There’s no easy fix for that. The best options you have are:
- Install outdoor cameras so they aren’t behind glass
- Turn off the IR on the camera and use outdoor IR lights instead.
Haha the box is too funny.
I’m not sure about the IR reflection issue. Maybe try changing the angle or move the camera closer to the glass if possible. By the way, why do you have the camera in the box?
Milan said:
I’m not sure about the IR reflection issue. Maybe try changing the angle or move the camera closer to the glass if possible. By the way, why do you have the camera in the box?
I put it in the box so it’s not as visible from the outside. I’m planning to set up something else long-term.
@Ira
Not visible? Lol, that’s funny.
Quincy said:
@Ira
Not visible? Lol, that’s funny.
Yeah, it’s not really ‘less visible’ when it’s in a giant white box that literally says ‘camera’ on it. Heh.
If your camera is inside the window and the IR is on, it will reflect. You’d need to turn off the IR LEDs, or there could be an option to do that in the settings. Alternatively, you could place the camera outside the window. If that’s not an option, you could cover the IR lens with black electrical tape. For me, I have a system where I can turn the IR off, and I keep cameras inside windows but with no IR on.
I have a Ring camera set up like that, and there’s an option in the app to set it for facing out of a window.
Cheap cameras don’t do a good job. Their IR is weak and the resolution is poor. Even if you get something on video, it’s hard to identify anyone. If you want something better, get a 4K or 8K Reolink camera, it’s about $80-150. But putting any IR camera facing a window will never work well.
@Vesper
That’s not true. I have a wired Reolink system and four Wi-Fi cameras at my cabin. They all work well. I also have a cheap baby monitor that looks out the back window and it catches all the motion just fine.
A few years ago, I just covered the IR lights on my Ring indoor camera with black tape. It worked great, and I kept the outdoor lights on.
If it’s behind glass, you’re going to have to either turn off or cover the IR lights, or they will reflect.
There’s no fix for this. Notice how the camera lens is a different piece of glass from the IR LEDs? This is why, even within the camera housing, if both the lens and the IRs are behind the same glass, you’ll get this reflection.
The best solution is to mount the camera under the eaves of your house. If you own the place (or have permission from the landlord), you can drill a small hole high up by the eaves so that water won’t get in. Run the power cable through the hole and mount the camera outside.
If you can’t turn off the IR in the settings, you could take the camera apart and unplug the IR LEDs. Alternatively, you could get some foam and shape it into a donut big enough to fit just around the lens. Place that between the camera and the window. This might not work with double glazing due to internal reflections.
IR light can’t go through glass. That’s why dome cameras use materials like lexan or acrylic, not glass. IR light will always flare when hitting glass, no way around it.