Any way to improve the image quality? (5442T-ZE and 5449H-ASE 2.8mm)

[flatface]

Weird dude walked way back on my property with a camera after parking in my driveway.
Hung around out of frame for almost 5 minutes.

These first two images are from a 5442 T-ZE zoomed almost all the way in. (images further cropped to just show the guy).
I measured by hand and his head is approximately 20.5ft from the camera lens. (20 ft from camera, camera is 4 ft above his eye level)
He is moving here, but not quickly. It is approximately 11am.



I have read every forum entry I could find on best settings for these cameras, and followed the directions.

-Manual fast shutter speed (0-4ms)
-No BLC/HLC/WDR
-NR below 50
-Contrast = Brightness + 7-10
-8192 CBR
-15/15 fps

These images seem a bit noisy. Is this a reasonable performance expectation at this distance with these cameras?
Do you have any suggestions to improve the image quality?



The third and fourth (cropped) image are from a 5449H-ASE (dual Color + IR lens) 2.8mm
This is obviously daytime so there should be no image splicing, it should be the same performance as a 5442.








This plate is approximately 43 ft. from the camera lens. It is not moving.
We have not been able to get a definitive read on the plate, although some characters are clear enough.

Is this expected performance at this distance? I think it's okay for a 2.8mm but wonder if it could be improved.
This camera was not intended for this but any improvements would help.


Thanks for your help!

 

[steve1225]

in first case (5442T-ZE) show full image frame.. it will be much easer to tell what is wrong with image..
it is noisy and very digital processed, but why... maybe shutter speed to short? or to high contrast values...
shows screenshot of all image settings from camera with excacly values...

in second case (5449H-ASE), that camera have have identify distance at 19ft..
You try to read plates from 43ft using 2.8mm lenses.. You need optical zoom for that...

 

[flatface]

Thanks for your reply

in first case (5442T-ZE) show full image frame.. it will be much easer to tell what is wrong with image..
it is noisy and very digital processed, but why... maybe shutter speed to short? or to high contrast values...
shows screenshot of all image settings from camera with excacly values...

What is the best way to obtain a screenshot of a camera image like this? Viewed on Web UI and using windows screenshot? Download the file from the WebUI and then screenshot?

Originally I captured the screenshot by zooming in to the WebUI video, but zooming using VLC on the downloaded file seemed to produce the same image.


Here are my settings:

in second case (5449H-ASE), that camera have have identify distance at 19ft..
You try to read plates from 43ft using 2.8mm lenses.. You need optical zoom for that...

Thanks, I figured as much, I didn't think there could be any improvement but wanted to get the opinion of people with more experience with these cameras.

 

[steve1225]

View attachment 200076

Where is his second leg???

Image is very digitally processed / sharpened..
If this is not done by You doing snapshots and it is like this in video footage there is too much contrast and sharpness configured on cam.

Both options increases a noise and not important details - which can choke h264 video compressor (too much digital details to put into 8mbit/s stream). Choked compressor and You have effects like missing legs Digitally sharpened grass and mesh fence looks for compressor as more important in comparison of his uniform 'moro' clothes..

is WDR really disabled?

Also colors somehow are wrong...

What is the best way to obtain a screenshot of a camera image like this? Viewed on Web UI and using windows screenshot? Download the file from the WebUI and then screenshot?

Originally I captured the screenshot by zooming in to the WebUI video, but zooming using VLC on the downloaded file seemed to produce the same image.

VLC have nice snapshot feature (Shift + s / Command + alt + s)..

 

[flatface]

Where is his second leg???

In the image on the left most of it is behind the fence gate pipes, with a bit of his shin hard to discern. In the image on the right it's mid-step behind his other leg (you can see the sandal behind his knee) but his knee does seem to be missing.

Image is very digitally processed / sharpened..
If this is not done by You doing snapshots and it is like this in video footage there is too much contrast and sharpness configured on cam.

Both options increases a noise and not important details - which can choke h264 video compressor (too much digital details to put into 8mbit/s stream). Choked compressor and You have effects like missing legs Digitally sharpened grass and mesh fence looks for compressor as more important in comparison of his uniform 'moro' clothes..

Thank you, I will decrease contrast and sharpness and try it out for a bit.

is WDR really disabled?

Also colors somehow are wrong...

Yes I double checked and WDR is definitely disabled.

Screenshots were with the camera WB set to Auto but I changed it to Outdoor. Perhaps that explains the colors?

 

[steve1225]

Screenshots were with the camera WB set to Auto but I changed it to Outdoor. Perhaps that explains the colors?

Auto WB explains colors

 

[flatface]

This is using the VLC snapshot function with no zoom

 

[Mike A.]

Try turn sharpening way down. Make it like 25-30. It causes noise like that to be amplified and the Dahau cams come on the sharper side to begin with.

 

[bigredfish]

Over sharpened for one. All 5442's come out of the box over-sharp.
Cut sharpness back to 30-40

 

[bigredfish]

I'd also leave Auto-Iris ON

 

[looney2ns]

What they ^^^^ said.
Plus, turn brightness down to 42, and contrast to 50. See how that goes.

 

[Ri22o]

Unless you get lucky, 43' is too far for a 2.8mm to reliably read a plate.

This is a 54IR-ZE set to 12mm at 75' and even then it's not enough to read the plate.


Same 54IR-ZE set to 12mm, but a distance of 40'. I realize it is obstructed, but you get the point.