Why Does Security Camera Look Blurry? (5 Main Reason)

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Getting security cameras is a good investment for homeowners, the cameras keep their property and house under monitoring 24/7 without missing what happens during day or night.

Unfortunately, sometimes the surveillance cameras produce deteriorated images which in term affects the image quality of the camera. But why?

Well, There are several reasons why a security camera might produce blurry, fuzzy, or out-of-focus images. 

The most common reason is that the lens on the camera is out of focus, or it is dirty or dusty and needs to be cleaned. Another possibility is that there is something blocking the lens, such as mud, snowfall, or water drop inside the dome of the camera causing the light to reflect again to the lens, sometimes blurry happens because of defective image sensors used in the camera, or due to the low resolution of the camera itself.

How Can I Make My Security Camera Stop Blurry and Capture Clearer Images?

To make your security camera stop blurry images you have to solve any issue related to the camera lens and fix it correctly.

Sometimes the issue is the focus of the lens is not directed in the right place and needs to be adjusted, another reason is the lens of the security camera is not clean enough to make cam-capture images with details, and more.

Here are the 6 main reasons that you should take care of and solve them immediately if you face issues with your camera that produces blurry images.

Reason1 – Camera’s Lens May be Out of Focus

The lens on a security camera is important because it affects how clear the image captured by the camera will be. But How?

Well, when the light lies on the security camera it lies on the lens first, after that, the lens collects the lights, and concentrates them into a specific spot on the image sensor that exists behind the camera lens. 

If the lens doesn’t concentrate light on the right spot, then the camera will probably produce fuzzy images, and to fix it you have to adjust the focus on the security camera.

The focus of a security camera can be adjusted manually or automatically depending on the model of the camera used. 

Some cameras have an automatic focusing system that uses infrared detection to adjust focus based on the distance of objects in view. 

Other cameras may require manual adjustment of lens focus, which can usually be done with a small screwdriver or another tool.

Reason2 – Dirty/Dusty Camera Lens 

How many times do your mobile camera look blurry when you’re trying to take a selfie or portrait photo with your mobile? Maybe many times you get this issue and all you do to fix this issue is to clean your mobile camera lens.

The same is also with security cameras but on a large scale, security cameras are exposed to different types of harsh weather from heavy wind, rain, and dust to small water drops. 

Most of these natural elements can enter your camera body and be stuck on the camera lens causing blurry images. 

So, to get your camera image clear again you have to clean the camera lens carefully and remove anything that affects the cam lens.

Get a suitable type of microfiber cloth, open the camera body, spray water, and with the soft cloth try to wipe the lens.

Doing this will help you to keep insects and also birds away from your surveillance cameras.

Reason3 – Hardware of Security Camera

For Security cameras, the image sensor is responsible for capturing and converting light into an electrical signal. This signal is then processed by electronic circuitry to create a digital video or picture. 

A defective image sensor can cause a blurry image in a security camera, you can know this by troubleshooting and seeing if the camera is still producing a frustratingly blurry video then the reason will be the image sensor. 

To fix this, you have to change the image sensor to a new one if your camera is still under warranty, if not then you can contact your camera support and ask them about the details of the sensor to get a new one with the same specifications.

Reason4 – Loose Camera Connectors

One possible problem that can affect the quality of security camera images is a loose connector. If this happens, it can cause fuzzy images as the connection between the camera and lens becomes unstable. 

In order to troubleshoot this issue and fix it on your security camera, you will need: 

-A screwdriver that fits the screws on your camera housing.

-Display Screen to connect the camera, and see what is shown while you’re testing the connections inside the camera.

Once you have accessed your security camera, use the screwdriver to loosen each Phillips head screw around the outer edge of its housing.

Take a look at the image sensor connectors and see if the power wires are connected correctly or not? Sometimes there are cuts in the wires that defective the camera sensor.

In addition, the connectors between the camera and the DVR or TV screen can be the reason for blurry images. 

Reason5 – Low-Resolution Security Camera Always Produce Blurry Images

I have been in the field of security cameras for many years and I noticed that a lot of homeowners complain that their security cameras’ output image is blurry and miss a lot of footage details.

When I look at their cameras, I see that the cameras are old and capture videos with low resolution, what I mean by low resolution is the fewer details captured by the camera, and it’s represented or measured in TV lines.

On the other hand, a new generation of analog CCTV cameras come with HD resolution, and for more clear and full of detail monitoring a lot of people invest in IP cameras as they provide from 5 to 12-megapixel resolution.

Reason6 – Bad Camera Location can cause Fuzzy Images

Another hidden reason that a large number of people forget and can be the main reason for making cameras produce blurry images is the camera location.

If you install your security camera near a light source, then you’ll probably face the issue of fuzzy images on your security camera. 

The reason behind this is that the intense light will wash out the details in the picture and make objects look blurry. 

So, when it comes to security camera installation on aluminum or any other material, It’s important to place your camera in a spot that doesn’t get too much direct sunlight or bright indoor lighting, so that you can get clear images of what’s going on outside your home or business.

For more ways to solve why do security camera look blurry, watch the next video

Source: ITJungles

Expert Tips About Blurry Images on security Camera

Aside from the above method, there are also a few things you can do to adjust the focus on your security camera and capture clearer images:

• Check your dome or bullet security camera is properly positioned. If it’s not pointing directly at what you want to capture, the image will be blurry.

Adjust the angle until the image is clear, and make sure the lens of the camera is away from the nearest light source.

• Make sure that there is enough light in the area where you’re placing your security camera.

Too little light will result in a fuzzy image, no matter how well-adjusted the focus may be. Try increasing or adding lighting in that space as needed, and also direct light away from the camera lens.

• Consider using a higher-quality security camera if capturing detailed images is important to you.

Summary

In the end, you know exactly why does security camera look blurry and how other factors can affect the overall performance of the camera.

However, the right steps in troubleshooting will save you time and effort, test every item you suspect and watch the footage of the camera live to see if it’s getting better or not.


Marvin H. Tarrance

Marvin H. Tarrance

Marvin Is an Electric and Electronic Engineer passionate about content writing and marketing. In the past, He was installed a large number of CCTV security cameras, and IP cams also. For now, He is the Head of the Content Team which is responsible for writing informative and detailed posts for Safebudgets.Com


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