Whatever it is though I cannot clean it off.  This was my personal experience with said dome.
 
I didn't write anything about the Everfocus dome because I didn't put it outside very long mostly due to the power requirements with the heater et al.  That said it still looks new to me.
 

When you say the cases get brittle, or dome/lens yellow, is that due to it being hit by sunlight? If not, would reflective light cause this?

I thought this was it with the Speco's but it looks like age and plastic composition that caused the deterioration more than sunlight.
 
BTW I have one older Panasonic PT IP camera that has been left alone now for a few years; still working like new; never a problem with it.

 

[Del91574]

Intensifiers don't really have any plastic to speak of on the mounts or the housings, besides the lens cover. For bullets and turrets, the housing itself passes through to the lens directly to a standard board mount (albeit pinned to the chip) varifocal lens.