BL-C131A

I have had a Panasonic BL-C131A IP Camera a long time ago. For a while, it was on a window sill aiming outside. It worked like that for years. However, one day I noticed that it appeared to be slightly out of focus. It took a while to figure out, but the lens appears to have been damaged. I used a microscope to look at it and am surprised it works at all since there are areas that are clearly pitted. I will guess that something reflected direct sunlight into it and caused the plastic lens to melt. The camera works perfectly except for the lens damage. (ie, ethernet, wi-fi, internal processor, pan, tilt, microphone, etc. all work). I hate to throw away things that still have value, but repair parts don't seem to be available anymore. If only I could somehow replace the lens, I would still have a good camera. But, the lens in tiny - approx 1 mm in diameter and buried inside layers of boards and plastic parts. Unless anyone has any good ideas, I guess I will just throw the whole thing in the trash.

Pat

Reply to
Pat
Loading thread data ...

(...)

Don't toss it quite yet. Search eBay for someone selling a similar camera "for parts" and buy the carcass. That's become a major source of mechanical replacement parts for my repairs. There's nothing on eBay now, but give it some time to check.

--
Jeff Liebermann     jeffl@cruzio.com 
150 Felker St #D    http://www.LearnByDestroying.com 
 Click to see the full signature
Reply to
Jeff Liebermann

Could it be just an anti-reflection or whatever coating that has partially flaked off and perhaps you "only" need to ablate the rest of that coating to go back to a smooth surface .

Reply to
N_Cook

Most of them on ebay seem to be working units (used or new in box) and some of the asking prices are around $350. Amazing since I don't think I paid that much when it was new.

Anyway, your idea is a good one. If I can find one where the electronics failed and buy it a few dollars, I can use the lens assembly from it to fix mine.

Thanks, Pat

Reply to
Pat

I don't think that is the case, but I will check again to be sure. Thanks, Pat

Reply to
Pat

FYI. Here are two pictures of the lens. Like I said in my original post, I am amazed that the only symptom is a little fuzziness.

formatting link
formatting link

I hope the links work. I never tried posting pictures this way before. Pat

Reply to
Pat

Near top of eruption in 8 image, is that unaffected lens showing where a patch of coating has flaked off. Excavated the crud with a needle under the microscope?

Reply to
N_Cook

I'm not sure I understand what you are saying. You see an eruption while I see a canyon. I interpret the orange areas an undamaged lens (not sure where that color comes from) and the gray area as being cut into the lens. However, it is easy for optical illusions to make a person see what isn't really there. I hope you are right and I am wrong. I did try a sharp pin/needle but I think I made it worse. Here are a couple more pictures. One shows how tiny this thing really is. The plastic circles give the impression the lens is bigger than it is, but it is only the small dot in the center that is shown in the earlier close-up. The other picture shows what the camera image currently looks like.

formatting link
formatting link

Thanks for taking the time to help.

Pat

Reply to
Pat

Nice close-up photos. It's certainly not the result of heating or impact. No ablation. More like a growth.

It looks like the plasticizer is coming out of the lens under the anti-reflective coating. It's a common problem with plastic tool handles where white plastic "mold" comes out of the plastic. Here's an example of a Vaco nut driver:

If it really is plastic "mold" or "rot", it might be something that Panasonic would be interested in seeing. I have no idea whom to contact.

--
Jeff Liebermann     jeffl@cruzio.com 
150 Felker St #D    http://www.LearnByDestroying.com 
 Click to see the full signature
Reply to
Jeff Liebermann

Can you tell me more about your setup?

I have a BL-C10A that I've been trying to figger out how to use to watch the front yard. My problem is that the camera points directly into sundown. I've been worried about baking the sensor...and now the lens.

Last week, I picked up an iBaby monitor. Has 350 degree pan. Been thinking about putting that on the roof in a big glass jar. Same heat/sundown problem, plus, there's no way to turn off the IR led emitters when it gets dark. Put glass in front of it and all I see is whiteout.

What do people do about the sun problem?

Reply to
mike

They use auto iris lenses: etc...

A special case is dealing with glare from oncoming headlights while trying to read license plates: etc...

Not pointing the camera into the sun is also a good idea.

Yep. A glass jar is NOT transparent to IR. The cheapo light sensor on your iBaby monitor is probably trying to measure the light levels in the near IR. The camera thinks the light levels are low because the glass is blocking the IR. So, it cranks up the sensitivity resulting in a white out. Try it with a TV IR remote control. You should be able to see the IR LED flashing with the camera. Put it in the jar, and the camera won't see anything. Try an acrylic cover instead, which is mostly IR transparent. If you're looking for entertainment value, try some of this stuff:

--
Jeff Liebermann     jeffl@cruzio.com 
150 Felker St #D    http://www.LearnByDestroying.com 
 Click to see the full signature
Reply to
Jeff Liebermann

Then there is doll's disease, as in antique dolls with PVC soft plastic skin, that exudes acetic acid as a breakdown product as the PVC disintegrates in the collector's cabinet.

Reply to
N_Cook

Again, thank you for your comments. I will post back here if I figure anything out.

Pat

Reply to
Pat

Hi Mike, As you can tell from my posts, I am not an expert in these things. I started with the subject camera quite a few years ago. Since then I have purchased a few BL-C140's and a BL-C1. One of the 140's gets sun in the morning and the other gets sun in the afternoon, but neither one shows any signs of damage after a few years of this "abuse". The sensor clearly gets overloaded when the sun is in the frame. The sun appears to be a black circle instead of white, but both cameras appear to work normally after the sun leaves the frame.

Pat

Reply to
Pat

ElectronDepot website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.