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[aag]

I have just received my DLINK 5222L camera.
I ordered it after owning a Foscam FI8918W for a while, which I'm pretty happy with, other than the fact that it doesn't have SD card recording.

Anyways, I was very surprised to see the poor image quality on the DLink 5222L (which cost me almost three times the Foscam).

This is supposed to be a HD camera, but the picture quality is really poor:
1) Colors - the colors look very pale. I tried playing with all the image parameters on the WebUI, but still couldn't get it to display colors even close to the reality. As opposed to the Dlink, my foscam displays betters colors, that are close to real.

2) Field of view - The field of view on the DLink is very very narrow! I can barely see my living room, and need to pan/tilt alot in order to view my entire living room. Again, my Foscam (placed at the same location as the DLink) has a wider view, displaying my entire living room, without the need to pan/tilt.
This makes it very unusable as a security cam for me, since it only "watches" part of my living room.

3) Picture quality - The picture is fuzzy, and I can't see details very well.Again, I tried playing with all the image and video parameters, but no luck. Even in highest quality image stream, the image is not sharp.
Again if I compare to my cheap, non HD Foscam, I get a crisper image on the foscam.

I tested the Dlink at the same location as my Foscam (in my living room) and with the same lighting etc...
My tests where done from the WebUI directly, and not through myDlink.com.
I tested on two browsers (IE9 and Chrome) and got the same results on both, so its not a browser problem.

After playing around with the Dlink 5222L for a few days now, I contacted my local Dlink dealer, because I wanted to return it, but he said that I cannot, because I allready "used" it.
I want a refund, but he refuses to give it. He did offer to check the device at their labs to see if its not defective. My general view is that its not defective, its simply a poor quality product, which is a shame, because DLink usually makes very high quality and high-tech products.

Has anyone here had a similar experience with this model? Any suggestions?
I will be posting sample images soon, to let you see what I mean.

In the case where I really won't be able to return it, is there any way to improve this model, like change the original lens to something that will give a wider/sharper view?

BTW the firmware is 1.01 from factory, this is the latest FW, right?
Any help would be appreciated.

[RYAT3]

did you play with the max gain?

Are in you daylight mode on infrared?

if the field of vision was wider, then you wouldn't need an almost 360degree cam.

You get more detail with narrow.

[aag]

Played with the max gain, and in day mode.
The brightness/contrast controls are pretty useless: they don't improve, no matter what values I select,
 they make is worse.


Maybe I get a bit more details on a narrow FOV, but in general the picture is a bit fuzzy, and it doesn't help me for surveillance purposes, which is what this camera is supposedly made for.
I want the camera to record on motion, in my living room. But the camera only "sees" my sofa and a bit more, as opposed to the foscam, where I can see almost all my living room (including entrance).

[RYAT3]

At about 20 feet back, I can see about 20 feet across.  Is your camera like 5 feet from the sofa?

There is a manual focus ring on the 5222L.  You can focus from like very close to further out.

I do know that the more light in the room, the better the image.  Mine stays in IR cut mode all day long, and the picture does come out clear around 1-3 pm when the sun is out.  And it is not as clean/clear at night.

I use PIR detection only, no video detection. 

Played with the max gain, and in day mode.
The brightness/contrast controls are pretty useless: they don't improve, no matter what values I select,
 they make is worse.


Maybe I get a bit more details on a narrow FOV, but in general the picture is a bit fuzzy, and it doesn't help me for surveillance purposes, which is what this camera is supposedly made for.
I want the camera to record on motion, in my living room. But the camera only "sees" my sofa and a bit more, as opposed to the foscam, where I can see almost all my living room (including entrance).

[RYAT3]

Played with the max gain, and in day mode.
The brightness/contrast controls are pretty useless: they don't improve, no matter what values I select,
 they make is worse.


Maybe I get a bit more details on a narrow FOV, but in general the picture is a bit fuzzy, and it doesn't help me for surveillance purposes, which is what this camera is supposedly made for.
I want the camera to record on motion, in my living room. But the camera only "sees" my sofa and a bit more, as opposed to the foscam, where I can see almost all my living room (including entrance).

My best guestimate with a tape measure on some recorded video...

7 feet vertical, 12 feet wide, at 16 feet depth

might even be 13ft wide

How does that measure up?