Help with Night settings for LPR >> IPC-HFW5241E-Z12

[UserSTL]

I am reaching out for help with the night settings on an LPR setup.
For the last week or so, I have been adjusting the settings each night without making too many adjustments at once.
Unfortunately, I just can’t get it right so now I am turning to the professionals for some help.

Setup
Camera: IPC-HFW5241E-Z12
IR: SPT High Impact Extreme Long Range IR (up to 390ft)
Distance: Approximately 100ft from camera
Viewing Angle: ~45 degrees

For reference, I have attached my camera settings and a few recent screenshots of the plate captures.

Any suggestions to make the plates clearer?

Thanks in advance.

 

[sebastiantombs]

I'm not an LPR expert or own a 5241, but I'd say the shutter needs to be faster than 1/1000. If you can set a manual range rather than select a fixed value, it may be easier to tune. I'd also shut off HLC since that can introduce noise in the video and use it only as a last resort when all else fails.

 

[DLONG2]

Does the web GUI frame rate match the BI frame rate? (20 fps)?

 

[biggen]

Agree. Try without HLC and increase the shutter to 1/2000. I'd also reduce the iris back to 50, gain down back to 50, and gamma back to 50.

You may even have some focus issues. I can't tell 100% because the pictures you attached aren't big enough, but the first two images appear out of focus.

 

[wittaj]

@sebastiantombs - in my experience using a shutter range at night would mess up the focus as the shutter would get faster when hit with a headlight and then it would try to refocus. YMMV.

The newer Z12s use a different chipset than the previous ones and the settings on my recent one I got are completely different from my older 5231-Z12 or neighbors 5241-Z12 settings (that are using my identical 5231 settings). So the baseline settings you may see referenced on the site are different with the newest batch.

I have pitch black and these are my settings for the Z12 to get plates with the newer batch of Z12 cams (gain has to be soo high and not a range), but this should get you going:

 

[sebastiantombs]

When I say range keep in mind that can be set to hold one particular value, IE 0.05 and 0.05 won't allow any change but will allow setting a specific speed in milliseconds rather than fractions of a second.

 

[UserSTL]

Does the web GUI frame rate match the BI frame rate? (20 fps)?

Yes, it does. Both at 20 fps.

 

[UserSTL]

Agree. Try without HLC and increase the shutter to 1/2000. I'd also reduce the iris back to 50, gain down back to 50, and gamma back to 50.

You may even have some focus issues. I can't tell 100% because the pictures you attached aren't big enough, but the first two images appear out of focus.

Originally, I had it at 1/2000, but the image appeared to be too dark no matter what I tried.

Here were the settings and resulting images when I set at 1/2000, a few nights ago. I will adjust settings tonight and see how it turns out.

Question: What's the best way to set focus for nighttime – pull a car into view at night, set speed to 1, then autofocus?

 

[sebastiantombs]

I think you need more zoom as well. Those last shots would work if they were zoomed in a bit further.

 

[UserSTL]

I think I am pushing the limits on the zoom as it is, but will try to get a little closer.

 

[biggen]

You need to bring your iris down to 50. You will have depth of field issues that high.

Ideally you would park a car right in the FOV and focus on the plate while its not moving. What most of us do is have the camera flip to night mode while there is still enough light out. That way it can auto focus on its own or you can set the focus manually. I actually look at the gravel in the asphalt when focusing. If I can make out the actual grains, I know the focus is dead on.

 

[wittaj]

Do not make the gain a range - and I have found with this chipset that it needs to be higher - try it at 80-80 and see if it is brighter at the faster shutter. We don't care about a little noise for this purpose. And add more zoom as others have said.

 

[Flintstone61]

5241 z12 1/2000 gain 50. But i have more light than you. or it would seem. 4 lights out there and a lower speed. capturing at about 70-90 feet.

 

[UserSTL]

Update:

I made the recommended adjustments, and while it's better, it's still not legible.

I have attached the settings and images – any further advice would be much appreciated.

 

[wittaj]

I have said at least twice not to use a range for gain....ranges are bad for LPR at night because the plate is on the screen for such a short time and we do not have time to allow the camera to start adjusting based on a range and the light hitting it. And in some instances it can mess the focus.

Did you try my settings in Post #5 that are based on this camera with the newer chipset? As I mentioned in that post, there are differences in the hardware/chipset between an older 5241-Z12 and a newer 5241-Z12 - probably a result of chip vendor changes. My newer one has a build date of October 2020. My older 5241-Z12 had a build date of October 2019. The settings are completely different between the two looking at the same spot.

I did a TeamViewer session with another member here a couple weeks ago that had just bought this camera and my settings in Post #5 worked for his camera without modification, we just needed to dial in the focus settings. YMMV.

 

[UserSTL]

I have said at least twice not to use a range for gain....ranges are bad for LPR at night because the plate is on the screen for such a short time and we do not have time to allow the camera to start adjusting based on a range and the light hitting it. And in some instances it can mess the focus.

Did you try my settings in Post #5 that are based on this camera with the newer chipset? As I mentioned in that post, there are differences in the hardware/chipset between an older 5241-Z12 and a newer 5241-Z12 - probably a result of vendor changes. My newer one has a build date of October 2020. My older 5241-Z12 had a build date of October 2019. The settings are completely different between the two looking at the same spot.

I did a TeamViewer session with another member here a couple weeks ago that had just bought this camera and my settings in Post #5 worked for his camera without modification, we just needed to dial in the focus settings. YMMV.

Your image does not show up on my screen. See screenshot. Please send again.

 

[bigredfish]

Late to the party, but I see Smart IR on in the last settings you posted. Turn SmartIR off and use manual IR at 100%

On Iris, just little tweaks make a difference. 50 to start, no more than 60

And last, turn off H.265 and try it if you haven’t already.

Lastly play with Gain.

 

[wittaj]

That is weird let's try again:

 

[bigredfish]

The only thing odd to me on your settings @wittaj is the max Iris? On 5231’s and 5241’s I have, anything over about 60-65 was a diminishing return. In fact my older 5231’s run at about 45 (at roughy 100 ft and with street lights). Perhaps that’s the difference.

 

[sebastiantombs]

@wittaj Again, if the range is set to the same values for low and high it wont change but will give you the option of further dialing in rather than sticking with a setting from a list of fixed settings.