bigredfish
Known around here
I’ve got a new Z4 S3 sitting here, I’ll hook it up to a switch tomorrow and try.
Mini-Review - 5442-Z4E-S3 AKA B54IR-Z4E S3 - Replacement to the 5442-Z4E
- Thread starter wittaj
- Start date
Nope - just login to the web interface and grab a snapshot via that interface using the camera icon at the top right which (for me) is a multi-megabyte PNG.
In another tab at about the same time, hit this URL - USERNAMEcolonPASSWORDampersandIP/cgi-bin/snapshot.cgi - which (for me) is a several hundred KByte JPEG.
As discussed in that thread (with images examples), the JPEG is MUCH worse quality that one would expect from compressing PNG, plus it's lightened up. More obvious at night, but noticeable during the day.
I can't imagine the Z4 S3 would be different since I think it's only a different lens. FYI that I'm running the recent firmware from Andy on my T54IR-ZE-S3.
TIA @bigredfish ... and anyone else that can do this simple test.
@Parley - have you tried one of those bad boys in color yet LOL?
Here is why I think you may be able to do it.
Here was simply switching mine to color from B/W with a 1/500 shutter. Granted this one was aided by the plate bulb, but with just a little more light, I think it is possible.
With some digital zoom I can make some decent guesses at the plate. Not enough that I would run the camera this way, but I certainly think in the right environment this camera is capable of getting color plates.
Here is why I think you may be able to do it.
Here was simply switching mine to color from B/W with a 1/500 shutter. Granted this one was aided by the plate bulb, but with just a little more light, I think it is possible.
With some digital zoom I can make some decent guesses at the plate. Not enough that I would run the camera this way, but I certainly think in the right environment this camera is capable of getting color plates.
bigredfish
Known around here
Yep roger that but cant do it with the internal NVR PoE cameras, theyre on 10.1.1.x
I'll hook the Z4 up to a switch tomorrow.
Parley
Known around here
I won't order mine until after the 1st of the year. Lots of expenses being Christmas and all. Plus, I just bought two of Andy's cameras for LP duty. As I said I will put it in the 1F spot to replace the standard 5442E-Z4E that is now in that location. However, I will initially set it up as a license plate camera and see how it does in color. I do have a security light that I had previously somewhat shielded that can add more light in the direction that the camera is pointing if need be. It will be an interesting experiment. Your photo looks very promising.
So when the thieves steal your NVR, there goes your video footage unless you are backing it up somewhere secure. SD-Cards are a good backup, IMO...
bigredfish
Known around here
Yes thats true, though 3 of my most critical cams email me snapshots on events
My plan was to either backup to a secure NAS or get a rack mounted PC for Blue Iris and secure it with security screws. Then we moved
bigredfish
Known around here
I just tell one of my cats that the treats are inside the black box. Aint nobody getting close without bloodshed.
bigredfish
Known around here
OK I hooked up inside for a burn in and grabbed the two images.
H.264.H
10240 CBR, 30FPS
General codec
Default using Edge in IE mode for the snapshot from the live view was BMP for some reason, which I then opened and saved as a .png (BMP wont display here)
11.7MB .png
Then snagged from the cgi-bin call and saved as .jpg 247KB
Pretty obvious difference...which is what I would expect.
Not sure of why we should think they would be the same or why images that different in file size/compression but same dimensions should be?
Is there something in the Dahua documentation or manuals that say to expect better from the low res cgi-bin image? or that cgi-bin should use the full res image?
I can only guess that its a less intensive process for the camera to save the low res image?
I'm not much of a coder/programmer and dont know the use case need or what is expected.
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Thanks @bigredfish for doing this. Maybe it's because I'm a photographer, but the banding just jumps out at me as absolutely terrible from the API image. Yes, you would obviously expect some drop in image quality, but seems like waayyy more than one would expect.
I pulled the PNG into Photoshop and saved it as a JPEG with the same size (quality 55 ... since image has a lot of similar tones). I then cropped the lower left hand corner to compare those three images.
This demonstrates exactly what I'm seeing - is there any doubt that the API image looks MUCH worse ... even though the "saved JPEG" is the same size?
I pulled the PNG into Photoshop and saved it as a JPEG with the same size (quality 55 ... since image has a lot of similar tones). I then cropped the lower left hand corner to compare those three images.
This demonstrates exactly what I'm seeing - is there any doubt that the API image looks MUCH worse ... even though the "saved JPEG" is the same size?
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What's doubly frustrating about the poor qualify of the JPEG from the API call is that the camera clearly has a sensor, lens, etc. to generate a pretty darn image ... so there is something goofy going on in the image processing software. Also see the examples I show in this thread.
As a programmer, I bet if someone knowledgeable about the API call looked at it, they would find an easily fixable boo-boo somewhere. Bonus points if they added an option to specify the qualify (and size!) of the requested JPEG ... as other vendors do.
To be clear, I LIKE the camera - Amazon literally just delivered another one an hour ago! ;-)
P.S. Here's the full-size 247KByte that I generated from pulling the 12 MByte PNG into Photoshop and saving as quality 55 - nothing else. This is basically what the camera should be doing internally.
As a programmer, I bet if someone knowledgeable about the API call looked at it, they would find an easily fixable boo-boo somewhere. Bonus points if they added an option to specify the qualify (and size!) of the requested JPEG ... as other vendors do.
To be clear, I LIKE the camera - Amazon literally just delivered another one an hour ago! ;-)
P.S. Here's the full-size 247KByte that I generated from pulling the 12 MByte PNG into Photoshop and saving as quality 55 - nothing else. This is basically what the camera should be doing internally.
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Parley
Known around here
A little update from last night. I have to say traffic was unusually heavy. I was checking my LPR cameras from around 5pm to 7:30 pm and I would say around 250 cars went by. There was no let up. Anyways I am happy to report that Andy's cameras did not miss a beat. What one camera did not get the next one did. I will order a 5th one after the first of the year. I will put it in a spot where I can also try it out for LP reading in color at night. Post 160 has a picture of that location.
Parley
Known around here
I have been working on my 1F location where Andy's new BR541R-Z4E S3 camera is going to go. I have moved the camera a little to hide it better from the passerby's. I also took the shield off the security light I have so that it will shine in that direction. Tonight, I adjusted the present 5442E-Z4E to see how it would work getting license plates. If the plate is pretty much head on it works. I have the HLC set to 50. This gives me hope for Andy's camera. Here is a picture from tonight.
looney2ns
IPCT Contributor
So I now have a B54IR-Z4E S3.
It's temp mounted, as I need to experiment to find the best location for it.
Anyway, after throwing it up quickly, and doing some rudimentary setting changes, we have this.
Distance to target is a bit too far at 150' but still getting decent results.
Currently using the same settings day & night.
1/2000
H264H
8192
15FPS
These are stills captured by BI via tripwire.
It's temp mounted, as I need to experiment to find the best location for it.
Anyway, after throwing it up quickly, and doing some rudimentary setting changes, we have this.
Distance to target is a bit too far at 150' but still getting decent results.
Currently using the same settings day & night.
1/2000
H264H
8192
15FPS
These are stills captured by BI via tripwire.
bigredfish
Known around here
This is a definite upgrade from the prior version. I can't wait to get mine installed whenever I get the free time.
Should we take up a donation for you to renew your BI?
looney2ns
IPCT Contributor
I'm running this cam on a sperate test system and still waiting on support to tell me how to purchase a second license.This is a definite upgrade from the prior version. I can't wait to get mine installed whenever I get the free time.
Should we take up a donation for you to renew your BI?