Ultra 2 VMC5040 rotate image 180

[DSallee]

I suppose this might apply to all cameras.

I was wondering, does inverting the camera and choosing to rotate image 180 have an effect on the motion detection field of view?  I have one camera that goes the full 5 minutes about 75% of the motion detected videos.

[StephenB]

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@DSallee wrote:

I was wondering, does inverting the camera and choosing to rotate image 180 have an effect on the motion detection field of view? 

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It does.  The motion sensitivity is higher at the bottom of the field of view than the top.  If you invert that camera, the bottom of the field of view becomes less sensitive. 

[DSallee]

Would that just move the sensitivity to the top?  Does the camera work better correctly oriented? I turned it to avoid the eaves of the house but I would rather it work optimally. 

[StephenB · Accepted solution]

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@DSallee wrote:

Would that just move the sensitivity to the top?  Does the camera work better correctly oriented? I turned it to avoid the eaves of the house but I would rather it work optimally. 

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The sensitivity of the PIR sensors is due to their placement on the camera face.  When the camera is not rotated, the PIR sensors are

1. more sensitive at the bottom of the image than the top
2. more sensitive to side-to-side motion than motion directly toward the camera.

When you rotate the camera 180 degrees and invert the image using the setting, the sensors are more sensitive at the top of the image.  That is sometimes useful - for instance when there are pets at the bottom of the field of view that are generating unwanted motion recordings.

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@DSallee wrote:

Does the camera work better correctly oriented? I turned it to avoid the eaves of the house but I would rather it work optimally. 

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Inverting the camera will expose the charging port to the elements, but that isn't a problem if the camera is sheltered by the eaves.

As far as "optimal" goes, motion sensitivity is the only potential issue.  You can test that with the motion detection test.

Note that my reply doesn't apply to all Arlo cameras.  For instance, the new Gen 2 Essentials no longer have the invert-image setting because Arlo doesn't want folks to rotate those cameras.  That is (I think) to prevent any water ingress from pooling in the bottom of the camera - I believe that is where the battery is placed.

[DSallee]

Thank you, that is exactly what I needed to know.