License plate capture - dedicated vs 4K vs ??

rdagger

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We've been having a lot of packages stolen in our neighborhood. I’m looking for a high quality IP camera to capture cars and license plates day or night. The camera would be mounted 4 feet back from a 2 lane road on a pole (speed limit is 25mph, law requires front plates). I see that a lot of people are having good luck with the low cost Hikvision DS-2CD2032-I-12mm 3MP IR Bullet (at least during the day). I have a generous budget so I’m looking at alternatives for high quality day and night:

  1. Hikvision DS-2CD4A85F-IZH 4K Smart IP Bullet (2.8 mm to 12 mm)
  2. Vivotek IP816A-HP-LPC Kit
The Vivotek appears to be designed specifically for what I want, but it is expensive at about $1700 and only 2MP. I spoke with Hikvision tech support and they felt their new 4K cameras could be adjusted to suit my needs. I’d really appreciate any suggestions and recommendations for other equipment. I don't need automated LPR, I just need to be able to read the plates.
 

nayr

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just about anything that will let you set manual exposures will be capable of it.. the trick is getting enough IR on it.

I'm running 1/500 at night and pulling plates @ 180ft automatically with nothing too special... just a standard 4MP camera w/60mm optics and a big IR cannon.

Real WDR really helps plate reading in the daytime.
 

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rdagger

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just about anything that will let you set manual exposures will be capable of it.. the trick is getting enough IR on it.

I'm running 1/500 at night and pulling plates @ 180ft automatically with nothing too special... just a standard 4MP camera w/60mm optics and a big IR cannon.

Real WDR really helps plate reading in the daytime.
Thanks, those pics look great. Based on your signature, I assume you are using a 6mm box camera. Do you think box is the best approach over an outdoor bullet?
 

nayr

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60mm not 6mm, I had to use a box camera for the distances I was working with so I could put whatever lens I needed on it.

your distances wont require such hardware, a 2.8mm to 12mm varifocal would be a very wise choice.. it helps alot if you can refocus at day/night as reflective plates appear to be closer than they are.

you still might need external IR, at such high shutter speeds the built in IR is usually not adequate enough to fire up plates to the same brightness as the headlights are.. and you also have to deal with dirty & damaged plates, so just plan on needing more IR for best results.. if you have too much light you can just run a higher fixed shutter speed and get sharper results.
 
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Fastb

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nayr,

60mm! For "only" 180 feet.

The pics look great.
I don't see a box camera model listed in your signature list. Can you give a model #?

Reason I ask:
I'm waiting for a 4MP IPC-HFW4431M-I2 from ali. (12mm lens)
I intend to read license plates at 75 to 100 ft, ie: maybe half your 180ft.

Now I worry if 12mm is up to the task....

Brian
Over-thinking during the slow boat voyage from China
 

rdagger

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60mm not 6mm, I had to use a box camera for the distances I was working with so I could put whatever lens I needed on it.

your distances wont require such hardware, a 2.8mm to 12mm varifocal would be a very wise choice.. it helps alot if you can refocus at day/night as reflective plates appear to be closer than they are.

you still might need external IR, at such high shutter speeds the built in IR is usually not adequate enough to fire up plates to the same brightness as the headlights are.. and you also have to deal with dirty & damaged plates, so just plan on needing more IR for best results.. if you have too much light you can just run a higher fixed shutter speed and get sharper results.
Thanks for the great advice. I installed a Hikvision DS-2CD2032-I-12mm 3MP mini bullet IP camera above my garage door pointing toward the street. It is about 35 feet from the camera to the license plates of cars driving by. It's been up for 2 days and I've been able to read the license plate of every car so far (front and back). It works both day and night. The two lane road is very dark at night because there are no street lights and few homes. The only illumination besides the camera's IR are 2 sconces on the front of my garage with dim LED bulbs.
 

Nick87080

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Hey guys I am looking for a dedicated lpr camera to add to my system, I am new to the whole Poe systems. I just started setting up my system its a Laview nvr 16 channel, 3tb hd. It came with 6 bullet cameras.
LaView LaView 4MP System Security Cameras and Security Systems
The attached image is what i am trying to cover, the camera would be dedicated to strictly reading plates from intersection. This would be for manual reads. I figure i will need a ir light to help read plates at night.
My questions are what cams will work with my system?
How much zoom do i need?
Do i need ptz or can i get away with a regular cam?
Was thinking this cam would fit my needs
Dahua h.265 4MP IP PoE IPC HFW4431R Z 2.7~12mm motorized auto focus zoom lens IR 80M onvif network cctv camera english firmware-in Surveillance Cameras from Security & Protection on Aliexpress.com | Alibaba Group
 

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nayr

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at 87ft? oh no.. thats not going to work.

nothing off the shelf is going to work for that range.. a PTZ would simplify things a bit.
 

Kawboy12R

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wrightwoodsurveillance.com used to sell a Hikvision mini bullet with a 25mm lens custom installed that'd read a plate decently at 80-90 feet. They still sell the bullets and the separate lens. Might be worth a shot to ask them if they still do the install if you don't want to do it yourself. The 2042 bullet would be preferable over the 2032 because of the better WDR. A PTZ is more expensive but also a lot more flexible though.
 

Fastb

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Nick87080,

Welcome to the forum!

Your camera calculator screenshot shows results for a 16.1mm lens. Which provides 147ppf at 87ft. Wow!

was a little skeptical, so I visited the cam calculator site, entered your info, and my results are very different. It shows 103ppf.
I don't know why our results differ....

lpr.jpg

But 103 is more like I'd expect at 87 ft.

I agree with Kawboy12R, a 25mm lens is probably a better choice. The 12mm motorized zoom cam you mentioned won't cut the mustard.

Have fun,
Fastb
 

nayr

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he put it as a 4k camera, with 1/3 sensor, and 16mm.. totally jacked; if he did get a varifocal 4k with 1/1.9" camera the 16mm has a FOV thats the same as a 1/2.8 @ 12mm iirc
 

Fastb

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Nick87080,

Another thought occurred to me....
Having IVS Smart Features might be handy. The "Tripwire" and "Intrusion Zone" feature would mark (on your playback timeline) when cars came through. It would make it simple to hone-in on the exact time a car drove by. Motion Detect would be far inferior, with many false
"events".

Fastb
 

Ryan00

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I wish my state had the law that required front plates. My state only requires a back plate, so when I go and do my license plate cameras, I'll need two dedicated ones in each direction. Also most of the time I think it's easier to get a front plate.
 

Nick87080

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Yeah i didnt mess with all the settings, i just was checking distance and angle. Theres no way i can get camera closer to street in my situation. I think my best bet will be ptz in the long run. I appreciate everyones advice, thanks for the help..
 
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