Leverage IR from Adjacent IPC-T5442T-ZE for IPC-Color4K-T to Prevent Turning On LED's?

[dg6464]

Hello Folks,

I currently have a mixture of IPC-T5442T-ZE (Garage Overview), and IPC-T5442TM-AS-2.8mm (shed and cabana/pool overview), and have an extra IPC-T5442T-ZE sitting in a closet at the moment.

I just purchased an IPC-Color4K-T from Andy (thanks Andy for all the support, all the others were purchased from Andy as well... he's been amazing with firmware suggestions, etc).

My question here... revolves around my recent purchase of the IPC-Color4K-T to replace/augment the existing IPC-T5442T-ZE as the Garage Overview.
Trying to plan the best approach before I start using the hammerdrill and drilling more holes through my brick, etc for a second camera and Cat6 with PoE (I am also waiting on a PoE extender/switch that can be powered by PoE, but also provide PoE out of some ports... as I only ran 2x Cat6 cables, #1 = U6-Mesh Access point, #2 = IPC-T5442T-ZE, #3 will = IPC-Color4K-T).

It's 20ft or so to the road, 30ft to middle of the road, 60ft or so across to where the sidewalk is.

There is enough ambient light at night from street lights to run even the IPC-T5442T-ZE at night in Color mode... but with a couple of recent cars being stolen on the street and a break-in... I am looking to re-design how I do the front of the house garage/street overview now to get some better quality results.

I have the IPC-T5442T-ZE in full-color mode and tweaked as best I could (manual mode, exposure and such tweaked as best possible from guides posted by the regulars here... again... thanks everyone, it's been very helpful), and am experimenting with B&W to see if it's any better (I find anything moving get's very "blocky" and "pixelated").

It get's very good quality during the day, but at night, I find the details lacking a bit... especially what is happening on the road and across (slightly less light across the road on the sidewalk... where we've had the thieves use as a pathway multiple times).
I am also unable (of course) to pick up license plates of cars that drive by with it in color-mode (even though I have an excellent angle... my camera use case wasn't specifically set as this).

Hence, the purchase of the IPC-Color4K-T, plan discussed below.

The New Plan with the Garage Overview:

At this point I think the best bang for my buck will be to use the IPC-Color4K-T to replace the IPC-T5442T-ZE as the actual true overview camera... the main decision is whether to run in Color or B&W to get the most detail as an overview.

Secondary piece is to use the existing IPC-T5442T-ZE as an LPR (or at minimum a zoomed car recognition camera)... as it should have enough detail when zoomed at a specific spot in the street and tweaked in B&W mode.

The main question to the group is whether or not you think the IPC-Color4K-T will decently get more detail in color at night than the IPC-T5442T-ZE does, especially in the street, or slightly across (30-60ft away from the garage)?

Or alternatively... if I am using the IPC-T5442T-ZE in B&W as an LPR anyway... if the Infrared coverage from that adjacent camera will be enough to give a great picture on the IPC-Color4K-T in B&W mode without turning on the LED's?
To me, the LED's are sort of a dead giveaway to the camera... where Infrared although visibly a slight red hue... not as much of a dead giveaway as an actual LED light on the camera.

I know this is not the perfect use case for these particular camera's... but the broader overview to me is a bit more important... I'm really just attempting to tweak the setup for the best bang for my buck, without investing in a true dedicated LPR, or PTZ that can Zoom and follow, or looking like super odd to everyone in the neighbourhood having a ton of camera's on the front of my house.

Let me know your thoughts... just a pre-liminary post before I start playing with the IPC-Color4K-T and get it mounted outside.

A day-time and night-time picture(s) with the existing IPC-T5442T-ZE is attached, color and B&W.

As you can see... likely the perfect spot for an LPR... but I do not think I need anything with a really powerful Zoom or anything, based on the way the cars have to drive directly to/from my house for many seconds.
In the case of the last incident... the same car circled the block 3 times, slowly... but I still couldn't make out the plate, or the people in the video much that ran back up the street, as well as towards me on the sidewalk 2-3 times.

Video Examples: Nighttime Example / Car Theft

Any guidance / recommendations would be helpful.

Thanks!

Best Regards,

dg6464

 

[TonyR]

.....if the Infrared coverage from that adjacent camera will be enough to give a great picture on the IPC-Color4K-T in B&W mode without turning on the LED's?

IIRC, the IPC-Color4K-T cannot "see" infrared.

 

[wittaj]

As pointed out the 4K-T does not see infrared and using the 4K-T at 30-60 feet away to IDENTIFY- forget about it.

As an overview you would want to run the 4K-T in color and based on the images, since it is overview, you have enough light.

You will need the Z12E for LPR unless you put a lower varifocal on a mailbox.

 

[dg6464]

Thanks folks!

I thought that any camera running in B&W would “see” infrared… you learn something new every day.
Now I have to look up what component actually allows for that (I saw a few previous threads of folks with bigger, separate infrared bulbs from their camera’s… I wasn’t aware that every one of them were being used alongside a camera with an underpowered infrared included).

I’ll get the 4K-T mounted up as a true replacement of the 5542 and see how it looks in colour… and see if I can eventually get the 5442 in a spot that will allow it to read a plate… I’m hoping with the right tweaking of settings and a perfect zoomed spot on the road, that it’ll be able to get a plate in focus.

Will post some results once I get it replaced just to follow up for anyone searching the threads for this topic, and post the settings I dial-in, etc for any potential tweaking or come tary

 

[wittaj]

So most cameras (not full color type cameras) are equipped with an IR filter on the camera lens so that during the day the camera sees visible light and doesn't get washed out with infrared light. Then at night the filter moves off the lens (you can usually hear the clicking sound) when the camera goes to B/W with infrared so that the camera can see the infrared.

Since the full color type cameras do not have a mechanical, movable filter, they are permanent as part of the lens so you cannot add external infrared later as it will not see it.

 

[dg6464]

So most cameras (not full color type cameras) are equipped with an IR filter on the camera lens so that during the day the camera sees visible light and doesn't get washed out with infrared light. Then at night the filter moves off the lens (you can usually hear the clicking sound) when the camera goes to B/W with infrared so that the camera can see the infrared.

Since the full color type cameras do not have a mechanical, movable filter, they are permanent as part of the lens so you cannot add external infrared later as it will not see it.

Thanks! Good to know.