Best camera under $200 for day and night LPR?

IReallyLikePizza2

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I realize this is probably asked 100x, but I can't find anything thats in stock anymore, or not $800

I want to mount a camera on a tree on the front of my property, so cars would pass right by. See attached images

Any suggestions very welcome
 

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IReallyLikePizza2

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Follow up question, my main cameras are all HDW2231R-ZS. Would it be a good idea to put one of those their? I already want to replace the front cams with 4K for more detail over a longer distance
 
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Which tree are you going to mount it on? One of the ones by the sidewalk? Or the big tree?

The biggest issue is getting a proper line-of-sight with a low angle. As the angle gets beyond 20 degrees, the plate becomes foreshortened and hard to read. The next biggest issue is getting enough zoom to get a large enough pic of the plate to be able to read it. And finally the big killer is at night getting the right settings and possibly needing additional IR.

You could use the HDW2231R-ZS on a test rig to see if you can get a close enough view using the varifocal out to 13.5mm.

Most folks are using the Dahua IPC-HFW5241E-Z12E which is a 2MP cam on a 1/2.8" sensor but has great IR ability and the varifocal range is 5-60mm. This lens gives you one of the best chances for combatting the zoom issue. You can get this from @EMPIRETECANDY for around $220. Here is a cap:

LPR-E.20200317_184515_1b.jpg

If you do not need that much lens, then there is the Dahua IPC-B5442E-Z4E (aka IPC-HFW5442E-Z4E) which is a 4MP on a 1/1.8" sensor with a varifocal reach of 8-32mm. That one runs around $235. Here is a cap:

INTS.20200719_194053996_1.jpg
 
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