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How Do I adjust hardware zoom on a varifocal lens camera?

Posted: Mon Jan 29, 2024 5:27 am
by Johnmike
I have been looking into BI as an installer's tool that I can use to load up multiple cameras to angle and zoom them. However, I dont see any way to adjust the zoom on a varifocal camera. The PTZ zoom buttons dont do anything. I am using Geovision cameras.

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Re: How Do I adjust hardware zoom on a varifocal lens camera?

Posted: Mon Jan 29, 2024 11:50 am
by mpoczynek
Have you looked at the camera web interface? On the Hikvision cameras, it is in Live View. I also needed it to establish focus.

Re: How Do I adjust hardware zoom on a varifocal lens camera?

Posted: Mon Jan 29, 2024 4:58 pm
by Johnmike
I am aware of using the webUI for each individual camera. However I want a vms application to load up to 4 cameras on the screen so I can line them up next to each other and adjust zoom all in one screen. This is something that can be done in an IPC tester but those are chinsey and not outdoor rated. Looking for software that can do the same on my Dell rugged laptop.

Re: How Do I adjust hardware zoom on a varifocal lens camera?

Posted: Mon Jan 29, 2024 9:33 pm
by HeneryH
Johnmike wrote: Mon Jan 29, 2024 4:58 pm I am aware of using the webUI for each individual camera. However I want a vms application to load up to 4 cameras on the screen so I can line them up next to each other and adjust zoom all in one screen. This is something that can be done in an IPC tester but those are chinsey and not outdoor rated. Looking for software that can do the same on my Dell rugged laptop.
You can use the four direction circle ui thing. Not sure you can on the do it on the multi-cam view. You might need to drill in on the camera.
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Re: How Do I adjust hardware zoom on a varifocal lens camera?

Posted: Tue Jan 30, 2024 3:12 am
by Johnmike
My screen looks different. For me the zoom buttons are greyed out and dont work. The camera in question is also not a PTZ camera but just has zoom.

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https://imgur.com/a/qotbYNw

Re: How Do I adjust hardware zoom on a varifocal lens camera?

Posted: Tue Jan 30, 2024 9:14 am
by IAmATeaf
I don’t think BI does what you want it to do. Some of my cams are vari-zoom and I can only set the zoom when I log into the camera GUI using a browser.

The PTZ functionality must be some sort of standard which BI can make use of to move a proper PTZ cam around but these vari-zoom can only zoom so not a true PTZ and are the type that you would set up the once and then forget about.

Re: How Do I adjust hardware zoom on a varifocal lens camera?

Posted: Tue Jan 30, 2024 4:51 pm
by HeneryH
Your camera needs to be able to support ONVIF commanding
AND
you need to set up the ONVIF settings in the camera setup.

I'm forgetting the specifics now but play around with the ONVIF setup for your camera in BI.

Maybe inspect your camera in the BI camera settings and see if ONVIF control is available for your camera.

I am using a Dahua varifocal mechanical zoom camera.

Re: How Do I adjust hardware zoom on a varifocal lens camera?

Posted: Tue Jan 30, 2024 8:03 pm
by IAmATeaf
HeneryH wrote:Your camera needs to be able to support ONVIF commanding
AND
you need to set up the ONVIF settings in the camera setup.

I'm forgetting the specifics now but play around with the ONVIF setup for your camera in BI.

Maybe inspect your camera in the BI camera settings and see if ONVIF control is available for your camera.

I am using a Dahua varifocal mechanical zoom camera.
That’s interesting, how in BI do you then zoom in and out?

Re: How Do I adjust hardware zoom on a varifocal lens camera?

Posted: Tue Jan 30, 2024 8:11 pm
by Pogo
Johnmike wrote: Mon Jan 29, 2024 4:58 pm I am aware of using the webUI for each individual camera. However I want a vms application to load up to 4 cameras on the screen so I can line them up next to each other and adjust zoom all in one screen. This is something that can be done in an IPC tester but those are chinsey and not outdoor rated. Looking for software that can do the same on my Dell rugged laptop.
Have you looked into this? Seems perfect for the purpose if it works as advertised. Just downloaded it myself to give it a spin around the block.

https://www.deskshare.com/ip-camera-viewer.aspx

Otherwise I'd suggest tinyCam Pro but you'd need to mess around with an Android emulator to run it on a laptop. I hate emulators.

Re: How Do I adjust hardware zoom on a varifocal lens camera?

Posted: Tue Jan 30, 2024 8:28 pm
by HeneryH
IAmATeaf wrote: Tue Jan 30, 2024 8:03 pm That’s interesting, how in BI do you then zoom in and out?
I tap the + or - in the dial. It is interactive. I imagine the pan/tilt would be the same but I only have z and not pt.