IPC-T2831T-ZS 8MP vs 2MP

[JDfromDB]

Just wanted to share my findings with the 2831.
I have a couple 2231 turrets and they are great cams. I wanted a few more and the 2831s are only $20-$30 more so I thought I would try them. I figured I could always set them to 2MP and they would essentially be 2231s if I didn't want the extra bandwidth.
Here are pics of the 2831 set to 2MP (1920x1080) and 8MP (3840x2160).
It seems the picture is noticeably better even though I know the sensor size limits the 4k resolution.
At 15fps 2MP is ~220kB/s and 8MP is ~520kB/s with default settings. (I upped the bit rate for 8MP and saw no difference in quality)
Is the extra resolution worth the more than double bandwidth? Not sure, but for now I have the extra bandwidth to spare.

 

[sebastiantombs]

Wait until after dusk and test them with motion, in the dark or with what ever ambient light you have. Bandwidth is the least of the problem, night vision is the real key.

 

[Scale]

I'm using HFW2831T-ZAS-S2 also.
In dark time HFW2831T-ZAS-S2 is not good enough for me . I prefer another camera HDW5442TM-AS .

Bandwidth of HFW2831T-ZAS-S2 is about 560Kb/s
Bandwidth of HDW5442TM-AS is about 260Kb/s

But the second camera is better in dark time

 

[wittaj]

Yes, please post some night pics! But I would consider the daytime improvement a good increase in clarity.

Keep in mind switching these to 2MP does save bandwidth, but doesn't overcome the struggle an 8MP will have at night - changing resolution doesn't change the sensor so it still needs a lot more light!

 

[Rob2020]

Thank you for posting, subscribing for night pictures and comments.

 

[JDfromDB]

I'm using HFW2831T-ZAS-S2 also.
In dark time HFW2831T-ZAS-S2 is not good enough for me . I prefer another camera HDW5442TM-AS .

Bandwidth of HFW2831T-ZAS-S2 is about 560Kb/s
Bandwidth of HDW5442TM-AS is about 260Kb/s

But the second camera is better in dark time

I agree, the 5442 is probably better with the larger sensor but it costs about 50% more for a varifocal version ($130 vs $200) so I'm not sure its that much better.

 

[sebastiantombs]

Check the reviews here on IPCT. It is well worth the price difference. Remember a varifocal is not a zoom. It is designed to be set to what is needed and left at that focal length. If you already have a varifocal set you can calculate the equivalent focal length and use a fixed lens to replace it. There's a converter in the WiKi at the top of the page in the blue bar.

 

[JDfromDB]

Here are some night pics.

2831 set to 2MP with IR on and also IR from porch camera:


2831 set to 8MP with IR on and also IR from porch camera:


2831 8MP IR off:


I think this is my favorite, 2831 8MP IR off with IR from porch camera only:


2831 8MP with IR and motion light on. This is what I would currently see if someone walked in my yard at night. The motion sensor is very sensitive:


I need to put my 2231 in the same spot to get a better comparison. I think I may also buy a 5442 and do the same (are these being discontinued? I thought I read that in another post) .

 

[Opeth]

HDW5442TM-AS is discontinued, replace by HDW5442TM-ASE

 

[sebastiantombs]

Without motion those screen shots don't show much at all. What's the exposure set to?

 

[jazzy1]

how's the 5831R compared to these? Is it still superior if only concerned about daytime use?

 

[JDfromDB]

Without motion those screen shots don't show much at all. What's the exposure set to?

sebastiantombs,
Everything was set to the default values.
I took your advice and ordered a couple 5442 cameras and already received them (Andy ships fast!!!) so I will take some videos in the same spot with both the 2831 and the 5442 during the day and night and post them. I will just use the default settings unless you have any recommendations.

 

[Scale]

sebastiantombs,
Everything was set to the default values.
I took your advice and ordered a couple 5442 cameras and already received them (Andy ships fast!!!) so I will take some videos in the same spot with both the 2831 and the 5442 during the day and night and post them. I will just use the default settings unless yo have any recommendations.

Could you tell me what exactly 5442 cameras you ordered with LED or not?

 

[JDfromDB]

Could you tell me what exactly 5442 cameras you ordered with LED or not?

I ordered IPC-T5442T-ZE, varifocal with no LEDs.

 

[samplenhold]

so I will take some videos in the same spot with both the 2831 and the 5442 during the day and night and post them. I will just use the default settings unless you have any recommendations.

Make sure you have someone walking through the field of view. Still pictures of the yard really tells us nothing about how a cam performs. It is how it handles motion that is the real test.

Keeping cams at default settings during a comparison really does not provide a comparison well. Each cam has different hardware and possibly firmware and it is an apples to oranges comparison, at least at night. I myself was guilty of the same thing early on. Set each cam to the best picture possible and then run the comparison.

At night those 5442's will probably do a good job in full color while the other cams may suck at it. Start with setting the Exposure controls as below and work from there.

The shutter at 1/120 will give you the best possible chance of freezing motion. The gain and other settings can be adjusted to get a more viewable shot.

 

[wittaj]

^If you have enough light. I got a 5442 on the Black Friday sale and I cannot run color with a reasonable shutter speed at night. I am jealous of the light @samplenhold has available at night!

 

[sebastiantombs]

I have two 5442s, one fixed 3.6mm and one varifocal bullet. The fixed stays in color 24/7 because of ambient light from the street light and, now, with Christmas lights. The bullet goes into B&W about a half hour after sundown because there's just not enough ambient light in the backyard.

 

[Scale]

I have two 5442s, one fixed 3.6mm and one varifocal bullet. The fixed stays in color 24/7 because of ambient light from the street light and, now, with Christmas lights. The bullet goes into B&W about a half hour after sundown because there's just not enough ambient light in the backyard.

The varifocal

The varifocal HDW5442T-ZE has max aperture F1.8 at that time fixed one HFW5442T-ASE has F1.6 so it is better.

 

[sebastiantombs]

Yes, that is a factor, but the area it is installed in has zero ambient light. It's basically totally dark there so any camera, even the fixed focal, wouldn't work in full color at night.

 

[Scale]

I think 5442 LED cameras can work in full color mode even in the totally dark place.