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Old 08-12-2023, 08:38 PM
wex32 wex32 is offline
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So, the main problem you are experiencing with your camera is a result of "metering". This is the name for the method that cameras use to choose the exposure for a scene. Typically the camera will try to adjust the exposure such that the average of the entire scene comes out as a middling shade of grey. But if you have a bright part of the scene, which is your main subject, and this is surrounded by dark areas, then your camera's crude metering mode is going to result in an over-exposure of your bright subject.

On advanced cameras you can override this metering mode by choosing a smaller area of the scene to use for the exposure. But this is not a setting that is typically available for more basic cameras like security cameras etc.

If you have the option to 'zoom' in such that your subject fills (or comes close to filling) the field of view, this will solve the problem because your camera's metering mode will correctly expose the scene in this case.

Alternatively, you can usually choose manal exposure, in which case the camera does not use any metering mode but relies on you to decide how the scene will be exposed. But in this case your camera will expose correctly for the bright window in surrounding darkness, but will be useless in the daytime as the entire daytime scene will then be blown out.

I have to say that your best option for capturing a quality scene is to use a high quality camera that you can deploy specifically for this purpose. You're unlikely to get a worthwhile result with a security camera, even if you get the exposure right.

Opportunities to see a neighbour naked in their window come along very rarely. At least, they do in my part of the world. And you have to take advantage of it when it happens.
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