How do most users handle setting the image properties of their cameras as the sun changes throughout the day?
For example, in my backyard, the sun comes up. For a little while, just switching from night (IR) to day more works OK. But then for a decent chunk of the morning, as the bright sun clears the back trees and casts harsh shadows while witting the cameras fairly head on, I have to make brightness/contrast settings so that things are visible in both the bright and shadowed areas. Eventually the sun goes overhead, then tips behind the house changing all the shadows again. Then it gets low enough (but still very much daylight) to where it's more like that early dawn lighting. Then of course the sun goes down and the IR is needed at night.
I have done some scheduling of camera settings using the awesome plugin capabilities, but figured I'd ask the forum in case there's a more "auto" setting or a less labor intensive solution. It's almost like I need to set up picture settings for night, morning "golden hour", morning, afternoon, evening "golden hour" (probably same as the morning one), than back to night. And, of course, things are different depending on bright sun vs overcast conditions.
I'm using Hikvision mini dome cameras, which do have some auto settings baked into the cameras. But I think the auto gets disengaged as soon as any picture setting is sent to the camera.