Camera recommendations

[CableCraig]

Hi all.

I joined and have been lurking a while back. I imagined that I would use Blue Iris but after reading about Camect I ended up buying one.

I started reading about camera selection and am absolutely overwhelmed. Would it be possible to shove me in the right direction?

I have a ton of cameras I need for various uses but I’d like to start with just one or two to get started and go from there.

The first one I’d like to figure out is one that looks over my driveway gates at the keypad. It’s a bullet camera now (old non working coax system that I’m replacing) on a pole. I already have my network out there over fiber and have a small poe switch nearby I can wire to.

Beyond this camera I’d like a license plate camera for after people come through the gates. There’s also two camera on my barn that are about 15’ off the ground (I could move lower), as well as about 5 in the house eves about 10’ off the ground.

I don’t have any budget restrictions so don’t hold back.

Thank you thank you thank you in advance!!

Craig

 

[samplenhold]

Welcome to the forum. I imagine that you have read the Cliff Notes and checked out the WIKI.

Most here have been quite pleased with the Dahua 5442 series of cams as they have great low light color performance. These are 4MP cams on a 1/1.8" sensor. They come in turret, bullet, and dome form factors. They come in fixed lens and varifocal versions. That being said, without knowing your layout particulars, it is hard to recommend a specific cam.

For the LPR cam, depending on the amount of zoom needed, the B5442E-Z4E is an 8-32mm varifocal bullet cam. I have one doing overview of an intersection and I have it set up for getting make, model, color, markings, and in daylight, plates. If more zoom is needed, most folks here use the HFW5241E-Z4E which is a 2MP on a 1/2.8" sensor that is a 5-60mm varifocal bullet. I use two of these a dedicated LPR cams.

But if you want a cam designed specifically for LPR, there is this one;

IPC-HFW7442H-Z4

It works best with a Dahua NVR to take advantage of the LPR specific processing. Hikvision makes a similar cam, but I am a Dahua guy and know nothing about Hik.

For a top of the line cam check out this thread. You buy the cam and have to get the box and mounting separate.

Ordered Sony SNC-VB770 Image Sensor Size 35MM :)

Hi Guys, I wanted to share with you I will be soon getting a SNC-VB770 Possibly in a week or two. Just placed the order. Will Definitely be a while until I permanently Mount it however I will be doing some test like in low light and share some video once I get it:) Want to know your thoughts...

ipcamtalk.com

Hope this helps.

 

[CableCraig]

SNC-VB770 - ha!! I should put those everywhere! Haha

I did read the Cliff Notes and WIKI. (I’d partially read before you reply but finished since then).

As a starting place it seems like a ton of people here use Dahua so maybe it’s best that I use that too for the ability to get the best advice and help. I have no needs to go off the reservation when I don’t even know what I’m doing as it is.

I did see a model comparison chart in the Cliff Notes but I don’t yet understand how to choose. What I WILL say is that it seems like sticking with Varifocal cameras may be best for me based on what I read.

With that said, what’s the best way to make a decision about which ones to buy? If I were to post some pics and measurements of the current gate/driveway cam would that be helpful? I could do the same for where the license plate cam would be. I’m going to go ahead and guess that the gate cam is somewhere like 30’ from where the person would be in their car when stopped at the keypad, about 7-9’ off the ground, and the license plate cam can be whatever height is best and will be about 3-4’ from the edge of the driveway so pretty close.

Thanks again for the help.

Craig

 

[SouthernYankee]

Buy one good variable focus camera to start, use it to determine mounting location, lens, focal length... Use a test mount to verify location
Test the camera at night with motion. Have a friend wear a hoody, and ball cap looking at the ground, can you ID him, will the video stand up in court. If not you have the wrong location or camera.

Cameras to look at
IPC-T5442TM-AS-LED . Review IPC-T5442TM-AS-LED (Full Color, Starlight+) - 4MP starlight
.................... Dahua IPC-T5442TM-AS-LED review
IPC-T5442TM-AS ..... Review-OEM 4mp AI Cam IPC-T5442TM-AS Starlight+ - 4MP starlight+
IPC-HDW5442t-ZE .... Dahua IPC-HDW5442T-ZE 4MP Varifocal Turret - Night Perfomance testing -- variable focus 4 MP Starlight
IPC-B5442E-ZE ...... Review - OEM IPC-B5442E-ZE 4MP AI Varifocal Bullet Camera With Starlight+
IPC-HFW7442H-Z ..... Review - Dahua IPC-HFW7442H-Z 4MP Ultra AI Varifocal Bullet Camera -- 4 MP variable focus AI
IPC-T2347G-LU ...... Review of the Hikvision OEM model IPC-T2347G-LU 'ColorVu' IP CCTV camera. (DS-2CD2347G1-LU)
IPC-HDW2231R-ZS .... Review-Dahua IPC-HDW2231RP-ZS Starlight Camera-Varifocal
IPC-HDW2231T-ZS-S2 . Review-OEM IPC-T2231T-ZS 2mp Varifocal Starlight Camera
IPC-HDW5231R-ZE .... Review-Dahua Starlight IPC-HDW5231R-ZE 800 meter capable ePOE
IPC-HFW4239T-ASE ... IPC-HFW4239T-ASE
IPCT-HDW5431RE-I ... Review - IP Cam Talk 4 MP IR Fixed Turret Network Camera
IPC-T5241H-AS-PV ... Review-OEM IPC-T5241H-AS-PV 2mp AI active deterrence cam
IPC-T3241-ZAS ...... Review-OEM IPC-T3241-ZAS 2mp AI Lite series Varifocal -- 2mp AI Lite series Varifocal
IPC-HFW2831T-ZS ... Review-Dahua IPC-HFW2831T-ZS 8MP WDR IR Bullet Network Camera -- 8MP Bullet 1/1.8” sensor variable focus.
DS-2CD2325FWD-I
N22AL12 ............ New Dahua N22AL12 Budget Cam w/Starlight -- low cost entry
IPC-T2347G-LU....... Review-Loryta OEM 4MP IPC-T2347G-LU ColorVu Fixed Turret Network 4mm lens & Junction Box -- 4MP ColorVu
.................... Review of the Hikvision OEM model IPC-T2347G-LU 'ColorVu' IP CCTV camera.

 

[samplenhold]

With that said, what’s the best way to make a decision about which ones to buy? If I were to post some pics and measurements of the current gate/driveway cam would that be helpful? I could do the same for where the license plate cam would be. I’m going to go ahead and guess that the gate cam is somewhere like 30’ from where the person would be in their car when stopped at the keypad, about 7-9’ off the ground, and the license plate cam can be whatever height is best and will be about 3-4’ from the edge of the driveway so pretty close.

Yes, posting pics always helps.

If your cam to gate distance is only 30 feet, you might get by with a T5442T-ZE, which is a 2.7-12mm varifocal, depending on how zoomed you want the view to be. There is another option and that is the B5442E-Z4E which is an 8-32mm varifocal bullet cam. I use it for overview of the intersection at my house. Here are some shots.



These are 45 and 70 feet cam to plate. The lens is set at 26mm.

 

[CableCraig]

Buy one good variable focus camera to start, use it to determine mounting location, lens, focal length... Use a test mount to verify location
Test the camera at night with motion. Have a friend wear a hoody, and ball cap looking at the ground, can you ID him, will the video stand up in court. If not you have the wrong location or camera.

Yea I love this idea!

samplenhold mentioned the B5442E-Z4E but I don't see it in the list you posted. What do you think of it?

Also, I appreciate you posting this list but to someone like me it is overwhelming. If you don't like the B5442E-Z4E, how would I make a choice from these you listed? I can try to read the links but if they don't compare them to one another i am not sure how I would make a choice. Sorry I am so dumb right now ... I am thinking I will learn fast once I get started ... I hope!

Craig

 

[samplenhold]

I can try to read the links but if they don't compare them to one another

Rarely will a review compare cams. SY does not have it listed because no one has done an actual review of it here. You make the decision based on the merits of the cam satisfying the requirements that you make for that view in your plan. You have to make a plan. Say you wanted to buy a house. There are obvious requirements that all houses should have, like a roof, locking doors, electricity, you get the idea. But you also have other requirements that are specific to your personal needs. Like maybe 4 bedrooms, two car garage, three and a half baths, etc. Well the same goes for your camera plan. So here is how I decided on the B5442E-Z4E:

Requirements other than a Dahua POE IP cam that was under $250:

Needs to be able to run in full color at night overlooking the intersection such that I can identify make, model, color, any damage/stickers, and any other identifying parameters from stopped or moving vehicles. This has to be able to be done in a distance range of 40-80 feet. Would be nice to get plates, but I do not expect to get that in low light from moving vehicles since I have dedicated LPR cams for that. Need to be able to get a good description of people walking through the corner 24/7.

So I had three cams I had bought for installation in other parts of my home and tested them in the location I wanted to put this cam. One was an older cam that I had replaced from my driveway. This was an HDW5231R-ZE which is a 2MP on a 2/2.8" sensor with a 2.7-13.5mm varifocal lens. This was the top dog for low light two years ago when I bought it. By using this cam in that position, I learned that I needed more zoom than 13.5mm. I also needed better night color performance. I had a T5442TM-AS in 2.8mm fixed lens that I was about to install covering my front door and porch. This is the fixed lens turret brother of the Z4E. This test told me that while the 2.8mm was way to wide a view (which I knew already) the 4MP on a 1/1.8" sensor gave me great color night performance that allowed me to see all of my requirements. So that lead me to getting the B5442E-Z4E.

 

[CableCraig]

I want to go try to read/learn more about the specs you mentioned. The sensor and the mm. It sounds like a better understanding of those things would help me understand the differences in cameras. Do you agree? Are there other elements that I need to consider to "understand"? I am going to go back through the Cliff Notes again ... maybe third time is a charm?

If you feel good about it, I am cool to just buy the camera you have suggested and go from there. But, the more I can understand before buying the better.

I will post some pics and distances tomorrow as well.

Oh and when it comes down to it, where do you suggest buying?

 

[CableCraig]

To confuse me even further, I went to the Dahua site to look up the B5442E-Z4E and cannot find it there. I googled it and see Loryta as the model. Please explain. My brain is bleeding. haha.

 

[samplenhold]

To confuse me even further, I went to the Dahua site to look up the B5442E-Z4E and cannot find it there. I googled it and see Loryta as the model. Please explain. My brain is bleeding. haha.

Sure, let's complicate it even more!

We have a member here that sells Dahua cams. His name is Andy and he is located in Hong Kong. He supplies English firmware versions of Dahua cams that are NOT hacked Chinese cams like you see elsewhere on the internet. I have purchased ALL of my 20 Dahua cams directly from him over a two year period. He has three ways to purchase from him. He has an Amazon storefront, he has an Aliexpress storefront, and you can email him direct. I was very skeptical when I joined in 2018 about buying from a guy I did not know in Hong Kong, but Andy has been great and always gives you the best price if you email him and state you are an IPCAMTALK member. If you buy from his Amazon store, you will pay a little more. I have always just emailed him as I know what I want and do not want to deplete his stock here in the USA. I have gotten every shipment within 7 days from Hong Kong. My last purchase was the B5442E-Z4E which came in less that 48 hours from payment to at my door.

Now the difference in model numbers. Dahua makes cams for lots of different brands. A lot of Amcrest and Lorex are re-branded Dahua with dumbed down firmware or hardware. When Andy first opened his Amazon store, he could sell Dahua cams as Dahua and a lot of the cams came in Dahua boxes and had the logo on them. Well Amazon got a little crappy about that and made him call them rebranded cams. So he chose the name Loryta and simplified the model numbers. So the B5442E-Z4E that Andy sells is really an HFW5442E-Z4E. So he uses T for turret, B for bullet, and D for dome form factors.

He has his own forum here @EMPIRETECANDY

If you feel good about it, I am cool to just buy the camera you have suggested and go from there.

Everyone her likes to help out folks. We make all sorts of recommendations and if you ask a few folks, you would probably get different recommendations. But the ULTIMATE BUYING DECSISION is yours to make. So, yes, it is imperative that you understand what you are doing.

I have a ton of cameras I need for various uses but I’d like to start with just one or two to get started and go from there.

So initially you stated the above. That is the best way to learn what this is all about. So I would suggest the IPC-HDW5442T-ZE (aka T5442T-ZE) cam that SY had listed above. This is a very good low light color performance cam. Buy one and test out all of your ideas. Who knows, maybe this will work for your LPR cam also.

 

[CableCraig]

Ahh .... makes a ton of sense now. I am totally cool to buy from Andy. I think I may have seen his email address in the Cliff Notes .... if you know it's not there would you send it to me?

As for your most recent recommendation, what about the B5442E-Z4E? I thought we were on a good track there for a minute. I do want a bullet for the gate and a varifocal. I am going to try to research and learn more about the sensor and mm try to understand how those elements changing affect the outcome. Is there anything else i need to pay attention to? Back to Cliff Notes I go ....... now.

 

[samplenhold]

Andy's email:
kingsecurity2014@163.com

Sensor: bigger is better. So for a given MP size, lets say 4MP, a 1/1.8" sensor will give more light to each pixel that a smaller 1/2.8" sensor. For a given sensor size, lets say 1/1.8", a 4MP cam will perform better in low light than say an 8MP cam. Since there are twice as many pixels spread out on the same size sensor, that 8MP cam will need twice the conventional light as a 4MP cam to get the same performance.

Lens sizes are given in MM just like in a DSLR cam like a Nikon. So the smaller the MM the wider the field of view (FOV). The larger the MM the more 'telephoto' or 'zoomed' the FOV. So a 2.8mm lens is a very wide angle FOV. A 13.5mm is more zoomed in. So if you are trying to get face shots or license plates from a target at 10 feet, a wide FOV would be OK. But if your target is at 30 feet, then that 2.8 will not be zoomed in enough to read a plate or discern facial features. So I have two LPR cams. One's target distance is up to 100' and is set at 52mm. The other's target distance is about 85' and is set at 45mm. This is zoomed in enough for me to easily read the plates.

Here is a shot from a T5442TM-AS with a 6mm fixed lens. The BMW is about 30 feet out.

 

[CableCraig]

This is SO helpful. I am going to measure the distance and take pics of the camera pole to car location, as well as the LPR situation tomorrow! And I messaged Andy and have already heard back as well!

 

[SouthernYankee]

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
if you are interested in International Dahua cameras, a forum member sells dahua (and some Hikvision) and ships world wide. You can read some of the members recommendations on his service. He also provides cameras to other forum member for evaluation and reviews.
You can email him for a quote, or purchase from his Aliexpress store or his Amazon store. The cameras are fully upgradable, he posts upgrade software when available.

Current supply may be limited do to the Covid-19. Do to Covid-19 shipping has also gotten slow. I recommend email andy

Andy
@EMPIRETECANDY
kingsecurity2014@163.com
Andy's ipcamtalk vendor forum: EmpireTech Andy
Andy's AliExpress store: Empire Technology Co., Ltd - Amazing prodcuts with exclusive discounts on AliExpress
Andy's Amazon store: Amazon.com

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

[CableCraig]

Here is the view of the gate cam. Camera is 8ft off ground and 35ft from keypad. I’ll send a new reply with the images of the other license plate cam.

 

[CableCraig]

Here is the license plate cam. License plate camera will be 20ft from spot and 4 feet off ground.

 

[samplenhold]

I am not sure of the purpose of the gate cam. What are your requirements?

Obviously the LPR cam needs to get plates from a slowly (?) moving vehicle day and night?

You should checkout the IPVM calculator. It can help you get an idea of distance/coverage for specific cams.

IPVM Designer / Calculator

Using Google Maps, layout and design cameras, choosing from 10,000+ models, delivering FoV and image quality previews plus export to PDF, Powerpoint and more

calculator.ipvm.com

This was my design.