IPC-HFW5231E-Z12 LPR from 137 feet

[Justintoxicated]

I haven't had a focus issue, however my camera seems to lock up sometimes which switching from daylight to night or vice versa (i run B&W at night and have the brightness turned down to better capture reflective license plates). It startsv showing a picture again the next time the profile changes.

Might need to buy something more reliable. My other dahuas have all been great though.

At least ipcam viewer says the camera is unavailable, could it be blue iris dropping the ball? All my other cameras still show up fine.

 

[Jose R.]

This is discouraging. My LPR cam is next in the plans and not sure what to get now. Needs to be a long zoom for sure.

 

[Chicken]

My cameras are still working great for lpr. I used the Dahua day night utility to set b&w and focus and it works perfect. Only problem I had the other week was somehow when I upgraded my blue iris server the Dahua utility got stopped. Otherwise it’s great. See my thread at
LPR with a pair of IPC-HFW5241E-Z12E

 

[Laserray]

My cameras are still working great for lpr. I used the Dahua day night utility to set b&w and focus and it works perfect. Only problem I had the other week was somehow when I upgraded my blue iris server the Dahua utility got stopped. Otherwise it’s great. See my thread at
LPR with a pair of IPC-HFW5241E-Z12E

I'm using the same camera. Your posts attracted me to it. I'm waiting for two more. Jose R. don't be discouraged, these cameras work they just tale a little patience. The solution seems to be not to use the web gui for focusing, and setting nigh/day mode. The dahua utility sounds find to me. I just wanted full programming control.
Reading many posts I found whoever said don't go beyond .89 zoom is most likely correct. I had to go to .89 (not .90 as the camera won't let me) to correct night graininess. I set night and day with the same zoom, the focus between them is off very little.
Chicken did you every finalize your settings? I feel a shutter of 500 would lead to too much blur? Right now I'm set at 1000 and I got it tuned. If I read you right every setup will need different adjustments?

 

[Chicken]

No I have not played with it since right after my last post. I travel near full time for work and they were doing a good job and I was happy. My travel should be finished in early December and I’ll start fiddling with them again I suspect. Thanks

 

[bigredfish]

Guys I have 4 working well now. No script. I simply use Schedule and have the camera switch from Day/Color to B&W/Night 30-45 minutes BEFORE sunset, and again in the morning, wait 30-45 min AFTER sunrise to switch back.

If you can add something to reflect the IR at or near capture point that helps too.

Is it foolproof? No. There are days when we get bad storms at just the right time that the camera doesnt get a chance to make its Night focus before dark. But Im guessing its 95%+

Or you could keep it in B&W 24/7 (regardless of day/night exposure changes using Schedule), and not worry about it at all

 

[tibimakai]

Lately, it was working great, but while switching from day to night, or the other way around, I can't read the licence plates. It is blurry. Should I shorten the switching time? Now, I have it set to 1 hour, before and after.

 

[bigredfish]

No that shouldnt matter, as long as it has good light when it switches

How far are you zoomed ? Anything past about 85% it won’t hold focus no matter what

 

[tibimakai]

A house away.

 

[tibimakai]

Here is a picture before the change, during the change and after:

 

[tibimakai]

In the last picture, the grass is lit up by an 100m/15 degree IR light. That is all I can get from that light.

 

[bigredfish]

That second image doesn’t look like black n white...?
Are you using the “Schedule” profile?
Are you forcing it to B&W ?
Under Day/Night do you have the Night profile set to B/W not Auto?
Yes you need better IR

Also some motion blur in the first and second pic. What Exposure are you running> At least 1/1000 or 1/2000?

 

[tibimakai]

I'm using Day/Night profile and the Day/Night switcher.
Day and Night are set to Auto, not using B&W.
Day is set to Shutter Priority, 1/2000.

 

[bigredfish]

You should try using “Schedule” and B&W at night. It’s taking too long to go to B&W

 

[tibimakai]

I will try B&W and I will let you know. Schedule will work with Day&Night switcher?

 

[bigredfish]

If you mean the Sunrise/Sunset utility,? Yes I would think so.

 

[Laserray]

I will try B&W and I will let you know. Schedule will work with Day&Night switcher?

Sunrise/Sunset utility replaces the schedule. You place camera in "Normal" mode. It also sets the zoom and focus position. leave the camera in manual focus once you determine night/day focus.
What camera are you using?

 

[Tibor Makai]

Last night, I have found it, out of focus. I should try Normal? I can give it a try.
The camera, that this thread is all about.

 

[spankdog]

I had to manually set my focus for night via the sunrise/sunset utility. I just used the same focus setting that was clear for day and manually entered that for night.

 

[Tibor Makai]

Where is that screen at? I don't remember seeing that. In the Sunrise/sunset utility?