I'm looking for a camera for my farm property to look down a large driveway 200m. Would like detection alerts around 100m and being able to see people/cars at 40m . im rural with no street lights or constant house lighting , do you think either the 4k-x or the 5442 would suit this? i dont really want to go to a ptz style camera due to bulkiness
You will want to avoid the 4K/X or any camera that claims full color - these cameras are not magic - if you don't have enough ambient light or do not want to run the built-in white LED, then these cameras are blind at night. And they don't see infrared so you cannot add it later.
So that leaves you with cameras that have infrared capabilities.
At those distances, you need more than a 2.8 or 3.6mm fixed lens camera.
To be honest, you really are looking at a PTZ if you want any sort of accuracy, even on detection.
Each camera has a DORI number (Detect, Observe, Recognize, Identify). These numbers are on best case scenarios - object is stationary and bright sunlight. Realistically you need to cut the numbers at least in half during the daytime and that number in half or more at night time.
200 meters in rural setting with no light will need additional infrared to stand half a chance even with a powerful PTZ.
As an example, the 5442-ZE claims detect at 130 meters and identify at 13 meters. I would say more like 60 meters and 5 meters in a no light situation.
You might get by with the 5442-Z4E but I wouldn't bank on it being able to IDENTIFY at those distances.
Also keep in mind one camera cannot be the be all/see all. A camera that sees well at 100 meters is a different camera than 40 meters and yet a different camera than 6 meters.
So the main question is do you want DETECT abilities or IDENTIFY. That answer dictates which camera and how many cameras.