which setting causes 5241E-Z12E blur with even slow motion?

looney2ns

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That appears to be compression artifacts, not focus issue's.
Change to H264, and max out the bitrate, and I'll wager you will fix the issue.
IF not, set the camera back to factory defaults, and set back up from scratch, don't import any saved settings.
 

carteriii

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I made the changes discussed and I believe there is improvement in the "motion blur" that I was seeing, but the blur still exists with movement (just not as much). I am trying to reduce the gain and some other settings to allow the image to be darker and see what effect that has.

Having said that, I feel that I have an image which may be due to the same underlying root cause. This morning as the sun came up but the camera was still in night mode (with 1/2000th shutter speed, H.264, 8192 bitrate), I got the following image during the video. Note here that the motion blur is excessive, stretching this pickup by many feet. Normally I/you might think that the shutter speed was really slow, but note how the license plate is really crisp without the same issue. Similarly the headlights don't show the same motion blur as the sides of the truck. I'm completely stumped by this. How do the sides of the truck show tremendous blur while the license plate is crisp? Could this be the same as what is happening with the license plate itself at night (shown in my previous video)? Does this give anyone else any new ideas?

motion-blur-morning-2.20220502_063815305_800x.jpg
 

wittaj

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Dusk and dawn will be where it struggles.

Maybe with such a high iris it is manipulating another parameter? Or maybe just an awkward angle.

For kicks turn off 3D NR and see what it does.

But remember all we care about is the plate - as long as you get the plate, that is all that matters.
 

carteriii

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But remember all we care about is the plate - as long as you get the plate, that is all that matters.
I completely agree. I wouldn't care about the blur of the truck at all except that I thought it might be related to the blur of the license plate at night.

Here is another sample video showing the blur on the license plate before stopping, then it clears up, and then immediately blurs again with the slightest movement of the car. This was taken with the gain turned down to 0-50, but the iris was up at 70:
 

Flintstone61

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If you try to do too much with one camera, something else gets sacrificed. Esp. if your going LPR duty.
I was able to use two cams in this spot to get better data.
While youre truck pic has Blur, you can still tell the Plate.
Sometimes my second cams isn't the best at ID in some circumstances.
But they pass thru 6 cameras if they make a loop thru the property.
I always get useful data.

Screenshot 2022-01-17 164243.pngScreenshot 2022-01-17 164337.pngLpr4.jpgLpr3.jpg
 
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carteriii

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No, definitely no WDR. I knew that would only hurt. I have played with the headlight setting (HLC), but am leaving that off to try to avoid any camera processing that might cause this. I am curious if others are using the HLC backlight setting successfully.
 
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Any chance you have another identical cam to mount in that same location? And start with - for example - @samplenhold's settings? ('m sure other people have very similar settings which also work for their situations, I know everybody's situation will be slightly different.) Then you can either rule out the camera or rule out the settings.

Apologies if it's been suggested or ruled out already.
 

wittaj

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I use HLC at 50 and get great shots

1651544566895.png
 

Flintstone61

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Ya'll gonna hate me for this. but I was catching plates with no practical experience, day 1. on default settings except for zoom and 1/2000 shutter.
But eventually the Dawn/ Dusk monster got me. Now I stay on my Night settings. with IR set to Auto. so my day plates are B&W also.
Again trying to do too much......was trying to get color images of the whole car in the day, and was losing plates. had to focus that bitch on the dirt. and just leave it alone.
 

carteriii

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I do not have another of the same model to try. @Flintstone61 I do have an “overview” camera on the same area, but it’s not close enough to read license plates, which is my sole purpose/goal for this camera.

On that topic, are any of you using the same firmware that I am, with the 2022-02-18 build date? My full version info is shown in the screenshot in my first post. I don’t want to blame this on firmware, to the point that I may try a factory reset and starting over just in case I did something that isn’t apparent. I would actually prefer this whole problem to be my own “user error”, since that’s more easily fixed.
 

wittaj

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I was just getting ready to say to try the 3 time factory reset, especially with that newer firmware (is that the firmware wildcat said not to upgrade the Z12E to?)

Sometimes a firmware update leaves some gremlins in it, which is why many here do the 3 times factory reset after a firmware update.
 
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Here are a few from tonight:
This guy had a bad front plate. Inching though you are hard pressed to get all of the numbers. BTW, this guy was moving! Maybe about 35mph.
LPR East 2022-05-02 09.40.10.412 PM.jpg

But here is the back plate cap. No issue getting it clear.
LPR West 2022-05-02 09.04.16.887 PM.jpg

Here is a front plate cap of a different vehicle just a few minutes prior on the same cam. Nice and clear. This guy was also runnin hot. Maybe 30-35MPH.
LPR East 2022-05-02 09.35.30.921 PM.jpg
 

carteriii

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I just noticed that @wittaj in another thread showed settings with a gamma=20. I've had 40 as a value this whole time and haven't really changed it, so I just dropped it to 20 to see what that does.

I really wish I had a more steady flow of cars (& more time) so I could change each setting one at a time, quickly see what happens, and then move on to the next setting.

Any advice for the "Exposure Comp" setting? That would seem to be a newer firmware setting simply because most of you haven't shown that in your settings screenshots. It has been on the default setting of 50 this whole time. I'm not asking because I think it's a problem, but only because I haven't yet tried setting it low or high to see if it makes a difference in the blur.

@samplenhold What's the difference between your first & third shots of the front plate? Just that one is more reflective or the angle or ??? I get that the rear plate has a light on it, but what makes that difference on the front plates?
 
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I get that the rear plate has a light on it, but what makes that difference on the front plates?
That is a good question. It is older, based on the numbers. It is an older style with a very light blue background and white but still has black letters. Not the same car but the same vintage of plate:
1651546954811.png

The Second one is the newer plates that are white with black letters. Not the same car but the same vintage of plate, which is the current issued plate here in Texas:
1651547030728.png

I suspect that the blurry one is quite dirty and/or damaged. Front plates get all the dirt and bugs at high speeds and even the wind can bend and wrinkle front plates. Both of those front plate caps that you asked about are from the same cam, same distance and angle.
 
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Flintstone61

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I do not have another of the same model to try. @Flintstone61 I do have an “overview” camera on the same area, but it’s not close enough to read license plates, which is my sole purpose/goal for this camera.

On that topic, are any of you using the same firmware that I am, with the 2022-02-18 build date? My full version info is shown in the screenshot in my first post. I don’t want to blame this on firmware, to the point that I may try a factory reset and starting over just in case I did something that isn’t apparent. I would actually prefer this whole problem to be my own “user error”, since that’s more easily fixed.
Yeah you don't nned the over view cam to catch plates. You're catching plates already. It's probably a setting. does it happen in daylight or extreme night?
 
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