AXIS Q1798-LE Network Camera

Solution overview

Installation

Installation video for the product.

Get started

Find the device on the network

To find Axis devices on the network and assign them IP addresses in Windows®, use AXIS IP Utility or AXIS Device Manager. Both applications are free and can be downloaded from axis.com/support.

For more information about how to find and assign IP addresses, go to How to assign an IP address and access your device.

Browser support

You can use the device with the following browsers:

ChromeTM

Firefox®

EdgeTM

Safari®

Windows®

recommended

recommended

macOS®

recommended

recommended

Linux®

recommended

recommended

Other operating systems

✓*

*To use AXIS OS web interface with iOS 15 or iPadOS 15, go to Settings > Safari > Advanced > Experimental Features and disable NSURLSession Websocket.

If you need more information about recommended browsers, go to AXIS OS Portal.

Access the device

  1. Open a browser and enter the IP address or host name of the Axis device.

    If you do not know the IP address, use AXIS IP Utility or AXIS Device Manager to find the device on the network.

  2. Enter the username and password. If you access the device for the first time, you must set the root password. See Set a new password for the root account.

  3. The live view page opens in your browser.

Verify that no one has tampered with the firmware

  1. To make sure that the device has its original Axis firmware, or to take full control of the device after a security attack:
  2. Reset to factory default settings. See Reset to factory default settings.

    After the reset, secure boot guarantees the state of the device.

  3. Configure and install the device.

Set a new password for the root account

Important

The default administrator username is root. If the password for root is lost, reset the device to factory default settings. See Reset to factory default settings

Support tip: Password security confirmation check
  1. Type a password. Follow the instructions about secure passwords. See Secure passwords.

  2. Retype the password to confirm the spelling.

  3. Click Create login. The password has now been configured.

Secure passwords

Important

Axis devices send the initially set password in clear text over the network. To protect your device after the first login, set up a secure and encrypted HTTPS connection and then change the password.

The device password is the primary protection for your data and services. Axis devices do not impose a password policy as they may be used in various types of installations.

To protect your data we strongly recommend that you:

  • Use a password with at least 8 characters, preferably created by a password generator.

  • Don’t expose the password.

  • Change the password at a recurring interval, at least once a year.

Webpage overview

  1. Live view control bar
  2. Live view
  3. Product name
  4. User information, color themes, and help
  5. Video control bar
  6. Settings toggle
  1. Settings tabs

Need more help?

You can access the built-in help from the device’s webpage. The help provides more detailed information on the device’s features and their settings.

Additional settings

Adjust the image

This section includes instructions about configuring your device. If you want to learn more about how certain features work, go to Learn more.

Level the camera

  1. To adjust the view in relation to a reference area or an object, use the leveling guide in combination with a mechanical adjustment of the camera.
  2. Go to Settings > System > Orientation and click .

  3. Adjust the camera mechanically until the position of the reference area or the object is aligned with the leveling guide.

Adjust the focus

  • This product has three focus modes:
  • Auto: The camera automatically adjusts focus based on the entire image.

  • Area: The camera automatically adjusts focus based on a selected area of the image.

  • Manual: The focus is set manually at a fixed distance.

  1. To turn off autofocus and adjust the focus manually:
  2. In the live view window, if the Zoom slider is visible, click Zoom and select Focus.

  3. Click M and use the slider to set the focus.

Select exposure mode

There are different exposure mode options in the camera that adjusts aperture, shutter speed, and gain to improve image quality for specific surveillance scenes. Go to Settings > Image > Exposure and select between the following exposure modes:

  • For most use cases, select Automatic exposure.

  • For environments with certain artificial lighting, for example fluorescent lighting, select Flicker-free.

    Select the same frequency as the power line frequency.

  • For environments with certain artificial light and bright light, for example outdoors with fluorescent lighting at night and sun during daytime, select Flicker-reduced.

    Select the same frequency as the power line frequency.

  • To lock the current exposure settings, select Hold current.

Optimize IR illumination

In most cases, the exposure of the image is automatically adjusted to obtain optimal image quality. If the camera is placed close to a wall or a corner, it can sometimes result in saturation of parts of the image. When this happens, the LEDs closest to the wall or corner are automatically dimmed to avoid saturating the image.

Depending on the installation environment and the conditions around the camera, for example external light sources in the scene, you can sometimes improve the IR illumination if you manually adjust the intensity of the LEDs.

  1. Go to Settings > Image > Day and night, and turn on Allow illumination.

  2. Turn on Live view control.

  3. Minimize Settings.

  4. In the live view control bar, click the Illumination button, turn on IR light and select Manual.

  5. Adjust the intensity.

Benefit from IR light in low-light conditions using night mode

Your camera uses visible light to deliver color images during the day. As the available light diminishes, you can set the camera to automatically shift to night mode, in which the camera uses both visible light and near-infrared light to deliver black-and-white images. Since the camera uses more of the available light it can deliver brighter, more detailed, images.

  1. Go to Settings > Image > Day and night, and make sure that the IR cut filter is set to Auto.

  2. To determine at what light level you want the camera to shift to night mode, move the Threshold slider toward Bright or Dark.

  3. Enable Allow IR illumination and Synchronize IR illumination to use the camera’s IR light when night mode is activated.

  4. Note

    If you set the shift to night mode to occur when it’s brighter, the image remains sharper as there will be less low-light noise. If you set the shift to occur when it’s darker, the image colors are maintained for longer, but there will be more image blur due to low-light noise.

Reduce noise in low-light conditions

To reduce noise in low-light conditions, you can adjust one or more of the following settings:

  • Adjust the trade-off between noise and motion blur. Go to Settings > Image > Exposure and move the Blur-noise trade-off slider toward Low noise.

  • Set the exposure mode to automatic.

  • Note

    A high max shutter value can result in motion blur.

  • To slow down the shutter speed, set max shutter to the highest possible value.

  • Reduce sharpness in the image.

  • Note

    When you reduce the max gain, the image can become darker.

  • Set the max gain to a lower value.

  • Open the aperture.

Reduce motion blur in low-light conditions

  • To reduce motion blur in low-light conditions, adjust one or more of the following settings in Settings > Image > Exposure:
  • Move the Blur-noise trade-off slider toward Low motion blur.

  • Note

    When you increase the gain, image noise also increases.

  • Set Max shutter to a shorter time, and Max gain to a higher value.

  • If you still have problems with motion blur:
  • Increase the light level in the scene.

  • Mount the camera so that objects move toward it or away from it rather than sideways.

Maximize the details in an image

Important

If you maximize the details in an image, the bitrate will probably increase and you might get a reduced frame rate.

  • Go to Settings > Stream and set the compression as low as possible.

  • Go to Live view settings > Video format and select MJPEG streaming.

  • Go to Settings > Stream and turn off Zipstream functionality.

Handle scenes with strong backlight

Dynamic range is the difference in light levels in an image. In some cases the difference between the darkest and the brightest areas can be significant. The result is often an image where either the dark or the bright areas are visible. Wide dynamic range (WDR) makes both dark and bright areas of the image visible.

Image without WDR.
Image with WDR.
Note
  • WDR can cause artifacts in the image.
  • WDR may not be available for all capture modes.
  1. Go to Settings > Image > Wide dynamic range.

  2. Turn on WDR.

  3. If you still have problems, go to Exposure and adjust the Exposure zone to cover the area of interest.

Find out more about WDR and how to use it at axis.com/web-articles/wdr.

Stabilize a shaky image with Electronic Image Stabilization (EIS)

Electronic Image Stabilization (EIS) can be used in environments where the product is mounted in an exposed location and subject to vibrations, for example, wind or passing traffic. Turn on EIS to get a smoother and steadier image without blur.

EIS also reduces the file size of the compressed image and lowers the bitrate of the video stream.

Note

When EIS is turned on the image is cropped slightly, lowering the maximum resolution.

  1. Go to Settings > Image > Image correction.

  2. Turn on EIS.

  3. Use the slider to adjust the electronic image stabilization.

Compensate for barrel distortion

Barrel distortion is a phenomenon where straight lines appear increasingly bent closer to the edges of the frame. A wide field of view often creates barrel distortion in an image. Barrel distortion correction compensates for this distortion.

Note

Barrel distortion correction affects the image resolution and field of view.

  1. Go to Settings > Image > Image correction.

  2. Turn on Barrel distortion correction (BDC).

  3. Use the slider to adjust the barrel distortion correction.

Monitor long and narrow areas

Use corridor format to better utilize the full field of view in a long and narrow area, for example a staircase, hallway, road, or tunnel.

  1. Depending on your device, turn the camera or the 3-axis lens in the camera 90° or 270°.

  2. Note

    Make sure to aim IR LEDs away from walls or weathershields.

  3. If the device doesn’t have automatic rotation of the view, log in to the webpage and go to Settings > System > Orientation.

  4. Click .

  5. Rotate the view 90° or 270°.

Find out more at axis.com/axis-corridor-format.

Verify the pixel resolution

To verify that a defined part of the image contains enough pixels to, for example, recognize license plates, you can use the pixel counter.

  1. Go to Settings > System > Orientation.

  2. Click .

  3. In the camera’s live view, adjust the size and position of the rectangle around the area of interest, for example where you expect license plates to appear.

    You can see the number of pixels for each of the rectangle’s sides (X and Y), and decide if the values are enough for your needs.

Optimize the image for traffic surveillance

To get the best possible image for traffic surveillance, use the AXIS Traffic Wizard in combination with the Traffic overview scene profile.

  1. Go to Apps > AXIS Traffic Wizard.

  2. Start the application if it is not already running.

  3. To set up the application, click Open.

  4. Select units (metric or imperial).

  5. Enter the values for Road distance, Camera height, Vehicle distance and Max speed.

  6. To make both dark and bright areas of the image visible, turn on WDR.

  7. Set the level of low-light gain depending on the light conditions.

  8. If external IR illumination is available, select the Supplemental IR illumination checkbox.

  9. Click Save.

  10. Go to System > Orientation.

  11. Select Traffic overview under Scene profile.

  12. Click Done.

Hide parts of the image with privacy masks

You can create one or several privacy masks to hide parts of the image.

How to create a privacy mask
  1. Go to Settings > Privacy mask.

  2. Click New.

  3. Adjust the size, color, and name of the privacy mask according to your needs.

How to change the appearance of the mask

Show an image overlay

You can add an image as an overlay in the video stream.

  1. Go to Settings > Overlay.

  2. Click Image list.

  3. Upload an image and click Done.

  4. Click Create overlay.

  5. Select Image and click Create.

  6. Select the image from the drop-down list.

  7. To position the image overlay, choose Custom or one of the presets.

  8. Click Create.

Show a text overlay in the video stream when the device detects motion

This example explains how to display the text “Motion detected” when the device detects motion.

Make sure that AXIS Video Motion Detection is running:

  1. Go to Settings > Apps > AXIS Video Motion Detection.

  2. Start the application if it is not already running.

  3. Make sure you have set up the application according to your needs. If you need help, see the user manual for AXIS Video Motion Detection 4.

  4. Add the overlay text:
  5. Go to Settings > Overlay.

  6. Select Create overlay and select Text overlay.

  7. Enter #D in the text field.

  8. Choose text size and appearance.

  9. To position the text overlay, choose Custom or one of the presets.

  10. Create an action rule:
  11. Go to Settings > System > Events > Action rules.

  12. Create an action rule with AXIS Video Motion Detection as trigger.

  13. From the list of actions, select Overlay text.

  14. Type “Motion detected”.

  15. Set the duration.

Note

If you update the overlay text it will be automatically updated on all video streams dynamically.

To learn more about different pan, tilt, and zoom settings, see .

Limit the zoom movements

If there are parts of the scene that you don’t want the camera to be able to zoom in on, you can limit the maximum zoom level. For example, you want to protect the privacy of residents in an apartment building, which is located close to a parking lot that you intend to monitor. To limit the maximum zoom level, go to Settings > PTZ > Limits.

Create a guard tour with preset positions

A guard tour displays the video stream from different preset positions either in a predetermined or random order, and for configurable periods of time.

  1. Go to Settings > PTZ > Guard tours.

  2. Click .

  3. To edit the guard tour’s properties, click .

  4. Type a name for the guard tour and specify the pause length in minutes between each tour.

  5. If you want the guard tour to go to the preset positions in a random order, turn on Shuffle.

  6. Click Done.

  7. Click Add to add the preset positions that you want in your guard tour.

  8. Click Done to exit the guard tour settings.

  9. To schedule the guard tour, go to System > Events.

View and record video

This section includes instructions about configuring your device. To learn more about how streaming and storage works, go to Streaming and storage.

Reduce bandwidth and storage

Important

If you reduce the bandwidth it can result in loss of details in the picture.

  1. Go to live view and select H.264.

  2. Go to Settings > Stream.

  3. Do one or more of the following:

    • Note

      The zipstream settings are used for both H.264 and H.265.

    • Turn on dynamic GOP and set a high GOP length value.

    • Increase the compression.

    • Turn on dynamic FPS.

Note

Web browsers do not support H.265 decoding. Use a video management system or application supporting H.265 decoding.

Set up network storage

  1. To store recordings on the network, you need to set up your network storage.
  2. Go to Settings > System > Storage.

  3. Click Setup under Network storage.

  4. Enter the IP address of the host server.

  5. Enter the name of the shared location on the host server.

  6. Move the switch if the share requires a login, and enter username and password.

  7. Click Connect.

Record and watch video

To record video you must first set up network storage, see Set up network storage, or have an SD card installed.

  1. Record video
  2. Go to the live view.

  3. To start a recording, click Record. Click again to stop the recording.

  1. Watch video
  2. Click Storage > Go to recordings.

  3. Select your recording in the list and it will play automatically.

Set up rules for events

You can create rules to make your device perform an action when certain events occur. A rule consists of conditions and actions. The conditions can be used to trigger the actions. For example, the device can start a recording or send an email when it detects motion, or show an overlay text while the device is recording.

To learn more, check out our guide Get started with rules for events.

Trigger an action

  1. Go to Settings > System > Events to set up an action rule. The action rule defines when the device will perform certain actions. Action rules can be setup as scheduled, recurring, or for example, triggered by motion detection.

  2. Select what Trigger must be met to trigger the action. If you specify more than one trigger for the action rule, all of them must be met to trigger the action.

  3. Select which Action the device should perform when the conditions are met.

Note

If you make changes to an active action rule, you have to restart the action rule for the changes to take effect.

Note

If you change the definition of a stream profile that is used in a rule, you have to to restart all the rules that use that stream profile.

Record video when the camera detects motion

This example explains how to set up the camera to start recording to the SD card five seconds before it detects motion and to stop one minute after.

  1. Make sure that AXIS Video Motion Detection is running:
  2. Go to Settings > Apps > AXIS Video Motion Detection.

  3. Start the application if it is not already running.

  4. Make sure you have set up the application according to your needs. If you need help, see the user manual for AXIS Video Motion Detection 4.

  1. Create an action rule:
  2. Go to Settings > System > Events and add an action rule.

  3. Type a name for the action rule.

  4. From the list of triggers, select Applications and then select AXIS Video Motion Detection (VMD).

  5. From the list of actions, select Record video.

  6. Select an existing stream profile or create a new one.

  7. Enable and set the pre-trigger time to 5 seconds.

  8. Enable While the rule is active.

  9. Enable and set the post-trigger time to 60 seconds.

  10. Select SD card from the list of storage options.

  11. Click Ok.

Record video when a PIR detector senses motion

This example explains how to connect an Axis PIR detector to the camera, and set up the camera to start recording when the detector senses motion.

  • Required hardware
  • 3-wire cable (ground, power, I/O)

  • Axis PIR detector

NOTICE

Disconnect the camera from power before connecting the wires. Reconnect to power after all connections are done.

  1. Connect the wires to the camera’s I/O connector
  2. Note

    For information on the I/O connector, see Connectors.

  3. Connect the ground wire to pin 1 (GND/-).

  4. Connect the power wire to pin 2 (12V DC output).

  5. Connect the I/O wire to pin 3 (I/O input).

  1. Connect the wires to the PIR detector’s I/O connector
  2. Connect the other end of the ground wire to pin 1 (GND/-).

  3. Connect the other end of the power wire to pin 2 (DC input/+).

  4. Connect the other end of the I/O wire to pin 3 (I/O output).

  1. Configure the I/O port in the camera’s webpage
  2. Go to Settings > System > I/O ports.

  3. Select Input in the Port 1 drop-down list.

  4. Give the input module a descriptive name.

  5. To make the PIR detector send a signal to the camera when it senses motion, select Closed circuit in the drop-down list.

To trigger the camera to start recording when it receives a signal from the PIR detector, you need to create an action rule in the camera’s webpage.

Record video when the camera detects loud noises

This example explains how to set up the camera to start recording to the SD card five seconds before it detects loud noise and to stop one minute after.

Note

The following instructions require that a microphone is connected to audio-in.

  1. Turn on audio:
  2. Set up the stream profile to include audio, see Add audio to your recording.

  3. Set up audio detection:
  4. Go to Settings > System > Detectors > Audio detection.

  5. Adjust the alarm level according to your needs.

  6. Create a rule:
  7. Go to Settings > System > Events and add a rule.

  8. Type a name for the rule.

  9. In the list of triggers, select Detectors and then select Audio Detection.

  10. In the list of actions, select Record video.

  11. Select the stream profile where audio has been turned on or create a new one.

  12. Enable and set the pre-trigger time to 5 seconds.

  13. Enable While the rule is active.

  14. Enable and set the post-trigger time to 60 seconds.

  15. Select SD card from the list of storage options.

  16. Click OK.

Record video when the camera detects impact

Shock detection allows the camera to detect tampering caused by vibrations or shock. Vibrations due to the environment or to an object can trigger an action depending on the shock sensitivity range, which can be set from 0 to 100. In this scenario, someone is throwing rocks at the camera after hours and you would like to get a video clip of the event.

  1. Go to Settings > System > Detectors.

  2. Set shock detection to on, and set a value for the shock sensitivity.

  3. Create an action rule:
  4. Go to Settings > System > Events and add an action rule.

  5. Type a name for the action rule.

  6. From the list of triggers, select Detectors and then select Shock detection.

  7. From the list of schedules, select After Hours.

  8. From the list of actions, select Send Video Clip.

  9. Select an existing stream profile or create a new one.

  10. Enable and set the pre-trigger time to 5 seconds.

  11. Enable While the rule is active.

  12. Enable and set the post-trigger time to 60 seconds.

  13. Select an existing recipient or create a new one.

  14. Click OK.

Provide visual indication of an ongoing event

You have the option to connect the AXIS I/O Indication LED to your network camera. This LED can be configured to turn on whenever certain events occur in the camera. For example, to let people know that video recording is in progress.

Required hardware

  • AXIS I/O Indication LED

  • An Axis network video camera

  • Note

    For instructions on how to connect the AXIS I/O Indication LED, see the installation guide provided with the product.

The following example shows how to configure a rule that turns on the AXIS I/O Indication LED to indicate that camera is recording.

  1. Go to Settings > System > I/O Ports.

  2. Go to Settings > System > Events.

  3. Create a new rule.

  4. Select the Condition that must be met to trigger the camera to start recording. It can, for example, be a time schedule or motion detection.

  5. In the list of actions, select Record video. Select a stream profile or create a new. Also set duration as required.

  6. Save the rule.

  7. Create a second rule and select the same Condition as in the first rule.

  8. In the list of actions, select Output port, and then select the port the AXIS I/O Indication LED is connected to. Set the state toActive and set duration as required.

  9. Save the rule.

  • Other scenarios where AXIS I/O Indication LED can be used are for example:
  • Configure the LED to turn on when the camera starts, to indicate the presence of the camera. Select System ready as a condition.

  • Configure the LED to turn on when live stream is active to indicate that a person or a program is accessing a stream from the camera. Select Live stream accessed as a condition.

Configure I/O ports

You need to connect the switch relay to the camera from the camera’s webpage. First, configure the I/O ports:

Set the PIR detector to an input port

  1. Go to System > I/O ports.

  2. Select Input in the Port 1 drop-down list.

  3. Give the input module a descriptive name, for example “PIR detector”.

  4. To trigger an event whenever the PIR detector senses motion, select Open circuit in the drop-down list.

Set the switch relay to an output port

  1. Go to System > I/O ports.

  2. Select Output in the Port 2 drop-down list.

  3. Give the output module a descriptive name, for example “Gate switch”.

  4. To open the gate whenever an event is triggered, select Closed circuit in the drop-down list.

Create rules

For the camera to open the gate when the PIR detector senses someone nearby, you need to create a rule in the camera:

  1. Go to System > Events > Action rules.

  2. Click Add.

  3. Give the action rule a name, for example “Open gate”.

  4. In the Trigger drop-down menu, select Input signal.

  5. Select Digital input signal.

  6. Select ”PIR detector”, in this example connected to port 1.

  7. Under Actions, select Output port from the Type drop-down menu.

  8. In the Port drop-down menu, select “Gate switch”.

  9. Click Ok.

  10. Create another action rule with the name “Direct the camera to the gate".

  11. Select the same input signal as before, but as action select the previously created “Gate entrance” preset position.

  12. Click Ok.

Set up the intrusion alarm

Before you start

  • Connect the intrusion alarm switch to pin 1 (ground) and pin 3 (digital I/O) of the camera’s I/O connector.

Configure the input port

  1. Go to Settings > System > I/O ports.

  2. For Port 1:

    1. Select Input in the drop-down menu .

    2. Select Closed circuit (NC) in the drop-down menu .

Create a rule

  1. Go to Settings > System > Events and create an action rule.

  2. Type a name for the action rule.

  3. From the Trigger drop-down list, select Input signal and Digital Input Port.

  4. Set Active to Yes.

  5. From the Schedule drop-down list, select Send Notification and select a recipient or create a new recipient.

    To create a new recipient, click . To copy an existing recipient, click .

  6. Click OK.

Detect tampering with input signal

This example explains how to trigger an alarm when the input signal has been cut or short-circuited. For more information about the I/O connector, see I/O connector.

  1. Go to Settings > System > I/O Ports and turn on Supervised I/O for one of the ports.

  1. Create an action rule:
  2. Go to Settings > System > Events and create an action rule.

  3. Type a name for the action rule.

  4. From the list of triggers, select Input Signal and then Supervised input port. Set Tampered to Yes.

  5. From the list of schedules, select Always.

  6. From the list of actions, select Send Notification and then select a recipient or create a new recipient.

  7. Click OK.

Send an email automatically if someone spray paints the lens

  1. Go to Settings > System > Detectors.

  2. Turn on Trigger on dark images. This will trigger an alarm if the lens is sprayed, covered, or rendered severely out of focus.

  3. Set a duration for Trigger after. The value indicates the time that must pass before an email is sent.

  1. Create an action rule:
  2. Go to Settings > System > Events > Action rules and add an action rule.

  3. Enter a name for the action rule.

  4. From the list of triggers, select Detectors and then select Tampering.

  5. From the list of actions, select Send Notification and then select a recipient from the list or click New Recipient to create a new recipient.

  6. Enter name and address for the email.

  7. Click Ok.

Audio

Add audio to your recording

  1. Turn on audio:
  2. Go to Settings > Audio and turn on Allow audio.

  3. Go to Input > Type and select your audio source.

  4. Edit the stream profile which is used for the recording:
  5. Go to Settings > Stream and click Stream profiles.

  6. Select the stream profile and click Audio.

  7. Select the checkbox and select Include.

  8. Click Save.

  9. Click Close.

Learn more

Cleaning recommendations

If the device gets grease stains or becomes heavily soiled, you can clean it with mild, solvent-free soap or detergent.

NOTICE

Never use harsh detergent, for example gasoline, benzene, or acetone.

  1. Use a can of compressed air to remove any dust or loose dirt from the device.

  2. Clean the device with a soft cloth dampened with mild detergent and lukewarm water.

  3. Wipe carefully with a dry cloth.

Note

Avoid cleaning in direct sunlight or at elevated temperatures, as this may cause stains when the water droplets dry.

Long-distance connections

  • This product supports fiber-optic cable installations through a media converter. Fiber-optic cable installations offer a number of benefits such as:
  • Long-distance connection

  • High speed

  • Long lifetime

  • Large capacity of data transmission

  • Electromagnetic interference immunity

Find out more about fiber-optic cable installations on axis.com/technologies/fiber-optics.

For information about how to install the media converter see the Installation Guide for this product.

Image quality

Remote focus and zoom

The remote focus and zoom functionality allows you to make focus and zoom adjustments to your camera from a computer. It is a convenient way to ensure that the scene’s focus, viewing angle and resolution are optimized without having to visit the camera’s installation location.

Privacy masks

A privacy mask is a user-defined area that covers a part of the monitored area. In the video stream, privacy masks appear either as blocks of solid color or with a mosaic pattern.

The privacy mask is relative to the pan, tilt, and zoom coordinates, so regardless of where you point the camera, the privacy mask covers the same place or object.

You’ll see the privacy mask on all snapshots, recorded video, and live streams.

You can use the VAPIX® application programming interface (API) to hide the privacy masks.

Important

If you use multiple privacy masks it may affect the product’s performance.

You can create several privacy masks. The maximum number of masks depends on the complexity of all the masks combined. The more anchor points in each mask, the fewer masks you can create. Each mask can have 3 to 10 anchor points.

Overlays

Overlays are superimposed over the video stream. They are used to provide extra information during recordings, such as a timestamp, or during product installation and configuration. You can add either text or an image.

Guard tours

A guard tour displays the video stream from different preset positions either in a predetermined or random order, and for configurable periods of time. Once started, a guard tour continues to run until stopped, even when there are no clients (web browsers) viewing the images.

Streaming and storage

Bitrate control

Bitrate control helps you to manage the bandwidth consumption of your video stream.

Variable bitrate (VBR)
Variable bitrate allows the bandwidth consumption to vary depending on the level of activity in the scene. The more activity, the more bandwidth you need. With variable bitrate you are guaranteed constant image quality, but you need to make sure you have storage margins.

Maximum bitrate (MBR)
Maximum bitrate lets you set a target bitrate to handle bitrate limitations in your system. You might see a decline in image quality or frame rate as the instantaneous bitrate is kept below the specified target bitrate. You can choose to prioritize either image quality or frame rate. We recommend that you configure the target bitrate to a higher value than the expected bitrate. This gives you a margin in case there is a high level of activity in the scene.

  1. Target bitrate

Average bitrate (ABR)
With average bitrate, the bitrate is automatically adjusted over a longer period of time. This is so you can meet the specified target and provide the best video quality based on your available storage. Bitrate is higher in scenes with a lot of activity, compared to static scenes. You are more likely to get better image quality when in scenes with a lot of activity if you use the average bitrate option. You can define the total storage required to store the video stream for a specified amount of time (retention time) when image quality is adjusted to meet the specified target bitrate. Specify the average bitrate settings in one of the following ways:

  • To calculate the estimated storage need, set the target bitrate and the retention time.

  • To calculate the average bitrate, based on available storage and required retention time, use the target bitrate calculator.

    1. Target bitrate
    2. Actual average bitrate
  • You can also turn on maximum bitrate and specify a target bitrate within the average bitrate option.
    1. Target bitrate
    2. Actual average bitrate

Video compression formats

Decide which compression method to use based on your viewing requirements, and on the properties of your network. The available options are:

Motion JPEG

Note

To ensure support for the Opus audio codec, the Motion JPEG stream is always sent over RTP.

Motion JPEG, or MJPEG, is a digital video sequence that is made up of a series of individual JPEG images. These images are then displayed and updated at a rate sufficient to create a stream that shows constantly updated motion. For the viewer to perceive motion video the rate must be at least 16 image frames per second. Full motion video is perceived at 30 (NTSC) or 25 (PAL) frames per second.

The Motion JPEG stream uses considerable amounts of bandwidth, but provides excellent image quality and access to every image contained in the stream.

H.264 or MPEG-4 Part 10/AVC

Note

H.264 is a licensed technology. The Axis product includes one H.264 viewing client license. To install additional unlicensed copies of the client is prohibited. To purchase additional licenses, contact your Axis reseller.

H.264 can, without compromising image quality, reduce the size of a digital video file by more than 80% compared to the Motion JPEG format and by as much as 50% compared to older MPEG formats. This means that less network bandwidth and storage space are required for a video file. Or seen another way, higher video quality can be achieved for a given bitrate.

H.265 or MPEG-H Part 2/HEVC

H.265 can, without compromising image quality, reduce the size of a digital video file by more than 25% compared to H.264.

Note
  • H.265 is licensed technology. The Axis product includes one H.265 viewing client license. Installing additional unlicensed copies of the client is prohibited. To purchase additional licenses, contact your Axis reseller.
  • Most web browsers don’t support H.265 decoding and because of this the camera doesn’t support it in its web interface. Instead you can use a video management system or application supporting H.265 decoding.

How do Image, Stream, and Stream profile settings relate to each other?

The Image tab contains camera settings that affect all video streams from the product. If you change something in this tab, it immediately affects all video streams and recordings.

The Stream tab contains settings for video streams. You get these settings if you request a video stream from the product and don’t specify for example resolution, or frame rate. When you change the settings in the Stream tab, it doesn’t affect ongoing streams, but it will take effect when you start a new stream.

The Stream profiles settings override the settings from the Stream tab. If you request a stream with a specific stream profile, the stream contains the settings of that profile. If you request a stream without specifying a stream profile, or request a stream profile that doesn't exist in the product, the stream contains the settings from the Stream tab.

Applications

With applications you can get more out of your Axis device. AXIS Camera Application Platform (ACAP) is an open platform that makes it possible for third parties to develop analytics and other applications for Axis devices. Applications can be preinstalled on the device, available for download for free, or for a license fee. To find out more about available applications, downloads, trials and licenses, go to axis.com/products/acap/application-gallery.

To find the user manuals for Axis applications, go to help.axis.com.

Note
  • Several applications can run at the same time but some applications might not be compatible with each other. Certain combinations of applications might require too much processing power or memory resources when run in parallel. Verify that the applications work together before deployment.

Troubleshooting

Reset to factory default settings

WARNING

IR emitted from this product. Do not look at operating lamp.

Important

Reset to factory default should be used with caution. A reset to factory default resets all settings, including the IP address, to the factory default values.

To reset the product to the factory default settings:

  1. Disconnect power from the product.

  2. Press and hold the control button while reconnecting power. See Product overview.

  3. Keep the control button pressed for 15–30 seconds until the status LED indicator flashes amber.

  4. Release the control button. The process is complete when the status LED indicator turns green. The product has been reset to the factory default settings. If no DHCP server is available on the network, the default IP address is 192.168.0.90.

  5. Use the installation and management software tools to assign an IP address, set the password, and access the video stream.

    The installation and management software tools are available from the support pages on axis.com/support.

It is also possible to reset parameters to factory default through the web interface. Go to Settings > System > Maintenance and click Default.

Firmware options

Axis offers product firmware management according to either the active track or the long-term support (LTS) tracks. Being on the active track means continuously getting access to all the latest product features, while the LTS tracks provide a fixed platform with periodic releases focused mainly on bug fixes and security updates.

Using firmware from the active track is recommended if you want to access the newest features, or if you use Axis end-to-end system offerings. The LTS tracks are recommended if you use third-party integrations, which are not continuously validated against the latest active track. With LTS, the products can maintain cybersecurity without introducing any significant functional changes or affecting any existing integrations. For more detailed information about Axis product firmware strategy, go to axis.com/support/firmware.

Check the current firmware

Firmware is the software that determines the functionality of network devices. One of your first actions when troubleshooting a problem should be to check the current firmware version. The latest version may contain a correction that fixes your particular problem.

To check the current firmware:

  1. Go to the product’s webpage.

  2. Click the help menu .

  3. Click About.

Upgrade the firmware

Important

Preconfigured and customized settings are saved when the firmware is upgraded (provided that the features are available in the new firmware) although this is not guaranteed by Axis Communications AB.

Important

Make sure the product remains connected to the power source throughout the upgrade process.

Note

When you upgrade the product with the latest firmware in the active track, the product receives the latest functionality available. Always read the upgrade instructions and release notes available with each new release before upgrading the firmware. To find the latest firmware and the release notes, go to axis.com/support/firmware.

AXIS Device Manager can be used for multiple upgrades. Find out more at axis.com/products/axis-device-manager.

How to upgrade the firmware
  1. Download the firmware file to your computer, available free of charge at axis.com/support/firmware.

  2. Log in to the product as an administrator.

  3. Go to Settings > System > Maintenance. Follow the instructions on the page. When the upgrade has finished, the product restarts automatically.

Technical issues, clues and solutions

If you can’t find what you’re looking for here, try the troubleshooting section at axis.com/support.

Problems upgrading the firmware

Firmware upgrade failure

If the firmware upgrade fails, the device reloads the previous firmware. The most common reason is that the wrong firmware file has been uploaded. Check that the name of the firmware file corresponds to your device and try again.

Problems after firmware upgrade

If you experience problems after a firmware upgrade, roll back to the previously installed version from the Maintenance page.

Problems setting the IP address

The device is located on a different subnet

If the IP address intended for the device and the IP address of the computer used to access the device are located on different subnets, you cannot set the IP address. Contact your network administrator to obtain an IP address.

The IP address is being used by another device

Disconnect the Axis device from the network. Run the ping command (in a Command/DOS window, type ping and the IP address of the device):

  • If you receive: Reply from <IP address>: bytes=32; time=10... this means that the IP address may already be in use by another device on the network. Obtain a new IP address from the network administrator and reinstall the device.

  • If you receive: Request timed out, this means that the IP address is available for use with the Axis device. Check all cabling and reinstall the device.

Possible IP address conflict with another device on the same subnet

The static IP address in the Axis device is used before the DHCP server sets a dynamic address. This means that if the same default static IP address is also used by another device, there may be problems accessing the device.

The device cannot be accessed from a browser

Cannot log in

When HTTPS is enabled, ensure that the correct protocol (HTTP or HTTPS) is used when attempting to log in. You may need to manually type http or https in the browser’s address field.

If the password for the user root is lost, the device must be reset to the factory default settings. See Reset to factory default settings.

The IP address has been changed by DHCP

IP addresses obtained from a DHCP server are dynamic and may change. If the IP address has been changed, use AXIS IP Utility or AXIS Device Manager to locate the device on the network. Identify the device using its model or serial number, or by the DNS name (if the name has been configured).

If required, a static IP address can be assigned manually. For instructions, go to axis.com/support.

The device is accessible locally but not externally

To access the device externally, we recommend using one of the following applications for Windows®:

  • AXIS Companion: free of charge, ideal for small systems with basic surveillance needs.

  • AXIS Camera Station: 30-day trial version free of charge, ideal for small to mid-size systems.

For instructions and download, go to axis.com/vms.

Problems with streaming

Multicast H.264 only accessible by local clients

Check if your router supports multicasting, or if the router settings between the client and the device need to be configured. The TTL (Time To Live) value may need to be increased.

No multicast H.264 displayed in the client

Check with your network administrator that the multicast addresses used by the Axis device are valid for your network.

Check with your network administrator to see if there is a firewall preventing viewing.

Poor rendering of H.264 images

Ensure that your graphics card is using the latest driver. The latest drivers can usually be downloaded from the manufacturer’s website.

Color saturation is different in H.264 and Motion JPEG

Modify the settings for your graphics adapter. Go to the adapter’s documentation for more information.

Lower frame rate than expected

  • See Performance considerations.

  • Reduce the number of applications running on the client computer.

  • Limit the number of simultaneous viewers.

  • Check with the network administrator that there is enough bandwidth available.

  • Lower the image resolution.

Can't select H.265 encoding in live view

Web browsers do not support H.265 decoding. Use a video management system or application supporting H.265 decoding.

Performance considerations

When setting up your system, it is important to consider how various settings and situations affect the performance. Some factors affect the amount of bandwidth (the bitrate) required, others can affect the frame rate, and some affect both. If the load on the CPU reaches its maximum, this also affects the frame rate.

The following factors are the most important to consider:

  • High image resolution or lower compression levels result in images containing more data which in turn affects the bandwidth.

  • Rotating the image in the GUI can increase the product's CPU load.

  • Access by large numbers of Motion JPEG or unicast H.264 clients affects the bandwidth.

  • Access by large numbers of Motion JPEG or unicast H.265 clients affects the bandwidth.

  • Simultaneous viewing of different streams (resolution, compression) by different clients affects both frame rate and bandwidth.

    Use identical streams wherever possible to maintain a high frame rate. Stream profiles can be used to ensure that streams are identical.

  • Accessing Motion JPEG and H.264 video streams simultaneously affects both frame rate and bandwidth.

  • Accessing Motion JPEG and H.265 video streams simultaneously affects both frame rate and bandwidth.

  • Heavy usage of event settings affects the product’s CPU load which in turn affects the frame rate.

  • Using HTTPS may reduce frame rate, in particular if streaming Motion JPEG.

  • Heavy network utilization due to poor infrastructure affects the bandwidth.

  • Viewing on poorly performing client computers lowers perceived performance and affects frame rate.

  • Running multiple AXIS Camera Application Platform (ACAP) applications simultaneously may affect the frame rate and the general performance.

Need more help?

Contact support

Contact support at axis.com/support.

Specifications

Product overview

  1. Network connector
  2. Part nu mber (P/N) & Serial number (S/N)
  3. Safety wire
  4. Power connector
  5. I/O connector
  6. Audio connector
  7. Control button
  8. microSD card slot
  9. Function button
  10. Status LED indicator
  1. IDC network connector
  2. Foot
  3. Grounding screw
  4. Mounting plate

LED indicators

Status LEDIndication
Unlit

Connection and normal operation.

Green

Shows steady green for 10 seconds for normal operation after startup completed.

Amber

Steady during startup. Flashes during firmware upgrade or reset to factory default.

Amber/Red

Flashes amber/red if network connection is unavailable or lost.

Buzzer

Buzzer signal for leveling assistant

For information on the function button used for leveling the camera, see Buttons.

Press and hold the function button for more than two seconds to level the camera.

  • When the camera is level, the beep is continuous.

  • When the camera is not level, the beep occurs at slow intervals.

SD card slot

NOTICE
  • Risk of damage to SD card. Don’t use sharp tools, metal objects, or excessive force when inserting or removing the SD card. Use your fingers to insert and remove the card.
  • Risk of data loss and corrupted recordings. Unmount the SD card from the device’s web interface before removing it. Don’t remove the SD card while the product is running.

This device supports microSD/microSDHC/microSDXC cards.

For SD card recommendations, see axis.com.

microSD, microSDHC, and microSDXC Logos are trademarks of SD-3C LLC. microSD, microSDHC, microSDXC are trademarks or registered trademarks of SD-3C, LLC in the United States, other countries or both.

Buttons

Control button

Function Button

  • The function button has multiple functions:
  • As leveling Assistant – This function helps to ensure the camera is level. Press the button for about 3 seconds to start the leveling assistant and press again to stop. The status LED (see ) and buzzer signal assist leveling of the camera. The camera is level when the buzzer beeps continuously.

  • To view the Status LED – Press the button once to light up the Status LEDs. Press again to turn them off. The LEDs will turn off automatically after 10 seconds.

Connectors

Network connector

RJ45 Ethernet connector with Power over Ethernet Plus (PoE+).

IDC connector

Use the insulation-displacement connector (IDC) to connect a network cable without an RJ45-connector.

Note

When using the IDC connector, connect a patch cable between the patch cable connector on the foot and the network connector on the camera assembly.

  1. IDC connectors
  2. Patch cable connector

Pin assignment

PositionT586AT586B
1Blue and whiteBlue and white
2BlueBlue
3Orange and whiteGreen and white
4OrangeGreen
5Green and whiteOrange and white
6GreenOrange
7Brown and whiteBrown and white
8BrownBrown

Audio connector

  • Audio in – 3.5 mm input for a mono microphone, or a line-in mono signal (left channel is used from a stereo signal).

Audio input

1 Tip2 Ring3 Sleeve

Unbalanced microphone (with or without electret power) or line

Electret power if selected

Ground

I/O connector

Use the I/O connector with external devices in combination with, for example, motion detection, event triggering, and alarm notifications. In addition to the 0 V DC reference point and power (12 V DC output), the I/O connector provides the interface to:

Digital input –
For connecting devices that can toggle between an open and closed circuit, for example PIR sensors, door/window contacts, and glass break detectors.
Digital output –
For connecting external devices such as relays and LEDs. Connected devices can be activated by the VAPIX® Application Programming Interface, through an event or from the device’s web interface.

4-pin terminal block

Example
  1. DC ground
  2. DC output 12 V, max 50mA
  3. I/O configured as input
  4. I/O configured as output

Power connector

2-pin terminal block for DC power input. Use a Safety Extra Low Voltage (SELV) compliant limited power source (LPS) with either a rated output power limited to ≤100 W or a rated output current limited to ≤5 A.