Dahua Starlight Varifocal Bullet Z5 7-35mm (IPC-HFW5231E-Z5)

[ThomasPI]

Thanks BMW, nothing like seeing pics to go with model numbers.

 

[Mike Mo]

I think that would work for sure.
I am using the z5 about 8 feet high pointig to my gate thats over 100ft away, and can read plates pretty well. I can maybe post a pic of one of the contractors that came by to quote us on some things.

Do you mind posting what your settings are for this camera, and give me a sense of the location of the camera in relation to the direction of traffic?

I recently bought a Z5, but I am having a hard time with capturing the plates at night. Many of the license plates are obscured by headlights or tail lights.


Are you using other IR or LED illumination in addition to the built in camera illumination?

Also, are you using a software program to read the license plates, or are you just manually recognizing them?

Thanks so much

 

[kevkmartin]

Z12: IPC-HFW5231E-Z12 | Dahua Technology

Hopefully we can get a good review! We are in rural area. With house design, I'd like to be able to mount a camera up at about 17' and the end of the driveway will be about 45' away. Would this camera fit the bill ?

Here's a side by side comparison of the zoom of the Z5 vs Z12. Both at full zoom.

 

[ThomasPI]

Looks great kevk. Would like more info and your opinions on this cam. Our lot is 140' deep so we will have about 45' give or take front and rear of property to cover. I'd want to set it probably at about 50% zoom level or so. May be too much or maybe not.

 

[ThomasPI]

For those of y'all who have put this camera thru it's paces, distance wise what's the sweet spot or range of distances that would be ideal for ID purposes day or night? For our uses I am guessing we would want to be able to ID a subject from say long range of say 60' give or take. Thinking this camera may be the ticket.

 

[lrobin5000]

I'll start by saying that all my ip camera experience has been with digital zoom. I had no idea how much difference optical zoom makes until I started reading these forums and seeing the example images. So, from what I can tell, the IPC-HFW5231E-Z5 would be a good "starter" camera for me. In addition to capturing the detail for security purposes, I would also like to be able to view/record the birds that visit the feeders in my backyard. I've tried this with the cheap digital zoom cameras and it just gets blurry and doesn't even pick up the colors on even the most vibrant birds. The feeders are approximately 15-20 feet from the house and my current "cheap" camera (amcrest IP2M-841E) is mounted under the eave. If I get the Dahua and mount it at the same place, will I really see a big difference in quality? I'm trying to put it in the same perspective as capturing license plates- from what I've seen, this camera is great at doing that so it shouldn't have any problem picking up the details of a colorful bird, right? One last thing, does poe vs wi-fi make a difference in terms of "fuzziness"? I've noticed that my wireless cams just aren't as clear as the hard wired cameras. Sorry for rambling... I just really want to pick the right camera for my needs. Thanks for any advice or pointing me in the right direction!

 

[bug99]

If I get the Dahua and mount it at the same place, will I really see a big difference in quality? I'm trying to put it in the same perspective as capturing license plates- from what I've seen, this camera is great at doing that so it shouldn't have any problem picking up the details of a colorful bird, right? One last thing, does poe vs wi-fi make a difference in terms of "fuzziness"? I've noticed that my wireless cams just aren't as clear as the hard wired cameras. Sorry for rambling... I just really want to pick the right camera for my needs. Thanks for any advice or pointing me in the right direction!

Yes you will see a big difference in quality of the image with approximately 10x the pixels on the target unless you have to zoom out to get the target.
PoE will not clean up the image. It will keep you from loosing the image or frames of the image vs WiFi, which is very unreliable, even with only one.

 

[lrobin5000]

Thanks bug99 for the reply. Another stupid question (or 2)- does the camera require anything other than a poe cable? All the pics of installs that I see have some other type of box/housing near the camera. I figured POE takes care of everything. If I add an external mic, will that require some other type of power? I know these are newbie questions... I just figured it's better to ask here since this is the specific camera I plan to purchase.

 

[ESMR]

Another question about LPR - does this camera's optics overcome oncoming car headlights so numbers can still be read?

 

[ThomasPI]

Thanks bug99 for the reply. Another stupid question (or 2)- does the camera require anything other than a poe cable? All the pics of installs that I see have some other type of box/housing near the camera. I figured POE takes care of everything. If I add an external mic, will that require some other type of power? I know these are newbie questions... I just figured it's better to ask here since this is the specific camera I plan to purchase.

May just be beneficial to download the manual.

 

[lrobin5000]

ThomasPI, I respect the fact that many people ask questions in forums that could be easily answered with the manual for the product. However, in this case, I have downloaded the manual, the quick start guide and every other possible document from the dahua website. It is still not clear to me because the documentation seems to focus on the 12v source. I can't find anything that specifically answers my question. The manual shows a diagram of the cable that comes w/ the camera and it has 5 separate plugs- 2 of which are labeled network port and power port. My basic knowledge of working with ip cameras leads me to believe I only need poe but I've only had cheap cameras up to this point so I don't want to assume and be upset if the camera arrives and it needs something else. I apologize if my lack of knowledge about this is frustrating to everyone-

 

[bug99]

yes, POE via the single RJ45 connection will be all that you need to connect and operate the camera, passing both power and data on the same wire and connection. The remaining connections will not be connected and should ideally be sealed from the weather in a box or with tape, but it is not overly critical.

 

[ThomasPI]

There ya go. Quick start guide identifies each connection and as noted POWER over Ethernet. One single connection. I'd tidy up the other connections and maybe dab a bit of dielectric on them and seal in a ziplock bag.

 

[Mike Mo]

Another question about LPR - does this camera's optics overcome oncoming car headlights so numbers can still be read?

Yes

 

[EMPIRETECANDY]

IPC-HFW5231E-Z
IPC-HFW5231E-Z5
IPC-HFW5231E-Z12, these 3models have enough stock now, those guys who wait for them can contact me asap.

 

[happf]

The NVR with POE is better than Without POE.???

This question is asked a lot here. IMO, it's not a 'it's better' type question. There are pros and cons, but neither is right or wrong, or better or worse, it just depends on your priorities.

With the POE version, you are limited in what you can do and how convenient it is to do things but you will be up and running faster, with less gear, but a louder (unknown just how much louder it is) nvr. The NON poe version is for the more advanced user that knows what they're doing and is willing to spend slightly more for the extra gear to get things setup just right. In return for the extra setup, they get a quieter more flexible system with more options.

This is the way I look at it:

Get the POE version:
1) you want to save every dollar possible. it is the cheapest way to get 16 POE ports
2) Ease of setup
3) Want to be absolutely sure the cameras are on their own network
4) Are NOT technically skilled to setup/configure other switches, etc
5) Can deal with having to either replace the whole nvr or purchase poe injectors 'if' the built in POE fails
6) Can deal with a louder NVR due to the extra fan
7) Can deal with unplugging cameras from the nvr and into another switch so you can configure them from another pc for more advanced features like IVS, etc

Get the NON-POE version:
1) You want flexiblity and are willing to spend slightly more money for other switches (with POE) or will power the cameras directly via 12v plugs
2) Are willing to setup switches, managed switches, poe, 12v power, etc and thus can access cameras directly without having to unplug cameras.
3) A quieter nvr


For the record, I ordered the non-POE version and then bought a managed switch and an 8 port POE switch. A lot of my existing cameras positions already have 12v power and I'll use POE for the new positions.

 

[ThomasPI]

Just a thought, like you I am fairly new to all the IP cameras. I'll be going with 12 to 14 cameras myself. I started out thinking that the NVR was the way to go. After reading here and a LOT, I soon chose to go with running Blue Iris on a dedicated desktop. If you read the posts by @CaliGirl you'll find some good reading regarding running multiple cameras on a Dahua NVR and what the outcome was when a switch to a dedicated desktop setup was. I'd suggest doing more reading before jumping in to be 100% certain you explore your options. Exciting times ! Best of luck with your system choice.

 

[bug99]

@turkeyshootfl , The Ultra starlight is a great camera, with excellent low light capability, as @nayr review revealed. In most situations, however, depending on budget, i deal that the much lower priced turret is a better deal and is smaller. The bullet of the same zoom range will perform virtually identically. The Z5 however will be more in the useful range for almost all situations. What is strange about the Z5 is that it does not overlap the range of the Z. It starts at 35 deg FPV and the Z ends at 34 deg, even though the focal length is overlapping (7mm vs 12mm) with the same sensor. It is mainly for this reason that I am planing on trying out the Z12 versions for ease of use (flexible placement) with lots of overlap and much greater range. I find that most things that I want to look at are between 40 ft and 70 ft away, and i want around 100 PPF on target at that distance. I also find that it is convenient to be able to zoom out to view the area when people are around. This last desire will likely be mitigated when i have more cameras placed around, with some of them being overview, so i can leave the main ID cameras zoomed in.

Note: I find that i am frequently wanting to move my cameras to dial in the shot. Having flexible zoom makes that a better process.

 

[happf]

Which NVR or Box do you recommend???

If you are going with Dahua cameras then IMO you should stick with a Dahua NVR and the starting point for models to consider should be the NVR5216.

Dahua NVR5216-4KS2 / NVR5216-16P-4KS2

Which POE switch ???

There are so many to choose from. I chose a NON-POE TpLink TL-SG108E managed switch and a BvTech 8 port POE unmanaged switch for the cameras. I really want a quiet setup and want to have the least amount of fans. Larger switches tend to start adding fans.

 

[ThomasPI]

Agreed and would be GREAT to have some side by side comparison pictures OR video of the Z5 and the Z12. The capabilities of the Z12 seem really good but without SEEING what those capabilities are at varying distances with a direct comparison of images, kind of difficult to discern the best route. I've got a good bit of time before I need to make that choice so hopefully in due time someone will be posting up a comparison from multiple distances with both cameras side by side.