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Cisco Meraki Documentation

MV52 Shutter Speed Control

Introduction 

This article covers the basics of the new Shutter Speed Control tool on the MV52 Bullet camera.

This feature is available on all MV52 running a firmware version of MV4.20+.

Camera Basics 

To use the Shutter Speed Control tool effectively, understand how shutter speed works on a camera. Know how different shutter speed values change the final image quality.

What is Shutter Speed? 

Shutter speed is the time the sensor captures light for each frame.

A shutter speed of 1/15 seconds means the sensor records light and motion during 1/15th of a second.

Why does Shutter Speed matter? 

A shutter speed of 1/15th of a second may cause a fast-moving car to appear blurred because it travels a longer distance during that time. Adjusting the shutter speed can help freeze motion according to the specific requirement. 

A shutter speed of 1/2500 seconds freezes motion during that time, freezing fast-moving objects and preventing motion blur. However, since the shutter is open for only 1/2500 seconds, the image may be underexposed if there is not enough ambient light.

Shutter Speed vs Frame Rate

Shutter speed is the time each video frame is exposed. Frame rate is the number of frames shown per second.

Shutter speed and frame rate are independent. A shutter speed of 1/100 for an 8 FPS video means each of the 8 frames per second is exposed for 1/100th of a second.

Configuration

To enable MV52 Shutter Speed priority mode, ensure the network is set to MV4.20 or newer. 

Navigate to Cameras > Camera > Select Camera > Settings > Video Settings.

This image is displayed to show the steps for enabling MV52 Shutter Speed priority mode when the network is set to MV4.20 or newer.

The Shutter Speed option will be available on this page by default setting Auto. When the camera is set to Auto, the camera adjusts the shutter speed based on the scene & the available ambient lighting. 

To adjust the shutter value, toggle the option to Manual. The default manual shutter speed is 1/120 seconds. This setting may not suit every situation but serves as a baseline. Changing the shutter speed in manual mode will directly affect the recorded video.

Once the Shutter is toggled to Manual, a warning is displayed, which the user needs to read & confirm.

This image is displayed to show the warning message that appears when the shutter is toggled to Manual, which the user needs to read and confirm.

Once confirmed, the manual shutter control will be visible for tuning. Hovering over the selector displays the shutter speed in seconds.

This image is displayed to show the manual shutter control interface that appears after confirmation, with the shutter speed in seconds shown when hovering over the selector.

Considerations 

A slower shutter speed lets the sensor capture more light. It records motion for a longer time, which can cause motion blur in fast-moving scenes.

A faster shutter speed captures less light and records motion for a shorter time. It freezes fast-moving objects but can reduce video exposure in dark scenes and increase noise.

 

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