One of my cameras is an IP4M-S2112EW-AI hooked up to a 4xxx NVR which I have pointing at a particular section of the garden. Or at least that's what I set it to, however every time I go to check it it's rotated towards the right and pointing into some shrubs rather than capturing a view of the garden. This happens over and over again, I pan it back so it's pointing out into the garden and the next time I check it's pointing into the shrubs again.
Does anyone know why this might be the case? The camera is mostly useless because every time I check it it's pointing into shrubs rather than capturing motion and video from the garden.
PTZ Camera won't Maintain its Orientation
Re: PTZ Camera won't Maintain its Orientation
Well it is hard to say. I know that there was some issues with lower Amcrest indoor mini PTZ when they released the 2019 and 2020 FW.. It might have an issue like that even though I doubt that is the issue.. But could be..
So If I had to guess it sounds like a couple of things. 1 System setting might have been setup or played around with and might have forgotten that the settings were set.. So what I would do personally is double check if there is an update, IF there is an update I would do the update after the update I would do a factory Reset of the Camera. Even if there is no Update you need to do a Factory Reset But again if there is an Update do the Update..
Next when you setup the camera Setup the camera without connecting to any 3rd party software or hardware.. Don't even setup to an Amcrest NVR if you own one unless it is how you are connecting the Camera using a POE port of the NVR.. If not and connecting solo, Just connect the camera and let it run for 24 hours to confirm that there is really a camera issue..
Next here are some things that can be the issue.. First as I said maybe software/hardware issue that is causing the camera to go somewhere it wasn't last after a reboot.. *Normally cameras will go back to last set spot after a reboot*
Second issues might be that there was an area setup for Boot Position or after time return that might have been setup without knowing it was.
Third, Might have a motion or Event trigger setup that sends the Camera to a Preset..
fourth, might have the camera setup for an event follow *Auto Tracking* and there is no return to home setup..
I dont' know if that camera offers any of the options I laid out, Just some things that come to mind off what you posted..
So If I had to guess it sounds like a couple of things. 1 System setting might have been setup or played around with and might have forgotten that the settings were set.. So what I would do personally is double check if there is an update, IF there is an update I would do the update after the update I would do a factory Reset of the Camera. Even if there is no Update you need to do a Factory Reset But again if there is an Update do the Update..
Next when you setup the camera Setup the camera without connecting to any 3rd party software or hardware.. Don't even setup to an Amcrest NVR if you own one unless it is how you are connecting the Camera using a POE port of the NVR.. If not and connecting solo, Just connect the camera and let it run for 24 hours to confirm that there is really a camera issue..
Next here are some things that can be the issue.. First as I said maybe software/hardware issue that is causing the camera to go somewhere it wasn't last after a reboot.. *Normally cameras will go back to last set spot after a reboot*
Second issues might be that there was an area setup for Boot Position or after time return that might have been setup without knowing it was.
Third, Might have a motion or Event trigger setup that sends the Camera to a Preset..
fourth, might have the camera setup for an event follow *Auto Tracking* and there is no return to home setup..
I dont' know if that camera offers any of the options I laid out, Just some things that come to mind off what you posted..
Be Safe.
Re: PTZ Camera won't Maintain its Orientation
A bogus preset was my initial suspicion so I deleted them, or at least tried to but the software claimed there were none set, in which case I've now added preset #1 pointing out into the garden. Perhaps without any preset it goes to some initial position which leaves it pointing into a mass of foliage.
In terms of disconnecting the NVR, I'll try it after a day or two to see if the preset mod above works. I'm using an external PoE injector so can disconnect the NVR, if the camera stays put I'll know it's the NVR doing it, if not then the result will be unclear since the act of reconnecting the NVR may have moved the camera.
In terms of FW, there's only been one release unfortunately. For triggers, I've checked and there's nothing enabled I can see for tours, PTZ linkage, etc. Actually since it's always pointing into foliage there wouldn't be anything triggered in any case, I don't think I've ever had an alert from that camera.
In terms of disconnecting the NVR, I'll try it after a day or two to see if the preset mod above works. I'm using an external PoE injector so can disconnect the NVR, if the camera stays put I'll know it's the NVR doing it, if not then the result will be unclear since the act of reconnecting the NVR may have moved the camera.
In terms of FW, there's only been one release unfortunately. For triggers, I've checked and there's nothing enabled I can see for tours, PTZ linkage, etc. Actually since it's always pointing into foliage there wouldn't be anything triggered in any case, I don't think I've ever had an alert from that camera.
Re: PTZ Camera won't Maintain its Orientation
So to remove the from NVR don't need to disconnect it in the cable type just going to the NVR camera area click on the camera and put in a bad password makes it so that NVR and Camera are no longer talking..
So then there is this, in the Cameras WebUI there would be an area maybe with in the Preset area for the camera. There might be things like where to return after boot and or what to do after a set time has passed. You know in a way to get it to return after someone has used to to look over things seeing it is a PTZ could have them options. Lower priced ones don't but my guess even being in the 200+ range that one could.. Then in the part of removing from an NVR, If 3rd party it might have some Rogue command that puts the camera in a different area after a reboot or after an action of another camera and so on. So by removing it for a shart time we are doing so to help try and find what is making the camera act strange.
So I am working on one of my PTZ getting it ready for the next couple of years of life. So I am changing out Gel Packs and because of some health issues this year I am running far behind my normal schedule lol. But I thought I would put it up and show in one of my Amcrest PTZ what I am talking about. I these pictures on the PTZ page of the camera. This is connected to one of my POE NVRs so the IP address is for my NVR and the port is how one can access POE connected cameras. Just explaining why the IP looks funny if someone seen.. Anyway had to access over the NVRs Virtual Host. So anyway here are a few ways that a PTZ camera can get things all messed up. Keep in mind that if your camera is really at fault. Looking over the list of things here, If your system isn't enabled or setup for them keep an eye on the camera over the next hour or so. If the camera don't move on its own within that hour. Remove the power to the camera and then add it back.. I mean I have my cameras do a Reboot every night so if you do as well it might be that the issue is after a reboot so if you reboot camera by taking power and giving it back it could go back where it hides..
There are many other reasons but here are a few to try to work through for now. Doing a Reset of the Camera back to Factory Default, You don't have to climb the ladder always to do them some cameras do have factory reset in the WebUI.. Also on my camera if you look between the picture and the function you can see all the different things in the PTZ function area of this camera. Each of them could be the problem area for your camera if you happen to have them features in your camera..
So then there is this, in the Cameras WebUI there would be an area maybe with in the Preset area for the camera. There might be things like where to return after boot and or what to do after a set time has passed. You know in a way to get it to return after someone has used to to look over things seeing it is a PTZ could have them options. Lower priced ones don't but my guess even being in the 200+ range that one could.. Then in the part of removing from an NVR, If 3rd party it might have some Rogue command that puts the camera in a different area after a reboot or after an action of another camera and so on. So by removing it for a shart time we are doing so to help try and find what is making the camera act strange.
So I am working on one of my PTZ getting it ready for the next couple of years of life. So I am changing out Gel Packs and because of some health issues this year I am running far behind my normal schedule lol. But I thought I would put it up and show in one of my Amcrest PTZ what I am talking about. I these pictures on the PTZ page of the camera. This is connected to one of my POE NVRs so the IP address is for my NVR and the port is how one can access POE connected cameras. Just explaining why the IP looks funny if someone seen.. Anyway had to access over the NVRs Virtual Host. So anyway here are a few ways that a PTZ camera can get things all messed up. Keep in mind that if your camera is really at fault. Looking over the list of things here, If your system isn't enabled or setup for them keep an eye on the camera over the next hour or so. If the camera don't move on its own within that hour. Remove the power to the camera and then add it back.. I mean I have my cameras do a Reboot every night so if you do as well it might be that the issue is after a reboot so if you reboot camera by taking power and giving it back it could go back where it hides..
There are many other reasons but here are a few to try to work through for now. Doing a Reset of the Camera back to Factory Default, You don't have to climb the ladder always to do them some cameras do have factory reset in the WebUI.. Also on my camera if you look between the picture and the function you can see all the different things in the PTZ function area of this camera. Each of them could be the problem area for your camera if you happen to have them features in your camera..
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Be Safe.
Re: PTZ Camera won't Maintain its Orientation
This took awhile but it's definitely something the camera is doing, I've confirmed it both through the unplug suggestion (I decided to physically unplug it from the NVR rather than setting a bad password just in case I could never get it back again afterwards), two rounds of that and both times the camera was pointing off into the shrubs again after a day or so. So it's the camera doing it, not the NVR.
After that I had the camera (via the NVR) on live feed in a corner of the screen. At some point the image froze, and when I reconnected (closed and reopened live view) it was pointing back into the greenery again. So it's either a crash + reset of the camera or there's a preset in the camera (not the NVR) which is causing it. I never changed anything in the camera directly when I set it up because I didn't want to have the camera and the NVR fighting over settings.
Next step will be to set up a PoE injector to drive the camera directly without the NVR and see what's set there, there used to be a way to access it by using the NVR as a proxy but that went away after a firmware update.
After that I had the camera (via the NVR) on live feed in a corner of the screen. At some point the image froze, and when I reconnected (closed and reopened live view) it was pointing back into the greenery again. So it's either a crash + reset of the camera or there's a preset in the camera (not the NVR) which is causing it. I never changed anything in the camera directly when I set it up because I didn't want to have the camera and the NVR fighting over settings.
Next step will be to set up a PoE injector to drive the camera directly without the NVR and see what's set there, there used to be a way to access it by using the NVR as a proxy but that went away after a firmware update.
Re: PTZ Camera won't Maintain its Orientation
Ok sorry I have to ask. But have your changed/setup your power up option in the PTZ menu? ON my higher end PTZ cameras the camera has some options for Guard and it kind of sounds like maybe your camera on a reboot is defaulting to that location because that is the natural start up position within the cameras settings..
If you log into your NVR, go to the Management top left, then click on camera, then in that area at the bottom there should be an e click the E as long as you are not in chrome if you are in chrome then click the e of a different POE connected camera to get the This isn't secure and blocked blah blah. ONce you get that click the e of the one you want now it will open in different port. IF it in IE mode best option of working with cameras and NVR.. You don't have to worry about the first e click issue..
Once you click the e log into the camera, then click on setup, then PTZ Menu. Then go to start up and set a preset that you want the camera to start in.. There are some other options that are after idle and a time where to send the camera click preset and where you want it to work most the time.. ONce you do this.. Go to the area of the menu to reboot your camera and double check that it now goes to the preset you setup..
By the way most cameras that are connected to Amcrest NVR aka with Amcrest camera all things from camera are translated into the NVR and or just off the camera it self.. Unlike my Alibi PTZ camera and NVR where they don't like each other very well lol even though they are same brand and same Vigilent series lol Making a preset in the camera makes a new preset in the NVR lol.. Even if you were in the camera to just update preset 1 you know the one I have as my Guard Preset settings.. Well if I update that preset in my camera it will just make a new preset in the NVR what a POS..
If you log into your NVR, go to the Management top left, then click on camera, then in that area at the bottom there should be an e click the E as long as you are not in chrome if you are in chrome then click the e of a different POE connected camera to get the This isn't secure and blocked blah blah. ONce you get that click the e of the one you want now it will open in different port. IF it in IE mode best option of working with cameras and NVR.. You don't have to worry about the first e click issue..
Once you click the e log into the camera, then click on setup, then PTZ Menu. Then go to start up and set a preset that you want the camera to start in.. There are some other options that are after idle and a time where to send the camera click preset and where you want it to work most the time.. ONce you do this.. Go to the area of the menu to reboot your camera and double check that it now goes to the preset you setup..
By the way most cameras that are connected to Amcrest NVR aka with Amcrest camera all things from camera are translated into the NVR and or just off the camera it self.. Unlike my Alibi PTZ camera and NVR where they don't like each other very well lol even though they are same brand and same Vigilent series lol Making a preset in the camera makes a new preset in the NVR lol.. Even if you were in the camera to just update preset 1 you know the one I have as my Guard Preset settings.. Well if I update that preset in my camera it will just make a new preset in the NVR what a POS..
Be Safe.
Re: PTZ Camera won't Maintain its Orientation
I've now left it for 24 hours after confirming that there are no presets set in the camera:
and it's still exhibiting the problem, at some point it moves the camera so that it's pointing into the weeds rather than where it should be looking.
One thing I've found while playing with it is that manually doing a PTZ restart results in it pointing into the weeds at that exact location, so it looks like something is forcing a PTZ restart at random and that's what's causing the problem.
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One thing I've found while playing with it is that manually doing a PTZ restart results in it pointing into the weeds at that exact location, so it looks like something is forcing a PTZ restart at random and that's what's causing the problem.
Re: PTZ Camera won't Maintain its Orientation
That is why I setup a Preset and have Power Up and Idle Motion setup to go to the Preset 1 that I have setup as being my main area of interest for my PTZ cameras.. Some of my older and or other brand PTZ cameras call them Home and Some call them Guard Position.. My guess is that the Position is the cameras Natural Start up state.. There are some camera that you can setup with what is called North and that is where it would form then on start the camera up at.. But for ease of use. Setup a Prest where you want the camera to always go to as your Main area of interest and setup Power Up and Motion Idle to go to that Prest.. Then it will always go there after a reboot or *Power Loss* and after you move the camera and get called away it will return to home position..
Be Safe.
Re: PTZ Camera won't Maintain its Orientation
So to give you an idea of what I mean. Here is my 850EB from years gone lol. Anyway have a couple of these and a few other PTZ in many different areas.. But in the first picture after a PTZ Restart with all the Power UP and Idle turn off this where it loads.. Second picture with Idle and Start up turned back on. I mean just as easy as enabling the feature again.. After the Start up it auto goes to home preset 1..
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Be Safe.
Re: PTZ Camera won't Maintain its Orientation
It looks like it's finally sorted, in its out-of-the-box/factory settings there's a setting in the System config to reboot at something like 4am. This presumably triggers a PTZ restart which leaves it pointing off into the weeds. Disabling the 4am reboot leaves it pointed to where it should be.
So if anyone else is having this problem then, from the factory-default settings go to PTZ > Function > PowerUp and disable it, then go to System > Auto Maintain and disable Auto Reboot.
Oh, and if you're a burglar in a place with Amcrest PTZ cameras that haven't had this "feature" disabled then you've got about 5-10 seconds every 4am to get past the camera unobserved.
So if anyone else is having this problem then, from the factory-default settings go to PTZ > Function > PowerUp and disable it, then go to System > Auto Maintain and disable Auto Reboot.
Oh, and if you're a burglar in a place with Amcrest PTZ cameras that haven't had this "feature" disabled then you've got about 5-10 seconds every 4am to get past the camera unobserved.