Problems with halos/fogging of image from IR camera at night

[Solace]

Hopefully this is happening to other people out there!
Here's the situation; I know a guy who does CCTV systems, and he's been in a few mornings to install a 6 camera set-up. 3 cameras inside the store, and 3 for outside. The three outside are the IR night vision type.

When he installed the outside cameras he installed one in a secure dome, and it works...okay. The picture isnt all that great, the camera has a cage in front of it, and the LEDs bright light just shines on the cage creating a distracting bright grid pattern across the picture-maybe/probably the reason why everything I want to see is so dark??

The other two cameras have had secure cases installed over them, when the LEDs active at night I got a circular reflection of the LEDs, so then the next morning the CCTV took the window out of the security cases. Now they dont reflect back on themselves but they do have extremely halo'ed images and it seems a very dense fog has decended on the vacinity of my shop- rendering the cameras useless at night, when I need them most.

The CCTV guy isnt too clued up, i guess its just a hobby for him. I hope other people have found this problem and theres a common procedure to fix it. If you have any ideas I would reallly appreciate it!

Regards

[Solace]

also:
the security housing added to the outside cameras is the ESP HOUS3H

and the cameras themselves are
"1/3" COLOR CCD(24IR)"
"With the most updated DSP and CCD technology made by professional manfucaturers in Japan and Korea."

No idea which company it's from.
They can't be that special.

[midwestcctv]

Well, I have never been called bashful so I'll jump right in. Hope you don't mind. I think you would be better off with a box camera with low light capabilities. That will eliminate the reflecting back problems. As far as the fog, that is a horse of a different color. To cut through fog would will need to forgo the infrared altogether. The type of camera that sees through fog is really military grade stuff. And very costly. As for the halo, that comes from I would consider entry level cameras. The infrared is reflecting back into the lens. Some manufactors address this with black seal that seperates the leds from the lens. I'm sure you have seen them. They are more common now.

[acicctv]

Sounds like the cameras may be set too far back in the housings and some of the IR light is bouncing back into the lens off the inside walls? it's usually easy enough to open the housing and slide the camera forward by loosening a few screws.

Is there actual fog in the air (midnight visit to check)? If not it might be condensation from steam or warm damp air from a nearby airvent on the front glass.

Whereabouts is all this? If you get no luck and it's nearby ...