Considering LPR

[redpoint5]

I don't have much to work with considering trees limit the angles I can get, but I'd like to have an LPR camera if possible. These are about the best angles I can get, unfortunately. The thing working in my favor is a stop sign just 3 houses down at the left of the photos, meaning cars are probably only doing about 20 MPH as they pass.

Here's my 5442 fully zoomed to 12mm focal length. Distance to the Toyota is about 65 ft.



Here's the other 5442 at full zoom to 12mm. Distance to the wood round on left is 30ft, and to the Subaru about 45.


Can't really improve the angles due to trees.

Could I expect useful captures with what I've got to work with? Is the IPC-B5442E-Z4E appropriate?

Here's another possible angle, but shows what I'm contending with. You can see the cam that took the 2nd photo under the far eve.

 

[wittaj]

The first picture is a better angle and you will probably get a fair amount. Speed of the vehicle isn't really a factor because we run at fast enough shutter speeds. Angle and distance is more important.

The 5241-Z12E and the 5442-Z4E are the same price - go with the Z12E as it has more zoom. Trust me you will appreciate more zoom. 2MP is all that is needed for plates. Many businesses still use 720P.

Heck I proved you can get by with D1 resolution:

How much resolution is really needed for LPR

We have folks come here all the time thinking that more MP is better, whether it be for general purposes or for LPR. Those of us that have been around long enough know that sensor size is more important than MP. Those that have been here awhile know that I share a representative sample of...

ipcamtalk.com

Most of us have tried the Z4E and much beyond 60 feet, you start guessing or having to digital zoom. May work now, but at some point you may want to automate the system and at that point digital zoom won't cut it.

Or as I mentioned in your other post, consider putting it up in a tree or make something for it closer to street to give you a better angle.

 

[wittaj]

Your third photo would only work if the wind wasn't blowing LOL. Growth of the trees and leaves and stuff would make that a tough one to work consistently.

I think your first photo will get you a high percentage of plates.

Your angle is better than this and this one still works (but notice how big the plate is - can only get that with the Z12E):

Rave to OpenALPR - A World Record?

We are always talking about angles, the best angles to get plate captures etc. I think I must have captured the world record, well it was actually OpeanALPR that did it. Take a look at this - it did get the number correct. Using your human eyes take a guess at the plate number.

ipcamtalk.com

 

[Robert G.]

I think your angles are not bad, but you need more zoom. Grab the HFW5241E-Z12E and you can grab some plates.

That last photo you posted (from a under a garage roof?) looking over the driveway with the white pickup, that is where I would put a HFW5241E-Z12E. It has enough zoom, you would be right up on that pickups butt with a clear shot of his plate with a great angle.

P.S. The photo that @wittaj posted, that was mine. That angle it captured is NOT normal. That camera angle was actually for taking photos coming down the street, going from left-> right in the photo. The fact that pickup came from the left and was actually captured, was incredible and unexpected.

I have since replaced that camera with a pair of HFW5241E-Z12E and record about 1,000 plates a day.

 

[Flintstone61]

You might want to keep the 5442 and add a 5241e Z12e heres an over view cam over a 5241 cam dedicated to LPR.

 

[Flintstone61]

Heres a 5442 ZE staying on color at night but no legible plates. But on a pole 25 ft. away the 5442-AS-LED 6mm does catch it with 1/2000 shutter and bright LED light above it. option three with that pickup truck with the 5241 z12 would be an angle worth trying.

 

[redpoint5]

Yeah, I missed Andy's cheap Z12Es, which is why I ask about the Z4E... maybe I can get lucky in the future.

Here's a tree I could maybe mount to, and what it's contending with


Same tree in the other direction. No good for obvious reasons. Neighbors don't park in the garage.


Gas post? Possible location and angle


Here's what I'm dealing with to get CAT6 out to the tree or post


Not a big fan of the tree or post because of the difficulty getting cat6 to them, they would be super noticeable, and someone could steal/tamper with them easily

 

[Flintstone61]

Fake landscape light trick? @wittaj
wheres that pic

 

[redpoint5]

Fake landscape light trick? @wittaj
wheres that pic

Oooh, I like that idea.

 

[Flintstone61]

Camera hidden/disguise ideas

HI Guys I'm looking for some ideas to hide / disguise one of my cameras looking for some inspiration would be greatful for some pictures of your hidden installations Regards Wayne

ipcamtalk.com

 

[Flintstone61]

My custom made welcome sign to "hide" cam

I didn't want to just have a cam hanging in front of my front door. So being a woodworker I decided to make my own custom welcome sign that is about to go next to my front door for my new Dahua/Blue Iris setup. What do you folks think?

ipcamtalk.com

 

[samplenhold]

Here is a couple of threads that may help you with the install decisions. If you put the cams up high, no one will bother them. Most will not even notice them. You could always paint them.

New to LPR? Considerations Before You Begin

Thought I would throw together a post on my experiences so far with LPR in an effort to help others that are considering running down that rabbit hole. There are some practical considerations you should know about LPR. I am approaching this from the position of using Blue Iris and Plate...

ipcamtalk.com

LPR Case Study: Scoping, Planning, Proof of Concept, Installation, & Results

Introduction This thread is about my journey into LPR (License Plate Recognition) after having about 18 months of experience with IP cams and having quite a bit of my system finished. I am not an expert on LPR, or IP cameras either. But I have spent a lot of time working with my system and...

ipcamtalk.com

 

[redpoint5]

My custom made welcome sign to "hide" cam

I didn't want to just have a cam hanging in front of my front door. So being a woodworker I decided to make my own custom welcome sign that is about to go next to my front door for my new Dahua/Blue Iris setup. What do you folks think?

ipcamtalk.com

LOL, for some reason I looked at this thread first and thought a birdhouse might be a good way to conceal... then I clicked on your link to the birdhouses.

That takes care of the concealment concern, but how to keep the birds out?

If I mounted to the tree, I'm assuming the Z4E would be sufficient? ... or are there better cams for a "budget" price I should be looking at for LPR? I somehow jedi mind tricked my wife into approving a $145 spend on a camera, but I'm not going to tempt fate to get an increase.

I'm thinking 2-way monitoring isn't absolutely crucial as people are likely to enter/exit from the same street. There is 1 other way out of the neighborhood, but again, people are going to exit the way they entered.

 

[Flintstone61]

You could use a varifocal turret cam IF the distance is close enough. Might take some experimentation. My 6mm gets plates. that come into it's sweet spot. But I lack an overview cam to compliment it. note to self....

 

[wittaj]

That is why you tell your wife $250, then when you score a refurb at $145, you look great LOL.

It comes down more to the focal length of the camera. If you are within 40 feet, but preferable 20-30 feet, you can get by with this cam:

https://www.amazon.com/Loryta-IPC-T3241T-ZAS-Vari-Focal-Eyeball-Network/dp/B082XR73CC/ref=sr_1_20?imprToken=eNnu.Pmf5hsW5hcTVECAQg&linkCode=w61&m=A329YQ83EBQGJF&marketplaceID=ATVPDKIKX0DER&qid=1647984664&redirect=true&s=merchant-items&slotNum=0&sr=1-20

But after that, the focal length jumps in price to that of the Z4E and Z12E.

 

[redpoint5]

I think I'll go with IPC-B5442E-Z4E if Andy still has a refurb available. If one day I score the Z12E then I'll find a good purpose for the Z4E.

Once I learn all this for my property I have a much bigger farm property at my parents house to set up. I've got them on an NVR though.

EDIT: Bought the Z4E from Andy. We'll see if I'll regret not going straight to the more powerful zoom, but I should get much better results than what I'm getting with a 12mm focal length. Whatever I don't use at my place, I'll use at my parents. They've got a lot more property to cover (2.5 houses, barn, garage, sheds, property, 500 gallons of diesel).

 

[The Automation Guy]

Just another thing to keep in mind, one camera is only going to be sufficient if the cars have plates on both front and rear. If the car is from a "one plate" state, you will miss the plate if the car is approaching the camera. The only way to prevent this is by having two cameras pointing opposite ways down your street. That way one of the cameras will always capture the cars as they drive away from the camera.

As far as mounting locations, I actually like placement #1 (the driveway location pointing to the left) and location #3 (the image with the white truck). You'll need to prune the yellow bush some (and regularly), but it give a better angle for plate capture. Basically you want to zoom into the street and plan to capture plates about where the white trucks plate is now (and to the left of that). If you mount it on the left side of the garage pointing to the right, your angle is going to be steeper because you have the tree to contend with. It might be bare now, but will be full of leaves most of the year. The garage location isn't terrible and makes a good "second choice" location IMHO.

PS - I think you will be disappointed with the Z4E for license plate capture. I have some myself and while they are great for capturing the end of my driveway, they don't provide enough "zoom" to capture plates from 65' away. It might work at 45', but I think the Z12E is a much better choice for this use case and distances.

 

[samplenhold]

As far as 5442 Z4E or the 5241 Z12E goes, the Z4E MAY get you enough zoom at those distances. But the Z12E WILL get you enough zoom.

As far as location, the really only way is to test the location with a test rig BEFORE running cable and mounting.

 

[EMPIRETECANDY]

LPR For IPC-B5442E-Z4E

Here are some pics for LPR with IPC-B5442E-Z4E. Zoom in to Max. Drive way around 120ft. Just do some simple setting.

ipcamtalk.com

The IPC-B5442E-Z4E also can do great job. Check this.
z12e can reach further distance.

 

[redpoint5]

As far as 5442 Z4E or the 5241 Z12E goes, the Z4E MAY get you enough zoom at those distances. But the Z12E WILL get you enough zoom.

As far as location, the really only way is to test the location with a test rig BEFORE running cable and mounting.

Seems there is a newb progression of getting entirely too wide a field of view, then too wide a field of view, then almost good enough field of view, then just right... I'm at the almost good enough stage at the moment.

Even if I can't do proper LPR with a 4x zoom, it could be useful for getting an ID on people during the day. I've got a long ethernet cable, and I configured the coat closet near the front door as my network hub, so testing is easy peasy.

All this is gonna have to wait, as my baby girl is arriving a few weeks early it appears.