Having a security camera system installed in your property or business enables you to monitor and keep your premises safe. Nowadays the security camera systems (NVR or DVR) provide clear images during the day and night time.
However, one problem that can deteriorate your CCTV images is having bright spots on the security video. These bright spots are usually circular in shape and usually show up during the day or night time. It can be so bad that you can’t detect the objects or people moving in front of the camera.
Is your CCTV system displaying these bright spots in the recordings or live view? These could be due to several reasons and the solution may depend upon the cause. In this guide we’ve summed up a few solutions for the problem of having bright spots in your CCTV video.
How to fix bright spots in CCTV videos
As we mentioned there are several reasons that can cause the bright spots on security camera systems (recordings or live view). Follow the instructions listed below.
1. IR lights reflecting back into the camera lens
The main reason why the bright spots show up on CCTV videos is caused by the IR infrared lights reflection back to the camera lens. These IR lights are invisible to the naked eye and are automatically turned on to help the camera capture good images during the night time.
The wider the angle of view, the higher the chances of getting bright (hazy) spots in the CCTV footage. The IR lights can reflect back to the camera’s eye if there’s a solid surface in front of the camera, such as a wall or a fence.
To fix this issue, you need to re-position the camera and change the viewing angle. You can tilt the camera a little bit or install it a bit higher/lower. Keep trying until the picture looks fine. Basically you need to avoid the angles for which the IR lights bounce back straight to the camera’s eye.
Another solution is to install a camera with a narrow angle which in cases of CCTV cameras should be a higher lens size. The higher the lens size, the more narrow the angle. If your camera has a varifocal lens, you can try to manually zoom in a little bit until you avoid all the bright spots.
2. The sealing rubber ring is not tight
This tip applies to dome security cameras. This type of security cameras come with a sealing ring that is placed between the lens and the dome housing. If somehow this lens is not tight against the dome housing, the IR light will leak from the IR block and bleed into the lens.
A loose or missing sealing ring leads to white or too bright spots on the CCTV video. Inspect the camera closely and make sure the sealing is in place and is pressed tightly against the glass.
The dome bubble (housing) must sit tight upon the foam/rubber ring. If it’s correct, it should look like it’s slightly squashed in its position. You may need to open the dome cover to ensure that the rubber ring is installed properly.
3. Other polluting light sources
Another common cause of bright spots in your CCTV video is the light pollution coming from various lights sources that may be close to the camera. Obviously, the more light in the monitored area, the better the picture on the camera. But, these light sources may be placed right and not too close to the camera.
These polluting light sources can be things such as a light bulb close to the camera, flood lights, street lights or even the sun if the camera is angled way too up.
In this situation, you need to move the camera and change it’s angle in relation to the sun or other light sources. Try different angels until you hit one that doesn’t create bright spots on the camera.
4. Fix camera’s sun visor
Many CCTV security cameras come with an adjustable sun visor which is basically a shield that protects the camera from the sun rays. If this sun visor of your security camera is adjusted too far forward may cause the bright spots on the camera (since the IR lights will bounce back).
In this case, adjust the sun visor, don’t put it too forward but find the right spot that doesn’t create the bright circles on the camera. This applies mostly to bullet style security cameras, but even certain dome cameras may come with a sun visor.
5. Dirty camera
Check if your security camera has some dust, grease or even fingerprints on the glass. If so, wipe it out and clean the glass. You have to do this continuously, let’s once a month, especially if the camera is placed in a dusty environment.
If the glass is dirty or dusty, the light will bounce from the dust straight to the camera’s lens and as a result display large circular brights spots on the CCTV video.
Conclusion
Now that you know the common causes of bright spots in your CCTV video, you can solve the issue by following the above guide. Basically, the bright spots are usually caused by the IR light or other light sources reflecting back to the camera’s lens. To fix the issue, you need to re-angle and avoid the light reflection.
