Is a Scratched Lens Degrading Your Verkada Camera's Footage?
Verkada cameras are renowned for their high-definition video quality, which is essential for effective security monitoring. However, the clarity of your footage is entirely dependent on the condition of the camera's lens. A scratched, smudged, or damaged lens can severely compromise image quality, leading to blurry video, distorted images, and reduced visibility. This can be particularly problematic when you need to identify a face or a license plate in your recordings.
Whether the damage is on the outer dome of a Mini-Dome series camera or the lens of a Bullet series camera, addressing it is crucial. This guide will help you assess the severity of a scratch, provide safe cleaning methods for minor blemishes, and explain what to do for more significant damage.
How a Scratched Lens Affects Image Quality
Even a small scratch can have a noticeable impact on your security footage. Here’s what you might see:
- Blurriness: The most common symptom is a loss of sharpness, either across the entire image or in a specific area.
- Light Flaring and Halos: Scratches can catch light, especially at night from sources like headlights or streetlights, causing streaks, halos, or a starburst effect that obscures the view.
- Reduced Contrast: The overall image may appear hazy or washed out, with less definition between light and dark areas.
- Focusing Issues: The camera's autofocus mechanism may struggle to find a clear focal point, causing the image to hunt in and out of focus.
Step 1: Initial Assessment of the Lens
Before you attempt any cleaning, you need to determine if the issue is a scratch or just stubborn debris.
- Inspect Visually: Get a close, clear look at the camera's lens or dome. Use a torch (flashlight) at an angle to help highlight any surface imperfections.
- Check Live Feed: While observing the lens, view the camera's live stream in the Verkada Command platform. See if the blemish you see on the lens corresponds to the distortion in the video feed.
- Differentiate Dirt from Damage: A smudge or piece of dirt will typically have soft edges, whereas a scratch will be a sharp, distinct line.
Step 2: Safe Cleaning Procedures for Your Verkada Lens
If you suspect the issue is just dirt, a smudge, or a very light surface mark, follow these steps carefully. Using the wrong materials can create permanent scratches.
What You'll Need:
- Compressed Air Blower: To remove loose dust and debris without touching the surface.
- Microfibre Cloth: A clean, high-quality cloth designed for optics is essential. Do not use paper towels, tissues, or your shirt, as these can be abrasive.
- Lens Cleaning Solution: Use a cleaning fluid specifically formulated for camera lenses. Isopropyl alcohol (99%) can also be used sparingly.
The Cleaning Process:
- Power Down (Optional but Recommended): While not strictly necessary, it's good practice to avoid generating motion events while you're in front of the camera.
- Remove Loose Debris: Use the compressed air blower to gently blow away any loose particles of dust or dirt from the lens surface. This prevents you from grinding them into the lens when you wipe.
- Apply Cleaning Solution: Never spray the solution directly onto the lens or dome. This can cause liquid to seep inside the camera housing. Instead, apply a small amount of the cleaning solution to a corner of your microfibre cloth to make it slightly damp.
- Wipe Gently: Using the damp part of the cloth, wipe the lens in a gentle, circular motion, starting from the centre and moving outwards. Do not apply excessive pressure.
- Dry and Buff: Use a clean, dry section of the microfibre cloth to gently buff the lens, removing any streaks or residue.
- Check Your Work: Review the live video feed to see if the image quality has improved. You may need to repeat the process for stubborn smudges.
When Scratches Are Too Deep to Clean
If you've followed the cleaning procedure and the blemish remains, you are likely dealing with a physical scratch in the lens or dome material. Unfortunately, deeper scratches cannot be polished or buffed out. Attempting to do so with abrasive compounds will only cause more widespread damage and further degrade the image quality.
For Verkada dome cameras, it may be possible to replace the outer bubble or dome cover if it is scratched. For other models where the lens itself is scratched, a camera replacement is often the only solution.
Contacting Verkada Support
If you have a physically damaged or scratched lens that is impacting your security operations, the best course of action is to contact Verkada Support. They can help you diagnose the issue, determine if the camera is covered under warranty, and provide you with options for repair or replacement to restore your system's video quality.