Glare on security cameras is one of the most prominent issues many people face. It affects the working of the camera, making the owners uncomfortable as the footage is unclear and people cannot see the details.
If you are also worried about the glare on your security camera, do not fret over it as it is a very common issue. And its solution is also very simple and easy. Read this article to learn about the ways you can reduce or completely get rid of the glare on your security camera.
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Reasons for the appearance of glare on the security camera
First of all, we will go through some reasons which are responsible for causing glare on your security camera.
Many people get security cameras installed inside their property, which often looks through a window towards the garden or the front door.
This is convenient because it is less costly than getting a security camera installed outside your residence and saves lots of cable fitting and drilling costs. But it is not devoid of any drawbacks or problems.
One major problem you can encounter when you install a security camera looking through the glass is the window glare. This makes the images, as well as the footage, blurred, hence risking the security of the place because the details are impossible to see.
Another reason for glare on security cameras, especially at night can be due to infrared light. Many security cameras use infrared light for night vision mode.
As a result, you only see the reflection of your camera or some glimpses of light, which ruins the purpose of installing a surveillance camera in the first place.
The motion detector in your security camera might also be using infrared sensors or identifying heat when an animal or human approaches your property.
Consequently, these sensors measure changes of pixels in the video. Another issue is that behind a window, motions detectors that use infrared sensors do not work properly.
The reason behind this problem is that infrared bounces off the glass of your window before it reaches any human. However, pixel-based motion detectors operate perfectly behind windows, thereby, making them a better option.
How to Prevent the Glare
To prevent the glare or IR reflection on your security cameras, you can use either of the following methods:
Position of your Camera
By changing the position of your security camera, you can get rid of the glare on it. Install your surveillance camera as close to the glass window as possible. This in turn prevents the light from reaching the lens of the camera, which can improve the quality of the images and the footage manifolds.
Change the Place of the Camera
Security cameras are of two main types, inside security cameras and outside security cameras. You should not use inside security cameras outside as they cannot handle the abrupt temperature changes or other harsh weather conditions and get damaged easily.
Since most surveillance cameras are required to be installed inside the property, they do not work properly outside the house. So if you are to change the position of your CCTV camera, keep it inside and do not move it outside the property.
Keep the Outside Lights on
To prevent the IR glare on your surveillance camera, you should keep at least one outside light on at night. This can be very useful to reduce glare. Another best thing you can do is to install motion-activated lights, and these can also save your energy and money as well as minimize the environmental impact.
Once the lights are there, you can turn off the night mode of your camera, which in turn will turn off the IR light hence no glare on the security camera.
IR Illumination Light
One of the best solutions to get rid of infrared reflection is to use IR illumination light. IR illumination lights appear as dim purple lights to the naked human eye, but these are extremely powerful when it comes to surveillance cameras.
After getting the IR illumination lights, you should carefully check their optimal position where they can be installed or mounted. In an ideal case, their best position should be facing your garden or front yard.
Once you have them installed, you can turn off the IR light of your camera and if turning it off is not the option, you can cover it up. It will avoid the glare on your camera lens.
Disable the Night Mode
To avoid the glare on your security camera, you can also disable the night vision mode or any other status lights on your surveillance camera, including the IR lights. But this also depends on your camera type and may not always work.
For instance, some cameras allow you to disable only the lights without having to turn off the night mode, while others do not allow this. In the case of the latter cameras, you can cover the infrared lights on your camera using insulation tape.
Get an Outdoor Security Camera
The last option to avoid getting glare on security cameras is to invest in buying an outdoor security camera. Although this option is quite expensive, it is worth it. Because it will save you lots of hassle and time to resolve the issues you face with an indoor security camera.
Outside security cameras are also weather-resistant as well as waterproof so you do not have to worry about the changing temperatures or harsh weather conditions.
Another thing you should keep in mind when your cameras are having issues is to hire an expert to check if your cameras are working properly.
They can guide you better if the issue is with installment or the camera quality. That way you will have a better understanding of resolving your surveillance camera issues.
Hope this article is of help to you. Thank you for reading!