Which app for a single dahua?

[funkybunch]

Hello guys, long time reader, tried searching and saw mixed answers. I want to purchase a single PoE varifocal camera with onboard SD memory for my front gate. The app needs to send push notifications when there is motion, and allow me to review footage, disable IR, zoom for license plates, etc. Do they make a camera that has a decent color night view, starlight, and a good built-in IR or is that asking too much? For now just a single camera and good app, a multi-camera/NVR system is in the future. thanks!

 

[aristobrat]

Dahua's is DMSS (iDMSS for iOS, gDMSS for Android). Works for single cams, multiple cams, or NVR w/ cams... just if you get to the NVR part, remember that you only have to add the NVR to the app and all of the cameras attached to the NVR will come along automatically.

For a PC/Mac app, Dahua's is called SmartPSS.

 

[funkybunch]

Thanks for the swift reply! Is there a particular camera that comes to mind that will fit my needs? Looks like i'm going to order from Empire (andy?) via amazon, just not sure what yet. I've been dragging my feet building a system, the NVR system eventually will be 8 cameras, mixed turret, PTZ, etc. I'm in the woods so little to no light, Love starlights and want something that has a nice upward tilt so i can mount it on the radio tower for live streaming on youtube. But for now I need a single "this one does it all" camera for the front gate, audio is also preferred. Thanks again!

 

[awsum140]

Keep in mind that a varifocal is not a zoom. A varifocal is designed to be set to the focal length needed at installation and left that way. It is not designed for regular, constant, zoom operations.

 

[aristobrat]

A good versatile first cam is the HDW5231R-ZE (Starlight varifocal turret w/ mic), IMO.

It’s Starlight, so it should do well at night. Although if this is your first time playing with IP cameras, starting with a Starlight usually isn’t the same as starting with a typical cam, getting frustrated at the grainy images and blurry videos at night, and then upgrading to a Starlight.

Varifocal is great for being able to set the exact width of your image, so you’re not wasting pixels recording stuff on the side that you don’t need.

Since you mentioned SD, use the forum search for a thread with “gremlins” in the title to see a recent experience with a brand of SD that didn’t work so well, and what he’ll use next.

 

[awsum140]

Set up a VPN and just use the cameras web interface. Simple, clean and full control.

 

[funkybunch]

Keep in mind that a varifocal is not a zoom. A varifocal is designed to be set to the focal length needed at installation and left that way. It is not designed for regular, constant, zoom operations.

that's right, a minimum of a varifocal but full zoom preferred. or i could split the difference and adjust the varifocal and use digital zoom if it's decent. if it's a little more for full zoom i'll go that route.

 

[tangent]

I want to purchase a single PoE varifocal camera with onboard SD memory for my front gate.

how close to the gate do you plan on placing the camera? What would be the distance from the camera to a car at the gate?

 

[funkybunch]

how close to the gate do you plan on placing the camera? What would be the distance from the camera to a car at the gate?

gate is right at the road, and is about 100ft from where camera would be mounted.

 

[aristobrat]

Disregard my suggestion then. As you can see from the HDW5231's spec sheet here, the "Identify" range (when zoomed all the way in) is 14m (46ft). Not going to help with a gate that's 100ft away.

For that kind of distance, you're probably looking at something like this:
IPC-HFW5231E-Z12E

That, zoomed all the way in, can ID up to 288ft.

If you haven't already found it, play around with IPVM Camera Calculator V3 Type in your address, add a camera to the map, position it around your property, then change the camera model to one your interested in... You can drag the little person to the distance you're interested in (i.e. position him at the gate 100ft from the house), and it should give you an idea of what an image from the camera would look like.

<you may have to click on the Dahua links twice before they load normally>

 

[tangent]

gate is right at the road, and is about 100ft from where camera would be mounted.

Do you have power at the gate? If you do I'd put a camera or two at the gate instead of the house. If you don't you might want to consider a bit of digging...

If you're trying to see an area 100' away with a useful level of detail, you'd need a camera with much more zoom.
This is one of the few fixed (non-ptz) cameras with that kind of zoom: IPC-HFW5231E-ZE

 

[funkybunch]

thanks for all the great advice, keep em coming! there will be power at the gate once the driveway project is finished, will take some time but need a single quick camera to watch the gate during construction , etc. I want something better than ring spotlight, reolink go, etc etc...

 

[tangent]

In addition to power for a gate opener, you'll want some cabling for cameras(s) and an intercom. This could be burial rated Cat-5e/Cat-6 or fiber optic cable (fiber's better and would cost you roughly $200 more). Lightning doesn't traverse fiber optic cables.

 

[funkybunch]

In addition to power for a gate opener, you'll want some cabling for cameras(s) and an intercom. This could be burial rated Cat-5e/Cat-6 or fiber optic cable (fiber's better and would cost you roughly $200 more). Lightning doesn't traverse fiber optic cables.

yup, already have a stub out and conduit with a pull string with cat6 in there. just need a decent single PoE cam i can control from a phone app , would be nice to zoom in and get license plates, etc. any of these color night vision ones decent or all $$$ ? i'll spend up to $200 on a decent camera, any more and maybe a PTZ would be better? I've been searching the internet for hours, so many cameras to choose from, just dahua alone. from 2MP to 5MP, 4K, starlight, color night vision, etc. trying to soak it all in.

 

[tangent]

If you're going to use Cat-6 make sure to get an ethernet surge protector and preferably use STP burial rated cable like Ubiquiti ToughCable.

 

[looney2ns]

yup, already have a stub out and conduit with a pull string with cat6 in there. just need a decent single PoE cam i can control from a phone app , would be nice to zoom in and get license plates, etc. any of these color night vision ones decent or all $$$ ? i'll spend up to $200 on a decent camera, any more and maybe a PTZ would be better? I've been searching the internet for hours, so many cameras to choose from, just dahua alone. from 2MP to 5MP, 4K, starlight, color night vision, etc. trying to soak it all in.

I suggest you study this: cliff notes
The camera you would need for now has already been mentioned to you previously in this thread.
IPC-HFW5231E-Z12E
Purchase from @EMPIRETECANDY

 

[funkybunch]

Thanks for all the advice guys! i'm hoping the guy with the cameras in austin will chime in (or PM me), he lives on a hill near a campus, I talked to his wife a while back... wanted to check out his cameras. I think he has every camera by dahua LOL. I was hoping to pull the trigger on a system by the end of the week but my feline is terminally ill and may have to put it off for a few more weeks. I watched a recent video by lifehackster on the ring stick up cam (PoE). wow... what a hot mess, video quality on the rings are pretty bad compared to what you can get dollar for dollar, but they are a decent video doorbell and serve their function (I know there's several threads on this). Anyways just glad to finally be in the position to buy and install some cameras and chime in to say hello to you guys. some I feel like i know personally just by reading threads over the past few years cheers.

 

[funkybunch]

still making my way thru the cliff notes... after reading i think i want to build a system with multiple cams and an NVR now, instead of the single 5231-Z12 and the app. I dont see that camera on emipres amazon page. Any recommendations on which NVR? i'm looking at 8 channels, PoE, want several 2mp starlight turrets for around the perimeter of the house, the box cam with at least 12mm motorized zoom for the front gate, and eventually a nice PTZ with auto tracking mounted 30ft up on a pole. I have my eye on 5231R-Z turret, 5231E-Z bullet, and not sure what bang for the buck PTZ's are out there, looks like whatever it is needs to end with -HNI for Intelligent auto tracking? Also, the bullet cam you guys recommended showsto be an ePoE cam, do i need that if my cat6 run is only 100 ft? I'm still learning the dahua part numbers, saw it in the cliff notes but still confusing seeing there are just so many cameras! I'm interested in dahuas new lineup of color night vision cams also. Thanks for all the feedback!

 

[usaf_pride]

@funkybunch, don't get your hopes up on autotracking performing like you expect. @looney2ns will chime in on that.

As far as Andy's stock, he doesn't keep everything on Amazon. Figure out what you want and contact him @EMPIRETECANDY.

If you think you want 8, get a 16 channel NVR. The cost incremental is small to go up. There's also the option of using a computer and BlueIris software which would eliminate the need for a NVR (plenty of posts here on BlueIris vs. NVR). Either way, use a POE switch to power the whole thing, as in the long run, it will be easier. You will need the POE+ switch you want if you have your heart truly set on a PTZ, or you can use a separate injector just for that channel and a standard POE switch.

 

[looney2ns]

@funkybunch, don't get your hopes up on autotracking performing like you expect. @looney2ns will chime in on that.

As far as Andy's stock, he doesn't keep everything on Amazon. Figure out what you want and contact him @EMPIRETECANDY.

If you think you want 8, get a 16 channel NVR. The cost incremental is small to go up. There's also the option of using a computer and BlueIris software which would eliminate the need for a NVR (plenty of posts here on BlueIris vs. NVR). Either way, use a POE switch to power the whole thing, as in the long run, it will be easier. You will need the POE+ switch you want if you have your heart truly set on a PTZ, or you can use a separate injector just for that channel and a standard POE switch.

Yeah, don't get too excited about autotracking. There are a few here that have managed to get it working reasonably well. I'm not one of them, I gave up on it in mine.
It's almost always better for more cameras instead a PTZ. The odds are very high the PTZ will be looking the wrong way when something happens.