Camera recommendations for license plates?

[texmaster]

Hi Folks,

I've got an LTS system ([FONT=&amp]LTS LTN8916-P16 Platinum Enterprise Level 16-Channel 1.5U NVR, 16 Built-in PoE, 4K HDMI Video Output)

And I would really like a good license plate camera (or 2) for the house.My problem is angles and trees. LTS makes one but I think its BNC and I really need an IP eqivilant. I've also seen some PTV camera solutions that might work but I'm pretty virgin on this and would apprecaite some advice. The goal would be to monitor both the front street and alleyway.

[/FONT][FONT=&amp]These are the angles I'm dealing with in the front and alley way.

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Oh and the distance to the street in the front is about 35-45 feet so I'm not sure if a 12mm is going to be enough.

 

[nayr]

looks like your going to need a chain saw to pull this off..

 

[texmaster]

looks like your going to need a chain saw to pull this off..

Sigh. Yeah I know. What I was thinking is that the only thing I can do is put a camera on the fence in the driveway facing the alley and do the same in the front but I wish I could avoid that.

 

[nayr]

do you have people parking on the sides of the street? thats my big problem, I had only one option and that was to frame up the street at the end of a neighbors driveway, hoping nobody will park there and block my view.

 

[cam235]

The first image (Camera 01) shows some stone pillar next to the street, is that your mailbox? Seems to me large enough to house a camera looking along the street. You can add a walkway light which happens to do double-duty as an IR illuminator at night as well, with some customization work. Both could be powered with POE so it's just one run of direct-burial CAT5 cable that runs alongside the walkway. For the alleyway a useful view may be possible from the house itself, hard to tell from the image.

 

[texmaster]

do you have people parking on the sides of the street? thats my big problem, I had only one option and that was to frame up the street at the end of a neighbors driveway, hoping nobody will park there and block my view.

No we've actually had a big problem with crime unfortunately. 2 kids got mugged 100 feet from my house, some break ins and package stealing. Some of the cars have gone by the house but I couldn't get the plates just the make and model.

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The first image (Camera 01) shows some stone pillar next to the street, is that your mailbox? Seems to me large enough to house a camera looking along the street. You can add a walkway light which happens to do double-duty as an IR illuminator at night as well, with some customization work. Both could be powered with POE so it's just one run of direct-burial CAT5 cable that runs alongside the walkway. For the alleyway a useful view may be possible from the house itself, hard to tell from the image.

yeah thats the mailbox. Its a good idea but you're right it will take some custom work but its doable thanks.

Any camera recommendations from you guys?

 

[nayr]

in this situation its best to let the install pick your camera and not the other way around.. for me my one and only option was 180ft away, so I had to go w/a camera I could put whatever size lens i needed on to accomplish the goal..

you dont need very good low light capabilities because the plates will be fired up at night to be as bright as the headlights are, but having something with a motorized focusing ability helps a ton as plates appear closer than they are at night and for the sharpest images you'll need to refocus it around the time the LP's start flaring up.

the harder the angle you come from the less likely your going to get a good read and the easier it is for something to obscure it.. residental LPR is not easy.

 

[cam235]

my one and only option was 180ft away, so I had to go w/a camera I could put whatever size lens i needed...
> LPR: HF5421E 4MP BirdHouse Camera (60mm)

@nayr : I am curious which 60mm lens you chose. I have a pricey 40mm with a crisp image, but really not long enough. I do have a manual 6-60mm varifocal from ebay, pretty cheap and has about as much performance as you'd expect from the price

 

[nayr]

i just got a cheap 6-60mm from china; didnt pay alot for it but it has an electronic iris at least..

 

[texmaster]

i just got a cheap 6-60mm from china; didnt pay alot for it but it has an electronic iris at least..

Got a link?

 

[nayr]

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Free-shipping-cctv-lens-6-60mm-F1-4-1-3-DC-Driven-Auto-Iris-Vari-Focal/1903435123.html

 

[cam235]

Thanks for that link. You've shown that one works for ALPR, so it is interesting. I would not normally have looked at it because the item title mentions "VGA Lens", suggesting only 640x480 resolution. This one on ebay looks very similar: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vari-focal-Lens-CS-Auto-Iris-6-60mm-for-CCTV-Security-Surveillance-Camera-/121008652078

 

[cam235]

By the way, I finally received the 25mm "5 Mpixel" M12 lens I ordered through ebay. Delivery to USA took 21 days. 1/2" 25mm Board Lens 5MP Lens M12 for HD CCTV Camera 1/3" & 1/2" CCTV IP Camera | eBay It was pretty inexpensive at $10 and the lens itself does a decent job on my 4 Mpixel Hikvision dome (modified to accept the longer lens). It delivers clearly readable plates (by eye) from 100 feet away at a 45 degree angle. I also gave a cropped image to the ALPR demo at OpenALPR Cloud API and the plate # was read correctly and with 94.9% confidence, which is about as good as I've seen.

 

[patrocle]

So what lens need it to read plates from 200 to 300 feet away?

 

[nayr]

100mm

 

[patrocle]

@nayr , Thanks!
So are this any good?:
Vari-Focal 5~100mm F1.6 1/3 Auto Iris CS mount DC Drive Lens for Security CCTV
Never done a modification like this!

Had the Huisun v1 ptz, but is acting like a drunk and works Like Monica when ever it wants,so i may have to retire it and put a fixed camera that will be able to read and record all this plates,as you never know when i need to look on my recordings to see what car passed at 2 am that broke into some cars on my street!.

 

[nayr]

specs look reasonable, what camera are you planing on using this on? You'll need something w/CS mount like my HF5421E

 

[patrocle]

I was thinking about modifying one of this camera:
iSmart 8CH HD1080P POE NVR Security Outdoor ONVIF Bullet VF Camera System 1TB | eBay
as i still have 2 of them around that work.(2 that ir is working ,but no day time,it was a 4 cam system...junk)
Or 1 of this:
http://shoppingcctv.com/-p-5292/GW261TV.html
witch i think they are the same specs.

 

[nayr]

those have M12 Lens mounts, not CS.. you will not be able to put that lens on it.

any camera that lens will work on will specify it has a CS lens mount in the spec sheets; if you dont see that.. dont expect it to work.

 

[patrocle]

Ok ! Got it. Will be looking for one of those then.
The HF5421E that you have , what have you added for night vision? as from my reading they do not have night vision?!..or,