Strange circle in video feed, bad CCD?

[dad632]

I received a Hikvision DS-2CD2032-I, which has been running perfect for 2 days. Today I came home and looked at the video and it looks like someone drew a circle in photoshop and overlayed it on my video. I'm thinking I probably just need to return it, but before I do, has anyone seen this kind of thing before?

 

[catseyenu]

Have you taken it down to see if it's something that came loose inside of the lens cover?

 

[dad632]

I did climb up there and look in it with a flash light. It looks immaculate to me.
I have tried software reset. no change.
I have hard reset. no change.
I changed resolutions. no change.
I tried switching day/night modes. no change.

 

[dad632]

I have noticed the shape has changed a little after moving the camera around and taping on it.

 

[Shockwave199]

That is far out man! RMA that sucker asap. Don't know what it is, but something is very wrong with the image sensor I would think!

 

[dad632]

Starting to think it is a drop of condensation. The shape has returned to smooth egg shape now that I have left it alone. Since it is supposed to be a moisture resistant camera there is probably no chance the moisture will evaporate its way OUT either. I've sent an email to request a return though.

 

[Shockwave199]

Maybe, but the image within the circle is too clear to be seeing through a drop of moisture I think.

 

[networkcameracritic]

That is the weirdest thing I've ever seen. My guess is that it's a tiny drop of liquid on the lens or sensor. You can remove the 3 screws on the back, open the two halves (careful there's a two wires that connect the two halves, so don't pull too hard) and let it air out for a day and see what happens, if anything to see if that's what the problem is.

 

[bp2008]

Be honest now, @dad632, are you trolling us????

That is just creepy!!


It is so sharp and artificial looking that I would be really surprised if that is moisture in the optics. I would think anything so close to the lens/sensor would be utterly out of focus. Yet it also doesn't look like anything a glitchy sensor would produce. It seriously does look like someone drew it in photoshop and overlayed it on your video.

So... assuming you aren't actually trolling us, could you upload some snapshots of this with the camera at different resolutions? (i.e. 2048x1536, 1920x1080, 1280x720, and some of the sub stream resolutions too). I am really curious how it moves and scales (or doesn't) with the different resolutions.

 

[nayr]

if you think its moisture point the lens towards the sun for an afternoon or two, perhaps with the IR's on full power at the same time... presuming its summer where you are you want to try to slowly bake it out.

could be a pocket of gas, wouldn't distort the image as much as a liquid... either way id try to raise the temps carefully and see if it starts to get smaller or move/change.

its surely something physical and not electronic in nature.

 

[eyeball]

I'm thinking it's some type of oil, maybe from manufacturing. There's a slight color difference inside the circle than outside it. I think I'd RMA it.

 

[dad632]

Here are pics of the 6 different resolutions from main and sub streams. Yes, I have also noticed the very slight color difference inside the circle, and some color changes around the edge. I never would have considered gas or oil. Considering the size of the CCD that would be one tiny drop. I haven't heard back from the EBAY merchant for the RMA yet, so I may try the sunlight idea.

main-1280-720


main-1920-1080


main-2048x1536


sub-352x240


sub-640x480


sub-704x480

 

[Shockwave199]

I see some paint cans in there. Splatters have amazing ability. Are you sure you didn't clean the glass and yet leave residue behind?

 

[dad632]

I see some paint cans in there. Splatters have amazing ability. Are you sure you didn't clean the glass and yet leave residue behind?

The paint wasn't there in the original post. But today it was only to paint a door in the other corner that is current obscured by the closet door being open, so it wasn't any closer to the camera than you see in the pics.

Here is a pic with IR on. Same.

 

[eyeball]

It's obviously some type of "liquid" as you can force it to change shapes by tapping it. To my way of thinking it's less likely that a drop of anything external (water, etc) would get into the lens that way because it's a sealed, weatherproof camera. That's why I was thinking it may have been residual oil from the manufacturing process, but it is really weird that it showed up after two days of use. Perhaps the oil (or whatever it is) got to a temperature after two days that caused it to become thinner and move to the lens. Lucky you (just kidding) ... maybe you could try what one of the other folks suggested & remove the lens cover & clean it if you can't send it back.

 

[bp2008]

Interesting. So all the video sizes show the circle in the same location relative to the environment, even between the 1920x1080 and 2048x1536 streams which we all know gives a slightly different field of view. So I'm definitely leaning toward eyeball's assessment. Hopefully it is just a bit of liquid that you could carefully clean off, and not like some kind of air bubble like you might get under a screen protector film... nah... it is probably a liquid.

Since it is in such sharp focus I would suspect it is right next to or ON the image sensor behind the lens. You'll probabably have to remove the glue on the lens and take the lens out and then hopefully you will see this little stowaway either on the image sensor or on the bottom of the lens. Or both.

 

[dad632]

Thanks for all the input everyone. The ebay merchant has agreed to replace the camera. Hopefully if I have any problems in the future they will be "normal." But now my curiosity has me wishing I could go ahead and open it up and look closer

 

[bp2008]

Its a shame the blob doesn't (reliably, anyway) look like a famous religious figure, or you could be selling that cam right back to someone on ebay

 

[eyeball]

Um ... Now That You Mention It, @bp2008 ...

Its a shame the blob doesn't (reliably, anyway) look like a famous religious figure, or you could be selling that cam right back to someone on ebay

Look closely is that Je-, wait, maybe it's just Tommy Chong again...

 

[dad632]

Actually, it has grown today. Maybe it's a new life form!