Is there a rule of thumb to calculate the approximate LUX level of illumination from a given distance from a street light at night? I assume the illumination decreases inversely with the square of the distance from the light source (e.g. 10 meters from street light = xx LUX).

Without I/R light what is the recommended minimum illumination requirement level for a typical domestic day/night camera 0.1 LUX, 0.01 LUX or lower?

Without I/R light what is the recommended minimum illumination requirement level for a typical domestic day/night camera 0.1 LUX, 0.01 LUX or lower?

0.01 lux in b&w, 0.5lux in colour, thats what i know of the Samsung day/nights.

Is there a rule of thumb to calculate the approximate LUX level

I have no idea myself, a lux meter is the way to do it if your not sure.

Try a bit of googling that might find you a usefull rule of thumb.

Generally if there is street lighting there will be enough light for a day/night but clearly that depends how far from a light.

Edited March 9, 200521 yr by ian.cant

Is there a rule of thumb to calculate the approximate LUX level of illumination from a given distance from a street light at night?

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Lighting levels are calculated taking into account variables such as reflectance, but i did see today at COP offices a rule of thumb caculation sheet based on different sodium lights used. Ring them and ask. I didn't pay that much attention.

Jef

Some googling on street lighting suggests the following levels of illumination ...

1. Rural Night Location = 1 Lux
   
2. Suburban Street = 5 Lux
   
3. Town Centre = 10 Lux
   

I was advised that a CCTV camera with a minimum illumination less than one Lux would be OK for residential area covered by street lighting, but I was looking for confirmation of this in real-life.

My conclusion is that to be sure that the camera is not operating at its operation limit it would make sense to have a night operation capability with a minimum of 0.1 LUX. There are cameras which can operate at much lower light levels, but perhaps these are beyond the requirements of most residential users.

Another point I heard today is that indoor CCTV cameras (such as the Panasonic KXHCM280) should not be used to look outside because if exposed to direct sunlight the camera iris may get damaged? Is this true, or it the only difference between indoor and outdoor cameras the weatherproofing.

There is a formula to calculate lux, but I can't remember what it is!

Outdoor should have an auto iris because of the major changes in light levels throughout the day.