Camera suggestions for dark areas at night

Yeah so if you went with the Z4E bullet, it would start out with more zoom than you have currently.

If the camera is strictly for overview, what about sticking with the camera you have and adding an IR blaster?
 
To be honest I would keep the camera and add in a Quality IR Blaster.. I mean you might be able to find a used iLumunar IR LED for a decent price. Now understand better what you are working with. So the area of Interest is past your own yard and a neighbors or 2 and trying to view loads from far away.. My thought on what you were trying to do is capture details of Vehicles that pass by while your ANPR or LRP captured plates. seeing most are Dark day and night can be hard to know details. So the N45EFN2 placed in your back yard facing that road positioned in a way that it would still be able to see over your fence could still capture details and the light i doubt would omit past your fence so it would look by Vehicles going by like a light for your back yard..

However with what you say having trees that might be hard to get past that and or any reflections could cause the camera to lower the quality of picture past the fence..

Yet with your new added in picture a quality IR Blaster ILUMINAR: IR Illuminator, Infrared Light & CCTV Security Specialist and even a used one form Ebay might be best course of action that camera with enough light that you have now. Thought your camera view was from an eve off your house and that was your property didn't understand trying to see past other properties..
 
wittaj said:
Yeah so if you went with the Z4E bullet, it would start out with more zoom than you have currently.

If the camera is strictly for overview, what about sticking with the camera you have and adding an IR blaster?
Click to expand...
The Z4E would be a bit too long at 8 - 32mm, but the EmpireTech IPC-B54IR-ZE-S3 has the same range (2.7 - 12mm) as the current camera with more IR lighting similar to the SPTZ camera
 
Hmmm.... looks like the max lighting distance on the Z4E is twice that of the ZE. Bummer, the Z4E has similar light distances to the SPTZ camera.

I'm going to try and experiment with the zoom on the existing camera today to see if zooming into the max and roughly 2/3rds zoom (which would be really close to the 8mm starting size of the Z4E) to see if it would work for my situation
 
Yeah I just don't think for the distance you want to observe that the ZE even in bullet form is the right choice. I think an IR blaster with your existing camera will be a better option since it is just for overview.
 
wittaj said:
Yeah I just don't think for the distance you want to observe that the ZE even in bullet form is the right choice. I think an IR blaster with your existing camera will be a better option since it is just for overview.
Click to expand...
It would definitely have to be the Z4E, I just have to experiment to see if the 8mm setting will work.

I haven't seen any IR blasters that have the distance that the bullet cameras have. Not to mention the current camera is a LOREX 8MP 1/2.8" sensor which is 5 years old and has horrid low light capabilities. A 4MP 1/1.8" sensor would have much better low light performance for this location. You can put lipstick on a pig, but it's still a pig
 
Ok, just checked the zoom on the current varifocal LOREX camera at this location. With it zoomed to max (12mm), the FOV is perfect for what I want, so I have some wiggle room with the Z4E which is 8 - 32mm zoom
 
Just keep in mind all manufacturers play with the focal length.

Even though the Z4E claims it starts at 8mm, I think it is more than the 12-13mm of the ZE.

And when you start comparing field of view on different size sensors and resolution, all is tossed out the window LOL.

Heck even taking the 5442 6mm fixed lens and setting up the 5442-ZE to the equivalent 6mm and you will find the field of view is different for both. The 5442-ZE had to be set to a 9mm equivalent to get the same field of view as the 5442 6mm fixed lens.

You can see a member here demonstrated this:

samplenhold

Thread 'Comparison of a Fixed Lens and a Varifocal Lens Camera's FOV'

I was testing out a new Dahua T5442T-ZE 2.7-12mm Varifocal camera (from @EMPIRETECANDY ) and was going to compare it's performance to the Dahua HDW5231R-ZE and the HDW5431R-ZE cameras, which are 2.7-13.5mm varifocals, along with the T5442TM-AS fixed lens at 6mm camera. The HDW5431R-ZE has been covering my driveway from the left side since 2018. The HDW5231R-ZE was covering my driveway from the right side since 2018 until I replaced it with a T5442TM-AS in 6mm this past June.

So I placed the HDW5231R-ZE and the T5442T-ZE on my test rig and set that rig next to the T5442TM-AS in 6mm...
  • Like
 
wittaj said:
Just keep in mind all manufacturers play with the focal length.

Even though the Z4E claims it starts at 8mm, I think it is more than the 12-13mm of the ZE.

And when you start comparing field of view on different size sensors and resolution, all is tossed out the window LOL.

Heck even taking the 5442 6mm fixed lens and setting up the 5442-ZE to the equivalent 6mm and you will find the field of view is different for both. The 5442-ZE had to be set to a 9mm equivalent to get the same field of view as the 5442 6mm fixed lens.

You can see a member here demonstrated this:

samplenhold

Thread 'Comparison of a Fixed Lens and a Varifocal Lens Camera's FOV'

I was testing out a new Dahua T5442T-ZE 2.7-12mm Varifocal camera (from @EMPIRETECANDY ) and was going to compare it's performance to the Dahua HDW5231R-ZE and the HDW5431R-ZE cameras, which are 2.7-13.5mm varifocals, along with the T5442TM-AS fixed lens at 6mm camera. The HDW5431R-ZE has been covering my driveway from the left side since 2018. The HDW5231R-ZE was covering my driveway from the right side since 2018 until I replaced it with a T5442TM-AS in 6mm this past June.

So I placed the HDW5231R-ZE and the T5442T-ZE on my test rig and set that rig next to the T5442TM-AS in 6mm...
  • Like
Click to expand...
The 12 to 13mm would still be ok, I think. I'm trying to replace all these 8MP 1/2.8" sensors as they are crap in low light situations. The one at this location is over 5 years old, and it will need to be replaced sooner than later anyway. I really see no advantage to 8MP sensors for my use and changing to 4MP cameras will help lower bandwidth demand
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom