Back deck/yard camera - 5442 S3 or 4k-X for no-light conditions?

RandomPrecision · 2025-07-25T14:42:29+00:00

I have several cameras on my house, and am using Frigate as my NVR. I've upgraded two of the cameras from Hikvision DS-2CD2132F-I to Dahua 5442 S3 (specifically, EmpireTech T54IR-S3 and B54IR-S3). The upgrades are a noticeable improvement. I have one remaining DS-2CD2132F-I. It's attached to the house (via a mount), and is primarily for our rear sliding door and deck, but also covers most of the patio and a little bit of the yard. There's no light at night. Neither my neighbors nor I have any kind of lighting in the back. The current Hikvision footage is basically completely black at night. Daytime performance is acceptable (though based on the other cameras I upgraded, the 5442 S3 is noticeably better). So I'm wondering, when the camera itself is the only light source, which is likely to be better, another 5442 S3 with IR, or the 4k-X with visible spectrum LED lighting? In either case, I'll go with a fixed lens. I'm leaning towards the T54IR, as that's what I have for a driveway cam. The front of the house also has no lighting at night, and the driveway cam relies solely on its own IR lighting, and the night performance is acceptable. The T54IR is also quite a bit cheaper, and physically lighter. The mount will be attached to the siding (cement board, e.g. Hardie board), so I feel like minimizing weight and torque makes sense. I suspect a turret cam is likely more aerodynamic than a bullet cam, so presumably less wind-induced torque on the mounting. So, I'm pretty sure the 5442 S3/T54IR would work well. I'm just trying to decide if the 4k-X night performance might be worth the extra cost and weight? Thanks!