Outdoor Cam v2 Color Recording Issues

Recently added my first v2 to my outdoor cams. No issues with set up or detection and other cameras are all functioning as expected. Initially I could not get the v2 to record color after dark. I read that night vision mode needed to be set to off for it to record in color. I did that and I can now see some color. However, night recordings are heavily pixelated and the only color I am seeing is in the distance, I can see the individual red bricks on the next two houses down the street like it is daylight but the near focus, i.e. the deer standing 10 feet from the camera, is almost completely pixelated and in shades of gray. So, dark for the first 20-30 feet then it’s like the sun is shining down the street.

Since I’ve only been changing one setting per night it will be a couple more days before I am done playing with the detection zone and sensitivity settings. However, figured I’d throw the problem out for input in the meantime.

Thanks!

Post a screenshot of what you are seeing. Likely help in diagnosing.

“Color at night” still needs some light to work, weither its a nearby area light or a full moon, it doesn’t work in complete darkness. Even “Night vision mode” when enabled needs some light, weither visible or IR, to work as it doesn’t see in complete darkness either.

I second the call for photo visual aids. Thanks in advance!

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I was just guessing on whether video will upload. If it didn’t work, let me know the correct way to do it.

Since the first upload appears to have worked. This is what I get with the original outdoor cam.

The B&W video is when color night vision is disabled and it’s just using IR NV. The new cams support color night vision, but as Omgitstony said it still needs a little light. If you can install a small solar light nearby it will really help with the color night vision, if not you can just disable it and set night vision to ON instead of AUTO. This unfortunately will also have it B&W during the day, so that may not be an option.

Here are the “night vision” mode settings breakdown. (using screenshots from my WCOv1)


Under Advanced Settings, when your “Night Vision Mode” is set to “On”, your picture from the camera will be in black and white all the time. This mode can see visible light, as well as the onboard IR illuminators (to which have their own toggle that will turn on or stay off depending on the NV mode). This looks like your second video, with the B/W image and the IR illuminators on).


When “Night Vision Mode” is “Off”, your camera view will be in color, and only be able to see visible light (as evident by your first video, which appears to have its NV mode off at that time and can only see the far off lights from the neighbor).

This is sometimes called “Color night vision”, but to me the nomenclature is far to close to the normal “night vision mode” name where i like to say “color at night or low light” instead so folks don’t get the two confused,


This is where the camera determines itself, based on the amount of luminance in view, weither to have night vision mode enabled (black and white picture) or to have night vision mode disabled (color at night or low light). This also takes in account the IR lights toggle and if the camera goes into night vision mode (black and white view) and if enabled, it turns on the IR lights also.


Also note on the IR lights, on some of my cameras that look through glass i have the NV mode set to auto, and the IRs off because i was the camera to switch mode at darkness, but don’t use the onboard IR lights and i get the twilight zone repeating IR light infinity mirror reflection. So that’s the reason for the IR light toggle.

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Thank you both for both your time and insights. You have pretty much confirmed where my thoughts were heading. I guess I had higher hopes than the current capabilities permit. It doesn’t sound like my present set up is going to be conducive to color mode. I will try adding some kind of light to the area and see what that does. Failing a significant improvement with that I’ll probably default to B&W for a bit. The camera will have to be relocated come spring so between now and then I can contemplate my options.

Any chance for a solar powered light or something to be in that area to provide some light? Solar powered motion light or something may be enough to light the area when there is motion.

That’s what I was thinking but need to come up with one that doesn’t need to be spiked in the ground. That’s a bit solid at present.