Swann PRO-781 User manual

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PRO-781 Dome
M781CAM190312E
English

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About the Camera
Congratulations on your purchase of this PRO-781 from Swann! You’ve chosen
well: we think this is one of the finest vari-focal CCTV video cameras available.
The adjustable lens and on-screen menu system make the PRO-781 ideal for
monitoring any kind of space in almost any lighting conditions... even no light at
all, as it can see up to 30m/100ft in complete darkness!
Our two cents: you’ve spent the money on a great camera. It’s worth spending a
bit of time making sure it’s set up right. This manual will take you through what
you need to do to get the camera delivering high quality images, and will let you
know a little about how you can tweak it further.
The Process: An Overview
1. Choose a spot for your camera. This will be influenced by what you need
to monitor, the places nearby which could support a camera, the lighting
conditions of the environment and so on.
2. Connect the camera to a monitor. We suggest connecting it directly to a
monitor during setup, and to your DVR (or other recording device) afterwards.
Having a monitor on hand in the same location as the camera is a real time
saver during setup.
3. Set the zoom. This will set the viewing angle of the lens, which determines
how much the camera can see (page 3).
4. Set the focus. This will allow you to choose which parts of what the camera
can see is in focus. In actuality, you’ll probably go back and forth between
steps 3 and 4 until you’re happy with the image (page 3).
5. Connect the camera to your DVR (or other recording/monitoring device) -
see page 4.
Choosing a Location
The PRO-781 is very flexible, and can be installed practically anywhere. Some of
the things you’ll have to consider when choosing a location are:
• What you want to monitor, and where you’ll get the best view of it.
• How you’re going to connect the camera to your monitoring system.
• How to keep the camera out of harm’s way. Up high in protected corners is a
good option.

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Rules is Rules
Regardless of all the tweaking of the lens and image processing you do, there are
a few immutable things that are true for all cameras, CCTV or otherwise.
• The closer the camera is to what you want to see, the more detail
you’re going to get. You can make some alteration by tweaking the zoom,
but there’s no substitute for proximity.
• Areas with varied lighting conditions are hard to view completely,
with any camera. If the bright bits are exposed correctly, then the shadows
will “black out”. If the shadowy areas are exposed correctly, then the bright
bits will overexpose and “white out”. Aiming the camera at an evenly lit area
will always give the best results.
• That “image enhancement” stuff that they do on CSI or 24 is all lies. You
can’t zoom in indefinitely on a video image. Licence plates are only readable
from a few meters (a dozen or so feet) away. If someone’s head is represented
by three pixels, that’s it. Sorry. This is technology, not magic. This is a great
CCTV camera, but it’s still just a video camera - it can’t see that much better
than you can! Still, it does make for good television.
Adjusting Focus and Zoom
• To access the zoom and focus, remove the dome cover. To open the dome
cover, use the included star-key tool.
• Use a small flat-blade screwdriver to turn the now exposed control rods. The
zoom is located on the top left, and focus on the lower right.
• Be sure to securely replace the dome cover after adjusting the positioning of
the camera, or the zoom and focus: otherwise the camera will no longer be
weather-proof.

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The zoom and focus controls are located on the interior of the dome, just above
the lens. You’ll need to remove the cover of the dome (using the included star-key
tool) to access them.
Important: When you change the zoom, you’ll also have to change the focus.
Why? Lenses are complicated, and all the bits are joined together. Changing the
zoom will also change the focus. In fact, it can sometimes feel like the controls are
reversed, so profound are their effect on one another.
ZOOM: The right hand dial
(when viewed from the
front, as shown to right)
controls the level of zoom.
You can vary the viewing
angle between 23° and 81°.
This is an approximately
3x optical zoom, which
operates in a similar manner
to the zoom on your digital
camera. Basically, zooming
in makes everything appear
to be larger, at the expense
of the viewing area.
Check out the diagram
to the lower right for a
visual representation of the
zooming process.
The smaller viewing angle
(marked 23°) represents
the camera’s view when
“zoomed in”, and the
larger angle (81°) represents
the camera’s view when
“zoomed out”.
You can set the zoom to
either of these extremities,
or anywhere in between.
Focus Zoom
Adjusting Zoom and Focus
81°
23°

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FOCUS: The left hand dial controls the focus (see diagram, opposite).
Adjusting the focus control is kind of like trying on a different pair of glasses -
it can make sharp things look blurry and blurry things look sharp. It’s not quite
magic, but it’s pretty close.
Basically, once you’ve set the zoom, twist the focus knob until what you want to
see doesn’t look blurry anymore. If you can’t turn the knob any more one way, go
back the other.
You can only have so much in focus at once - photographers refer to the size of
the area in focus as the “depth of field”.
The diagram to the lower right shows a couple of different focusing options. The
shaded areas represent the depth of field. As you can see, there is no hard edge,
some things are “more” in focus than others.
Note that this is for illustrative purposes only - there are many factors which
contribute to depth of field which vary from location to location.
A: The lens is at its widest, and
focused on an area relatively close to
the camera. The depth of field is quite
large.
B: The lens at its widest with focus set
to “infinity”. Anything in the shaded
section will be in focus, and this focus
extends to infinity (that is, things in
the far distance will also be in focus).
However, things in the distance might
be too small to see the detail you
require.
C: The lens at its tightest, focused
on an area close to the camera. As
you can see, the more the lens is
zoomed, the smaller the depth of field
becomes.
D: The lens at its tightest with focus
further from the camera. At this
distance, the actual depth of field is
much larger, but it doesn’t extend to
infinity like it does when the lens is
wide.
A C
B D

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INPUT
2A. Connecting Directly to TV
2B. Connecting to Your Existing DVR
Connect a BNC to RCA
adapter and connect to video
input on your TV or VCR
2
Connect the BNC extension
cable to an open channel on
the back of the DVR
2
Plug in the camera
power adapter into
a wall socket
4
Connect the camera’s DC
and BNC socket cable to the
extension cable’s DC and BNC plugs
1
Connect the extension cables
DC socket to the DC plug on
the power adapter
3
Connection Guide

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The green plug is used to connect the OSD (on-screen display)
controller. This is an advanced feature, and recommended only
for experienced users. To access a comprehensive guide for the
advanced features of this camera, log onto our website at:
www.swann.com/osdpro
INPUT
2A. Connecting Directly to TV
2B. Connecting to Your Existing DVR
Connect a BNC to RCA
adapter and connect to video
input on your TV or VCR
2
Connect the BNC extension
cable to an open channel on
the back of the DVR
2
Plug in the camera
power adapter into
a wall socket
4
Connect the camera’s DC
and BNC socket cable to the
extension cable’s DC and BNC plugs
1
Connect the extension cables
DC socket to the DC plug on
the power adapter
3

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Troubleshooting
Problem: At night, all I see is white.
Solution: The camera is most likely looking through a window. At night, the
infrared light the camera uses to see in the dark can ‘bounce back’ off a reflective
surface (such as glass, water, spider webs, some ceramics and so on) and effectively
blind the camera. If you want to see outside, mount the camera outside - we made
it weatherproof for a reason!
Problem: I see only a blank screen where my image should be.
Solution: Check the wiring to the camera, and ensure the camera is being
supplied power from the included power adapter. Try using a different video lead,
or connecting the camera to a different television or monitor. Be sure there are no
devices interrupting your signal, such as a DVR or VCR that isn’t outputting the
signal correctly.
Problem: I can’t see anything at night.
Solution: The maximum range of the night vision is just that, the maximum range.
If there’s nothing in this range, you won’t see anything. Also, some dark objects
(like the proverbial black cat) may not reflect enough light to be seen except as a
silhouette if the background is brighter. Some objects which can easily be seen in
visible light don’t reflect much infrared light.
Problem: My image just doesn’t seem as “nice” as it should.
Solution: That’s one of the ironic things about so many configurable options on
a high-end camera. You’ll probably need to tweak a couple of things before you’ll
get a really “good” image. The following page contains some tips to help get you
off to a good start...

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Everything looks blurry/soft.
You probably need to adjust the focus (the knob on the right). This is simply a
matter of removing the dome cover, and turning the control knob one way until
you find the best focus point or it won’t turn any more. Detailed instructions for
setting the focus can be found on pages 4 and 5. Then, turn it back the other way.
If there is no “sweet spot” then this indicates one of two things.
1. Your lens might be dirty. Clean the front of it with a dedicated lens cleaning
cloth (available at any camera store). Avoid using solvents or cleaning
chemicals, as these can leave a residue.
2. You might be trying to focus on something outside the “depth of field” -
objects need to be at least a certain distance from the camera for you to be
able to focus on them. Typically, this will be only a few feet (about 1m) but
this distance can increase dramatically if the lens is zoomed in, or in low light
conditions.
3. Be sure to replace the dome cover securely once you’ve set the focus!
The On-Screen Display
We’re constantly on the lookout for ways to incorporate more features and more
advanced technologies into our products. So here’s one we’re excited about:
the PRO-781 features an On-Screen Display (OSD) that you can control with the
included control unit.
As this is a new, powerful feature, we couldn’t possibly fit the full explanation of
everything it can do into this booklet. So, we’ve created an online guide you can
access at:
www.swann.com/osdpro
Of course, you don’t have to use this feature at all. The PRO-781 will work
perfectly well if you never even connect the controller – it’ll adjust all of its settings
automatically.

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Mounting
To mount the camera, use the supplied mounting hardware (screws). If you’re
mounting onto a wooden surface, you can drive the screws directly into the wood.
You may need to drill guide holes first, particularly if mounting the camera onto
hardwood. If mounting on masonry or similar surface, use the included wall plugs.
The camera mounts to the flat surface, such as the underside of a ceiling or a
sturdy wall.
• Using the included star-key tool, remove the dome cover.
• Choose the most appropriate port to run the cable out of.
• If you’re going to run the cable into the roof or ceiling cavity, then
prepare a hole in the ceiling which will line up with the hole in the
top of the dome base. Use a high-quality sealant to ensure complete
waterproofness.
• If you’re planning to run the cable on the exterior of the ceiling/wall,
then undo the small protective cap on the side of the dome base and run
the cable out that way. Note that this will reduce the weather resistance
of the camera unless it is properly sealed with a high-quality sealant.
• Attach the dome base to the celing using the included mounting screws.
• Aim the camera, and adjust the zoom and focus controls to get the image that
you want. It can be really helpful to have a television or monitor on hand so
you can see what you’re doing! Help from an able assistant never goes astray,
either.
• The dome cover only mounts one way - that is, the cable-out port on the
side of the dome base means that the cover will only slide on when correctly
oriented. If you’ve changed the default position of the camera, this may mean
you’ll need to re-orient the plastic dome cover.
• On the underside of the dome cover there are two screws which are
responsible for holding the plastic dome in place.
• Using a precision screwdriver, loosen the two small screws, and slide the
tabs aside.
• Rotate the plastic component of the dome so that the transparent
window lines up with the orientation of the camera.
• Re-orient the tabs and tighten the screws to hold the plastic dome in
place.
• Re-attach the dome cover, and secure in place by tightening the screws.