Mini-Review - 5442-ZE-S3 AKA T54IR-ZE-S3 - Replacement to 5442-ZE

You are right Andy. With the extra IR illuminators I have it really lights things up. I have already turned one off and maybe a 2nd one. This camera is way different than the older 5442E-Z4E that it replaced. A whole new learning curve for me in setting it up for license plate capture.
 
Assuming I'm reading the specs correctly, this F/1.8 and 1/1.8" sensor camera has comparable low light capability (Min. Illumination lux) as the the IPC-Color4K-T ... which is F/1.0 and 1/1.2" sensor.

It would be interesting to see a real-world comparison since IF SO, this would be quite an advance in sensor technology. And (again IF SO) means the "next-gen" F/1.0 and 1/1.2" cameras would be quite impressive.
 
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As many of us are aware, Dahua decided to keep the same model numbers of some of their most popular models like the 5442-Z12E and the 5442 series cameras, but they have been updated with a newer GUI and specs that on paper show better than the previous version as was discussed in this thread even though they have the same size sensor as the previous generation.

I previously did a mini-review of the new 5241-Z12E here, as well as the 5442-Z4E comparison between the old Z4E and the new Z4E.

Many of the specs remained the same. Similar to the 5442 series with the new chipset, the minimum illumination was the biggest change:

Minimum Illumination old Z4E:
0.002Lux/F1.5 ( Color,1/3s,30IRE)
0.020Lux/F1.5 ( Color,1/30s,30IRE)
0Lux/F1.5 (IR on) IR Distance Distance up to 200m (656ft)

Minimum Illumination new Z4E-S3:
0.0007 lux @ F1.5 (Color, 30 IRE)
0.0004 lux @ F1.5 (B/W, 30 IRE)
0 lux (Illuminator on)

This new version can be purchased from @EMPIRETECANDY at his EmpireTech website or Amazon.

I have stated this before, but the more I play with the new GUI on my other cameras that have the new GUI (4K-T, mini-PTZ, T180) the more I start to like it. It has way more options and flexibility. It still has some quirks as well LOL.

This model has AcuPick like the Z4E model, but as mentioned, you need an NVR capable of using this feature for it to work.

The mic is one of the best I have heard from these cameras. Picks up everything.

Another cool feature they added is the ability to add a counter on the image.

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I was cautiously optimistic that maybe this one could trigger for animals and would be of a benefit to those that like to capture wildlife:

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Unfortunately in my testing, it didn't trigger for an animal even with target checked off. I will keep playing with it though.


It does have great range of IVS capability picking up a person on the other side of the street:

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For testing, I placed this right next to an existing 5442-ZE.

From the Z4E review, you might remember that the old Z4E had a slight edge over the new Z4E in daytime. At that location, I thought it was simply a saturation issue, but now I think I know what it is.

At this location, it suffers from that horrible daytime half shadow/half direct sunlight and it is a balance trying to capture both areas.

The first thing I noticed with this camera is the shadow area is lighter than the existing camera.

For many people, this is a good option to try WDR, but my personal preference is to avoid WDR for the problems it can cause if ran too high and/or not needing it for a large chunk of the day.

I think the default firmware is using some WDR or SSA or some other backlit condition, or maybe some self-adaptive even when customized is set.


So my neighbor came out while I was installing this camera and was like "another camera?" in a joking yet disturbed tone LOL, so he decided to play a prank on me later that day, but the joke is on him as I told him he is now my model LOL. You will see in a moment LOL.

View attachment 178334

Compared to the new ZE:

View attachment 178335

As you can see, while the overall image is better than the existing ZE, it is clear that there is some backlit at play in the new camera.

With the old camera, I can replicate this with a WDR of 10 or SSA turned on.

In this particular instance, it probably does make the image better in the daytime, but as seen with the Z4E, it does tend to "wash out" the image in conditions where backlit is not needed. Something for @EMPIRETECANDY to check with Dahua about the baseline firmware condition when backlit is off.


Now that we all had our laugh with the two-headed monster, I told him he was stuck doing this again at night LOL.

At night, with a 1,000 lumen white LED flood light (cheap Amazon purchase that I really question if it is 1,000 lumen), the most I could do shutter-wise with the old ZE was around 1/60s before a lot of artifacts started impacting the image. While very dark, it could still be usable in the right conditions.

View attachment 178339

Under the same lighting conditions, I could get the new ZE to run double the shutter without a problem and see a whole lot more.

View attachment 178340


While not as impressive of an improvement as the Z4E (that could run triple the shutter), it is still a very good improvement at night.

Turning off the white LED and going with just infrared wasn't as great of an improvement over the Z4E as I was expecting.

The existing ZE:

View attachment 178341


The new ZE

View attachment 178342

Now I suspect some/most of that is field of view problematic with the bushes in the way and causing some issues with exposure (note to self that bushes grow quickly!). I need to do some trimming for sure!


So there is a firmware update to this model. Looking at the release notes, all it adds is "illumination overexposure remover" which is a long way of saying Smart IR. So unless your faces are getting blown out by IR, it is a useless update. Personally I thought the night vision without this addition was better.

Personally I wouldn't update this firmware.


Now for the quirks I found in this firmware update:

Instead of one firmware update, you have three you need to do - one for the web, one for the algorithm, and one for the actual firmware. If you don't do all three, it gives you a red exclamation point by the gear icon.

For some reason this model (even with baseline firmware) doesn't come with the zoom and focus "tab" that allows you to set focus to manual, auto, or semi auto like the Z4E does.

View attachment 178344


After the update, the up and down arrows to change the shutter won't hold after an update. Once you save, it reverts back to 33.33. You need to manually type the number in.

View attachment 178346


All-in-all, it is an improvement over the existing ZE model. While I don't think the improvement is as great as I saw with the Z12E and the Z4E, it is still a great camera and certainly would still recommend this varifocal.
Your conclusion was lacking one important detail...I don't normally comment on people's appearance, but your neighbor is one ugly dude, regardless of lighting...
 
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Your conclusion was lacking one important detail...I don't normally comment on people's appearance, but your neighbor is one ugly dude, regardless of lighting...
That is a two face statement... ;)
 
All kidding aside, that camera looks like a marked upgrade from its predecessor. Thanks for the detailed review.

Yeah whatever improvements they have made to the sensor and firmware is a huge upgrade, especially on night performance. I think they learned some things with the 4K/X and 4K/T cameras in the firmware and brought it to this model.

They could have called it a new model I think the improvement is so great, but I think they recognize the name recognition of the 5442 series.

It really does get it close to the full color 4K cameras in terms of performance, and probably takes the edge given the focus issues we see with the 1/1/2" sensor outside of the tight focus range.
 
Yeah whatever improvements they have made to the sensor and firmware is a huge upgrade, especially on night performance. I think they learned some things with the 4K/X and 4K/T cameras in the firmware and brought it to this model.

They could have called it a new model I think the improvement is so great, but I think they recognize the name recognition of the 5442 series.

It really does get it close to the full color 4K cameras in terms of performance, and probably takes the edge given the focus issues we see with the 1/1/2" sensor outside of the tight focus range.
Where I live now, in the woods, the bright LED of the 4K camera would work since our neighbors won't be blinded by it's night. But this new S3 version of the 5442 series is nice since it has IR and would of worked great at our previous home where we were in the middle of a neighborhood with houses on all side of us.

Our next door neighbor had several flood lights in her backyard that would light up the 3 houses behind her, she lived in fear. Part of that light even lit up part of our backyard.
 
Thanks @wittaj and @Parley for the low light impressions and that sounds pretty encouraging.
@EMPIRETECANDY - any comments from your experience and/or the factory about this significant improvement ... and similar advances being applied to upcoming products?

Assuming I'm reading the specs correctly, this F/1.8 and 1/1.8" sensor camera has comparable low light capability (Min. Illumination lux) as the the IPC-Color4K-T ... which is F/1.0 and 1/1.2" sensor.

It would be interesting to see a real-world comparison since IF SO, this would be quite an advance in sensor technology. And (again IF SO) means the "next-gen" F/1.0 and 1/1.2" cameras would be quite impressive.
 
The new camera nigh pics have some great improvement on these IR cams, the full color camera is different tech, some people love sharp Black and white pics (IR tech), some love crisp colorful pics, hard to say which one is better, your feeling good is the most important.

IR 1/1.8cmos currently the 54 series i think already at the top of its best performance, the 58 series 4K also have some great improvement. Maybe later i get @wittaj one to make some compare with the 4mp Z4E.
 
Yeah whatever improvements they have made to the sensor and firmware is a huge upgrade, especially on night performance. I think they learned some things with the 4K/X and 4K/T cameras in the firmware and brought it to this model.

This 'non stop turn-on WDR-lite' effects I first time saw 3-4 years ago on Full color 5449 cameras.. At first I thought it was the result of the difference between F/1.0 and F/1.6 (or F/1.8) aperture. But then I saw it on all Full Color cameras (not only 5xx9 but also lower lines 2xx9 ) and now on new generations on IR models (2xxx, 3xxx, 5xxx)..

It looks like more aggressive backlight sensor configuration and video processing with different dynamic gamma. Dahua created this first for Full color 5xx9 and then back ported to all new lines (white/IR/dual light)..

Off course it can be also a new hardware sensor, created for Full color models and then back ported to IR lines...

ps. When you compare WDR on night video from old and new 5442, image from a new 5442 looks more natural and less „life on Mars” style. Processing looks more like HDR from iPhone
 
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Ok, an update from last night. I have finally settled on the Self-Adaptive for the working mode instead of the Day/Night. With this setting I have the daytime shutter speed set at 1/1000 and still have the nighttime shutter speed at 1/250. I finally had a car go by with the non-reflective temporary California paper plate and I will show the front and rear plate from the same car. I am just amazed at how good it turned out. Still waiting on a black and orange California retro plate to go by. Also, there are a number of cars that I can now see the driver and one of those photos from last night will show that. The 2nd Dahua IPC-B54IR-Z4E-S3 that I ordered from Andy is supposed to come in today. It will replace my LP4 camera that is mounted in the tree. Again, we are talking about the IPC-B54IR-Z4E-S3 camera from Andy.

View attachment 178986View attachment 178987

That is a great capture and can see the driver. Can almost read the digital screen in the 2nd photo LOL.
 
Actually, IMHO this camera is that good. Dahua has hit a home run. I will see how the next installation goes. I should have photos in a couple of days. At least I now have a better feeling in how to set up this camera. I can now retire the two IR illuminators that are associated with this camera.

Oh yeah I know the camera is that good - I am kinda getting side profiles of occupants with my new version that I could never get with the older version, but you got a straight on shot thru the windshield and they should come to a stop, so that is pretty ideal!
 
Ok, an update from last night. I have finally settled on the Self-Adaptive for the working mode instead of the Day/Night. With this setting I have the daytime shutter speed set at 1/1000 and still have the nighttime shutter speed at 1/250. I finally had a car go by with the non-reflective temporary California paper plate and I will show the front and rear plate from the same car. I am just amazed at how good it turned out. Still waiting on a black and orange California retro plate to go by. Also, there are a number of cars that I can now see the driver and one of those photos from last night will show that. The 2nd Dahua IPC-B54IR-Z4E-S3 that I ordered from Andy is supposed to come in today. It will replace my LP4 camera that is mounted in the tree and will get the camouflage treatment. Again, we are talking about the IPC-B54IR-Z4E-S3 camera from Andy.

View attachment 178986View attachment 178987
How do you set the different shutter speeds for day and night with self-adapting? What about different image settings for day and night?
 
Thank you for the great review @wittaj !

I'm considering to buy this camera for the front door and front garden / drive way, and to place it in a corner where I have PoE preparations. See attached.

Noob question:
- Would you advice this camera to identify from 0-11 meters deep and 0-6 meters wide (front door)? and 0-11 meters deep and 0-4 meters wide (front garden / drive way)?

Thanks in advance!
 

Attachments

Thank you for the great review @wittaj !

I'm considering to buy this camera for the front door and front garden / drive way, and to place it in a corner where I have PoE preparations. See attached.

Noob question:
- Would you advice this camera to identify from 0-11 meters deep and 0-6 meters wide (front door)? and 0-11 meters deep and 0-4 meters wide (front garden / drive way)?

Thanks in advance!

That is a big spread and too big for one camera at the same time. If you set this camera up to IDENTIFY at 11 meters will be a different focal length than at 2 meters.

The further distance out you capture IDENTIFY with, the narrower the field of view.

Depending on the height of the camera, at IDENTIFY at 11 meters out, the camera may not see anyone at 5 meters out as they would then be in the blind spot.

But if it is level, you would get various degrees of focus so at 11 meters if that is what the camera is set for will be the most in focus, and as the subject gets closer, the focus will get a tad blurry.
 
S3, BI 5.8.1.3, 2.3.4 only settings inside of camera - s3 11.30.23.png

night time Cam5.20231129_182345902.jpg


Pixel PXL_20231130_001720764.MP.jpg
 
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The 2nd Dahua IPC-B54IR-Z4E-S3 that I ordered from Andy is supposed to come in today. It will replace my LP4 camera that is mounted in the tree and will get the camouflage treatment. Again, we are talking about the IPC-B54IR-Z4E-S3 camera from Andy.
Damit @Parley ! Now I just might have to buy me a couple of these!

Not sure what is going to happen with my LPR cams. The tree I located my LPR cam box behind has died and has pine borers in it, so it is coming down next week. Not sure how that will impact that box. I may have to relocate LPR cams and rethink the whole thing, including road overview cams.

DSC_5004.JPG InkedDSC_5008_LI.jpg

dead trees.JPG
 
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