Help getting better picture.

[HMC8403]

Hello all, I have been gone for a while and back for part of the summer.

This afternoon the police knocked on my door; there was a break-in down the street and asked if my cameras might have pick up the car as it was leaving. Most of my cameras are 5442T-ZE; I usually get the variable zoom so I can frame the shot to my liking. I do have one B5442E-Z4E just because the camera is mounted on the far side of the house and this camera has a bigger zoom. This is the camera that recorded the vehicle (Grand Cherokee) fleeing; sadly the license plate is blurry.

I think I have read in the past that some have used the B5442E-Z4E for LPR. I am not looking to make this camera a true LPR (zoomed in tight on the road) as I want it to cover my property, but hoping to tweak the settings so I could get something better during daylight hours. I did notice that the camera was zoomed out all the way, I think so to cover the windows, but just zoomed it in a bit to cover the front door and onward. I do have a camera on the other side of the door but can't see the far end of the house; I think it is time to add another camera.

Any tips on tweaking the B5442E-Z4E would be appreciated.

 

[steve1225]

I think I have read in the past that some have used the B5442E-Z4E for LPR. I am not looking to make this camera a true LPR (zoomed in tight on the road) as I want it to cover my property, but hoping to tweak the settings so I could get something better during daylight hours. I did notice that the camera was zoomed out all the way, I think so to cover the windows, but just zoomed it in a bit to cover the front door and onward. I do have a camera on the other side of the door but can't see the far end of the house; I think it is time to add another camera.

You can decrease max shutter time and increase max gain to minimize movement blur..

but problem here is that You use Z4E camera as overview camera... not LPR camera..
look at other cars which are static - the license plates are also not fully readable. The distance to them at this zoom level is too much.

the best solution is use Z4E in proper way - rotate and zoom in to only street + street walkway.
And use second overview camera to look at Your property..

 

[bigredfish]

Sorry, you want magic from a single camera for $200. That doesnt exist

 

[wittaj]

Yep to above.

Don't waste the power of a Z4 by having it wide zoom.

One camera cannot be the be all, see all, do all.

Pick a primary goal for each camera and set it for that and if you get anything other than that, then it is a bonus.

 

[samplenhold]

Have to agree with what everyone stated above.

 

[HMC8403]

I agree with everyone, and not looking for miracle cures. I am more interested in covering my property than reading lic plates. The only reason I got the Z4 was because I wasn’t sure if the 12mm would have been enough on the variable zoom turret. I was just wondering if tweeting the settings might make the overall picture a tad better.

I do have a 180 camera at the front door. Think I will move it to the right side of the portico and add a new cam on the left (green line). Even with this new camera, I don’t think zooming in much more on the Z4 would add any benefit.

 

[steve1225]

When You will add another overview camera, then You can move actual Z4E to any position which give you best look / zoom at street.

Protecting house is important, but please believe me having minimum one and even two (in each direction) LPR street zoomed cameras usually gives much better information in any case of incident. Those cams gives you recording from where (or in which car with plate numbers) people come plus much better chance to catch nice big/zoomed face images.

All your neighbors, all perps and most even profesional bulgars don't known that there can be cams with optical zoom which works very well for longer distances. 99% cams installed on houses gives you very bad image quality / lack of details for even 15-20ft and everyone knows that..

 

[steve1225]

ps. if you mount under ceiling, you can use much smaller turrets cams..
5442 in 28mm, 36mm and ZE varifocal (28-80mm) exists as small turret camera...
only Z4E require bigger bullet one..

There is also 5849-A180 cam in much smaller turret version - so if you like 180 view, you can mount as another overview cam at the end of house to have nice view in both ways (your house, street in front, your neighbor).