Topics included in this article:
Overview
Rhombus cameras offer a wide range of hardware and image settings to help optimize video quality for your environment. Camera settings allow you to adjust features such as focus, zoom, bitrate, resolution, and infrared behavior, while image settings provide control over brightness, contrast, exposure, and other visual characteristics. This article explains how to access these settings and describes the available configuration options for supported camera models.
This article covers the available camera and image settings on Rhombus devices and explains how to access them.
Note: When camera or image settings are changed, only footage captured after the changes will reflect the new settings. Previously recorded footage is not affected.
You can restore the default settings at any time by clicking "Reset to Defaults" at the bottom of each settings window.
Navigate to Settings
| 1. Navigate to the "Devices" page, then select the device for which you want to adjust settings. |
| 2. Hover over the ellipsis menu in the upper right corner of the video feed. |
| 3. Click "Settings." |
| 4. Select the "Camera" or "Image" tab to make the desired adjustments. |
Camera Settings
Camera settings allow you to fine-tune the camera hardware for optimal image quality. Within the "Camera" tab, you can manage bandwidth consumption and adjust the maximum bitrate to optimize bandwidth usage and onboard storage.
Digital Zoom & Rotate
These settings allow you to adjust the camera's field of view by digitally zooming in up to 75% or rotating the image by 90°, 180°, or 270°. The image's aspect ratio and resolution are maintained when applying either setting.
LED Lights
This setting controls the LED status lights emitted by the camera during operation and does not affect recording. We recommend keeping this setting enabled to help facilitate troubleshooting if any issues arise.
Auto Focus
Click the "Auto Focus" toggle to enable or disable auto focus. When enabled, the camera may take several seconds to adjust and achieve the correct focus. When "Auto Focus" is disabled, use the "Motor Focus" slider to manually adjust the camera's focus.
Auto Focus Region
When auto focus is enabled, the camera automatically refocuses whenever the zoom level or focus region is changed. To select a focus region, click the numbers next to "Auto Focus Region." The auto focus algorithm performs best when the selected region contains sufficient detail and distinct edges. By default, the focus region is a rectangle in the center of the camera view.
In edit mode, click and drag to select the area of interest, then click "Save." The camera will begin the auto focus cycle, which may take up to 20 seconds depending on the size of the selected focus region. During this time, the settings are grayed out and cannot be adjusted.
The following cameras support Focus Region: R230, R400, R500, R510, R520, and R600.
Motor Zoom
The "Motor Zoom" slider remotely controls the camera's lens, allowing you to precisely adjust the zoom level. Use this feature only if auto focus is unable to focus on the desired region. The zoom adjustment process may take 5–10 seconds to complete. During this time, the controls are grayed out and cannot be adjusted.
The following cameras support Motor Zoom: R230, R400, R500, R510, R520, R600.
Motor Focus
If "Auto Focus" is disabled, you can manually adjust the camera's focus using the "Motor Focus" slider. Move the slider until the image is in focus.
Note: After moving the slider, the camera may take a few seconds to process the adjustment.
The following cameras support Motor Focus: R230, R400, R500, R510, R520.
Motor P-Iris
The P-Iris (Precise Iris) setting precisely controls the camera's iris opening to optimize image sharpness. In outdoor surveillance environments, adjusting the iris helps balance diffraction and depth of field, resulting in clearer images for analytics. Applying a P-Iris adjustment may take 5–10 seconds. During this time, the controls are grayed out and cannot be adjusted.
The following cameras support Motor P-Iris: R400, R500, R510, R520.
IR LED
This setting controls the infrared (IR) LED used in Night Mode. By default, it is set to "Auto," which automatically turns the IR LED on when the night vision threshold is reached. We recommend using "Auto" unless your environment requires the IR LED to remain always on or always off.
IR Filter
The IR filter setting is set to "Auto" by default, allowing the camera to automatically adjust based on ambient lighting.
Resolution
Resolution refers to the amount of detail a camera can capture and is measured in pixels. Higher resolutions capture more detail, allowing images to remain sharp when viewed at larger sizes or when digitally zoomed.
Max Bitrate
Note: Changing this setting affects the number of days of onboard video retention.
Higher bitrate settings improve video quality but also increase storage usage, reducing the amount of video that can be retained. Scenes with higher levels of motion or activity also produce larger video files. The maximum bitrate determines the highest video quality the camera can achieve during periods of increased activity.
Image Settings
Image settings allow you to adjust the visual appearance of captured footage. Configure separate "Day Settings" and "Night Settings" by selecting the corresponding tab at the top of the settings menu. By default, Night Settings mirror Day Settings unless configured otherwise.
Brightness
This setting adjusts the brightness of the image after it is captured by the image sensor.
Figure 1.) Low brightness on the left and high brightness on the right.
Contrast
This setting adjusts the contrast of the image, or the difference between its bright and dark areas. Higher contrast produces a more vibrant image, while lower contrast results in a flatter appearance.
Figure 2.) Low contrast on the left and high contrast on the right.
Saturation
This setting adjusts the intensity of the colors in the image. Higher saturation produces more vivid colors, while lower saturation results in more muted colors.
Figure 3.) Low saturation on the left and high saturation on the right.
Sharpness
This setting adjusts the perceived sharpness of the image by enhancing edge detail. Higher sharpness makes the image appear clearer and more detailed, while lower sharpness produces a softer appearance.
Figure 4.) Low sharpness on the left and high sharpness on the right.
Shutterspeed
Shutterspeed determines how long the camera's image sensor is exposed to light. Longer shutter speeds allow more light to reach the sensor, producing a brighter image, while shorter shutter speeds reduce light exposure and produce a darker image. Although longer shutter speeds improve brightness in low-light conditions, they can also introduce motion blur and reduce image quality.
WDR
Wide Dynamic Range (WDR) improves image quality in scenes with both bright and dark areas. It enhances detail in shadowed regions while reducing overexposure in bright areas, resulting in a more balanced image. When adjusting this setting, the changes may not be immediately noticeable in the camera viewer.
The following cameras support WDR: R2, R2-180, R2-LR, R100, R120, R150, R200, R230, R360S, R410, R520, R540, and R545.
Figure 5.) Low WDR on the left and high WDR on the right.
Max ISO
ISO controls the image sensor's sensitivity to light. Higher ISO values increase light sensitivity, allowing the camera to produce brighter images in low-light conditions. Lower ISO values require longer shutter speeds or more available light to achieve the same level of brightness.
Exposure Level
Exposure is the amount of light that reaches the camera sensor. Adjusting the exposure level can brighten or darken an image. Below is a GIF of changing the level from low to high.
The following cameras support Exposure Level adjustments: R170, R400, R500, R510.
Exposure Metering
Similar to exposure level, exposure metering allows you to focus the exposure level on a specific location of the video feed. In the GIF below, the exposure metering setting is set to the upper left corner and then changed to the lower right corner. This change causes the dark lower right corner to brighten up.
The following cameras support Exposure Metering: R120, R170, R200, R230, R360, R500, R510, R520, R600.
Helpful Links
Contact Support or Sales
Have more questions? Contact Rhombus Support at +1 (877) 746-6797 option 2 or support@rhombus.com.
Interested in learning more? Contact Rhombus Sales at +1 (877) 746-6797 option 1 or sales@rhombus.com.
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