Focusing MV52, MV22/72 and MV21/71 Cameras
Overview
This article outlines the various options for focusing a Meraki MV varifocal security camera.
This article content applies to MV52, MV22, MV72, MV21, and MV71 cameras. MV2, MV32, and MV12 cameras have a fixed focal length and cannot be adjusted for focus.
Position each camera correctly during installation before focusing it. Proper focus ensures optimal motion detection, motion-based retention, and video quality.
Manual Focus
- Navigate to Cameras > Monitor > Cameras. Select a camera from the network list.
- Click the Settings > Video Settings tab and select "Switch to manual focus".
A slider will appear for manual focus adjustment.
- Click and drag to change the focus value or utilize the chevrons for minor adjustments.
Auto Focus
- Navigate to Cameras > Monitor > Cameras. Select a camera from the network list.
- Click the Settings > Video Settings tab and select "Run auto focus" (highlighted in the image above). If you are in manual focus, you can select "Switch to auto focus".
Focus on a specific area
- Navigate to Cameras > Monitor > Cameras. Select a camera from the network list.
- Click the Settings > Video Settings tab and select "Focus on a specific area".
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Draw your focus region of interest on the video feed. In this example, the focus region is center of the scene.
Once you draw the region of interest, the camera automatically begins focusing.
Using the Meraki mobile app during initial deployments is highly beneficial, as it speeds up camera aiming and focusing.
Manual Aperture
Varifocal cameras can adjust the manual aperture to change the depth of field. This affects the focus of objects at different distances and the overall noise in the scene.
Only the MV21/71 and MV22/72 support aperture adjustment. This feature is not available for the MV52.
Higher aperture values reduce the light reaching the camera's sensor. In the deployment environment, this can cause black frames in live and recorded video, making the video appear broken. Reducing the aperture value, increases light to the sensor and resolves this issue.
In March 2021, a UI change modified the mapping of aperture values in percentage terms to address an issue on cameras with motors. This change did not alter any actual camera configurations.