Outdoor Pro 3 goes from clear to foggy and back

[millerduck]

Every morning, and some evenings, if the camera hasn't bee active for a while it will start out a video clear, get very fogged up and then go back to clear.  Obviously some kind of condensation, but It seems odd that only this one camera does it and there doesn't seem to be an exterior condensation on the unit.  Am I getting moisture somewhere inside the camera?

Anyone else experience this?

[jguerdat]

Do you mean one video is clear and another foggy or that a video changes during the recording? If the latter, I would suspect it's nothing to do with moisture (which generally can't happen that fast) but with the recording having issues, perhaps due to the signal quality/strength between the camera and hub. If this is the issue, the video will get "blocky" which is pixelation.

[StephenB]

I have seen fog due to condensation on the lens, but have never had issues with moisture inside the camera.  You could try using RainX or some similar product on the lens, and see if that cures it.

FWIW, I think the overall design of the Ultra and the Pro-3 makes it more difficult for moisture to get into the cameras.  There is no seam in the Pro3 shell, and the new connector also looks more resistant to outside moisture.

If you are convinced this is a failure in your specific camera, I suggest exchanging the system with the seller if you can,  and contacting support if that is not possible.  https://www.arlo.com/en-us/support/contact.aspx

[millerduck]

I find it odd that we cannot share our Arlo videos here.  I uploaded a pair of them to youtube to show the issue.  You can see the video starts clear, gets very fogged up and starts to clear again by the end of the second one.

Definitely not a video quality change caused by connection.  Seems like moisture condensing and then clearing as the camera temperature changes from being on (self-heating).

[millerduck]

I don't really want to have to take all 4 cameras down and pack it all up to exchange it at the ol' Best Buy (where my wife bought it as my xmas gift).  Take a look at the videos I posted, I can try the rain-x fix this weekend.  

[StephenB]

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@millerduck wrote:

  Take a look at the videos I posted, I can try the rain-x fix this weekend.  

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It looks like condensation (and the car is wet in the first video).  If the condensation is inside the camera, then it would take a long time to clear out (since the camera would still basically sealed).  So I am thinking it is on the camera lens.

It does appear to be fogging up very quickly in the top video (getting worse as the video runs).  I haven't seen that with my own cameras.

[jguerdat · Accepted solution]

Ha! I think it's condensation from starting the truck! The exhaust initially has a lot of moisture in it when cold and the location of the camera and truck just causes a "cloud" of moisture to fill the space. Note that when you drive away it clears up.