07-22-2009, 09:05 AM
We received this reply from Erik Staab of Mobotix:
First, I would check the “Image Quality” setting of the camera. There are three settings: High, Normal, and Fast. I’d guess that the camera is currently set to “Fast” (which will produce the highest frame rates but the lowest quality). The “High” quality mode is the opposite, producing the best image quality but the lowest frame rate. The “Normal” mode is a compromise between the two and the default setting from the factory.
I have found it best to use the following settings in the camera in order to focus it, then maybe back down on a couple of settings after focusing if I need higher frame rates or need to conserve on storage requirements:
Image Size = 800x600 (default is 640x480)
Image Quality = “High” (default is “Normal”)
JPEG Quality = “90%” (default is “60%”)
All three of the above settings can be made using the drop down boxes in the live camera view in the web browser – they are also located in the Setup Menu.
Focus the image using the settings above and then back down on the settings if needed to conserve bandwidth or storage.
Image Size is the most subjective – 800x600 is the highest resolution on my monitor that still allows me to see the whole image in the browser without scrolling. Use the resolution that works best on your monitor.
Image Quality is the problem I think you’re having now. I’ve heard different explanations, but basically in “Fast” mode the sensor itself does some processing that allows it to send less data over the network, thus increasing frame rates. It also produces the lowest quality image that is most noticeable in the “staircase” effect you see on the diagonal lines in the image. As you have seen it is very difficult to focus in this mode.
JPEG Quality is affected by the camera performing standard JPEG compression to the image itself (in whole or in part) and it results in pixilation and banding with lower percentages – higher percentages result in better images with less banding and pixilation. If you’ve done image compression with PhotoShop or other image editing programs then this concept is pretty easy to follow… the more you compress, the more your quality drops, so you experiment until you get the right balance of image quality and size if you’re sending the photo via email.
The distance to the objects you will be viewing and the size they represent in the image will dictate if you need to use the best settings for viewing and recording or if you can back off to conserve bandwidth and storage. As the distance increases and the size decreases, the higher the quality needs to be for them to be legible.
Don’t forget to save your settings in the camera after making these adjustments – when the camera reboots it will revert back to the last “saved” settings.
Thanks Erik
First, I would check the “Image Quality” setting of the camera. There are three settings: High, Normal, and Fast. I’d guess that the camera is currently set to “Fast” (which will produce the highest frame rates but the lowest quality). The “High” quality mode is the opposite, producing the best image quality but the lowest frame rate. The “Normal” mode is a compromise between the two and the default setting from the factory.
I have found it best to use the following settings in the camera in order to focus it, then maybe back down on a couple of settings after focusing if I need higher frame rates or need to conserve on storage requirements:
Image Size = 800x600 (default is 640x480)
Image Quality = “High” (default is “Normal”)
JPEG Quality = “90%” (default is “60%”)
All three of the above settings can be made using the drop down boxes in the live camera view in the web browser – they are also located in the Setup Menu.
Focus the image using the settings above and then back down on the settings if needed to conserve bandwidth or storage.
Image Size is the most subjective – 800x600 is the highest resolution on my monitor that still allows me to see the whole image in the browser without scrolling. Use the resolution that works best on your monitor.
Image Quality is the problem I think you’re having now. I’ve heard different explanations, but basically in “Fast” mode the sensor itself does some processing that allows it to send less data over the network, thus increasing frame rates. It also produces the lowest quality image that is most noticeable in the “staircase” effect you see on the diagonal lines in the image. As you have seen it is very difficult to focus in this mode.
JPEG Quality is affected by the camera performing standard JPEG compression to the image itself (in whole or in part) and it results in pixilation and banding with lower percentages – higher percentages result in better images with less banding and pixilation. If you’ve done image compression with PhotoShop or other image editing programs then this concept is pretty easy to follow… the more you compress, the more your quality drops, so you experiment until you get the right balance of image quality and size if you’re sending the photo via email.
The distance to the objects you will be viewing and the size they represent in the image will dictate if you need to use the best settings for viewing and recording or if you can back off to conserve bandwidth and storage. As the distance increases and the size decreases, the higher the quality needs to be for them to be legible.
Don’t forget to save your settings in the camera after making these adjustments – when the camera reboots it will revert back to the last “saved” settings.
Thanks Erik