Advice on new Dahua 4k bullet

[Pogobongo]

I am ready to pull the trigger (with Andy) on a couple of the new Dahua 4k cams N85CB5Z (IPC-HFW5831E-ZE), I've been reading a lot over the past week, but being an absolute newb I thought I should consult the oracle first!

The application is to monitor a number of remote (no Internet access) mailboxes which are routinely broken into mostly at night, although sometimes packages are stolen in broad daylight. The goal is to capture sufficient actionable video evidence for the police.

The area is lit overhead at night with some "decent" illumination. (Sorry I cant quantify that)

My plan is to put one camera high almost looking down (about 20' away) on the mailboxes with the goal of capturing recordings of people. The other camera (rear cam) would be placed on the opposite side of the road (about 70' away) with a goal of capturing license plate numbers from the vehicle that the thieves park near/by the mailboxes. The rear cam would be looking down and across the road to the rear of the vehicle and so the IR would not be assaulted by the headlights of any vehicle.

Would these cameras be suitable for this application, or is there another Dahua in the same price range which would be better?

Thanks for any advice!

 

[mat200]

I am ready to pull the trigger (with Andy) on a couple of the new Dahua 4k cams N85CB5Z (IPC-HFW5831E-ZE), I've been reading a lot over the past week, but being an absolute newb I thought I should consult the oracle first!

The application is to monitor a number of remote (no Internet access) mailboxes which are routinely broken into mostly at night, although sometimes packages are stolen in broad daylight. The goal is to capture sufficient actionable video evidence for the police.

The area is lit overhead at night with some "decent" illumination. (Sorry I cant quantify that)

My plan is to put one camera high almost looking down (about 20' away) on the mailboxes with the goal of capturing recordings of people. The other camera (rear cam) would be placed on the opposite side of the road (about 70' away) with a goal of capturing license plate numbers from the vehicle that the thieves park near/by the mailboxes. The rear cam would be looking down and across the road to the rear of the vehicle and so the IR would not be assaulted by the headlights of any vehicle.

Would these cameras be suitable for this application, or is there another Dahua in the same price range which would be better?

Thanks for any advice!

HI @Pogobongo

Remember to test your theories and places you are planning to place the cameras.

Your goal should be to get

1) A good facial ID image of the suspects faces. You'll want a straight on facial image at at least 100 ppf ( pixel per foot ) for this in good lighting. Color is best, not IR. Normally we recommend most cameras be placed lower than most people like to place them to get a good angle on the suspect's face. If you are using the varifocal to get a narrower FOV further away and there is enough light - then naturally having the camera further away at a higher mount point could work.

2) A good image of the car license plate. See the LPR section. This is a bit of an art form - so plan to take some time to learn this subject area better.

3) A good color image of the car - to help ID the car. Q: do you have enough light to get a good image capture with the 8MP camera? You may need to consider a model which performs better in low light for this.

If you succeed in the 3, you should have good results.

 

[bigredfish]

as @mat200 mentions, you may want to consider 2MP Dahua Starlight cameras unless you have gobs of light. Though counter-intuitive, generally the 2MP cams will outperform the 8MP cams in low light conditions.

Also consider placement, again per above, you want face recognition, installing a camera looking "Down" will just get you good captures of bald spots and hats.

 

[Pogobongo]

Solid advice and makes sense - much appreciated!

Assuming the license plate capture is performed at night using IR, does using a 2MP Starlight camera help? I guess IR still counts as "light" and so the more sensitive sensor still helps?

I can get a lot more light near the mailboxes, and so the higher resolution camera may be the better choice for the facial capture.

 

[fenderman]

Solid advice and makes sense - much appreciated!

Assuming the license plate capture is performed at night using IR, does using a 2MP Starlight camera help? I guess IR still counts as "light" and so the more sensitive sensor still helps?

I can get a lot more light near the mailboxes, and so the higher resolution camera may be the better choice for the facial capture.

you will zoom in with the 2mp so its tight and you will get a good facial id. what good is 8mp if its full of noise.
if you insist on 8mp, the 2831 bullet is cheaper and has a much better 1/1.8" sensor that performs well in low light.

 

[looney2ns]

Install one of these.
Fort Knox Mailbox