Mini-Review - EmpireTech IPC-TPC124XB-AI-S2 Thermal Network Mini Hybrid Bullet Camera

Some conclusions after a month with this camera. I have the 3.5 mm/4 mm version, testing it side-by-side with a 6mm 5442.

-The horizontal FOV is 5.4 degrees less for thermal camera, and 15.2 degrees more for the visual camera so the thermal FOV is pretty close to the 6mm 5442 that it's replacing.
-The aspect ratio for both cameras is 4:3. In my application that's just wasted pixels on the top and bottom that would be more useful on the sides.
-Thermal IVS has no object filers. Visual IVS has human/vehicle filters that won't turn off, making visual IVS useless for detecting animals.
-Since the thermal IVS does pick up animals, it largely compensates for the buggy visual IVS (the UI lets you turn off the filters, it just doesn't work).
-The thermal camera rocks for picking up animals. Trips on little and distant animals the other cameras don't detect.
-Because of the lousy thermal resolution, you might not be able to identify which animal you're looking at.
-Thermal camera has much lower false trip rate than IVS. No trips on moving tree branches and shadows.
-Disagreeing with at least one other report, I don't think the visual camera is all that bad. It's a step down from the 5442, but not a night-and-day difference. My feeling is that it's slightly better than the 2MP starlight 5231.

-I haven't had a chance to check out the thermal camera in rain and snow. Looking forward to that.

If I were spending somebody else's money I'd get a few more.
 
Some conclusions after a month with this camera. I have the 3.5 mm/4 mm version, testing it side-by-side with a 6mm 5442.

-The horizontal FOV is 5.4 degrees less for thermal camera, and 15.2 degrees more for the visual camera so the thermal FOV is pretty close to the 6mm 5442 that it's replacing.
-The aspect ratio for both cameras is 4:3. In my application that's just wasted pixels on the top and bottom that would be more useful on the sides.
-Thermal IVS has no object filers. Visual IVS has human/vehicle filters that won't turn off, making visual IVS useless for detecting animals.
-Since the thermal IVS does pick up animals, it largely compensates for the buggy visual IVS (the UI lets you turn off the filters, it just doesn't work).
-The thermal camera rocks for picking up animals. Trips on little and distant animals the other cameras don't detect.
-Because of the lousy thermal resolution, you might not be able to identify which animal you're looking at.
-Thermal camera has much lower false trip rate than IVS. No trips on moving tree branches and shadows.
-Disagreeing with at least one other report, I don't think the visual camera is all that bad. It's a step down from the 5442, but not a night-and-day difference. My feeling is that it's slightly better than the 2MP starlight 5231.

-I haven't had a chance to check out the thermal camera in rain and snow. Looking forward to that.

If I were spending somebody else's money I'd get a few more.
I decided I am going to order one. My thought is, use this for the Thermal at night, daytime too, I will have another CAM next to it for Visual, thinking a PTZ 25x. Has to be an IR CAM, it is pitch black dark out here, you can't even see your hand at night, I would have to have Stadium lights out here :) I know this solution will be quite an expense but presently I have a 5442 varifocal, and not getting much of anything out here in the woods with it. There is Zero action out here except for wildlife. We get a lot of deer all in our backyard area. Just saw about a half a dozen just a few minutes before this capture. Mainly they come around dawn and dust. And of course at night which we can't see them.

Thanks to @wittaj for helping me with this decision, I think I will be happy with it's results. Daytime video is not a big deal for us...other than critter capture...

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I would have to have Stadium lights out here
I have exactly the same situation with a few camera positions. The obvious solution is to have the thermal camera side-by-side with a 4k-x or 5442 in every camera position. Triple your camera count! My thermal camera and a T180 are facing each other, about 100' apart. The thermal camera easily detects critters in front of (and behind) the T180. Since the T180 can't detect animals, this setup gives a 100% workaround. And after a breakthrough last week, when the thermal camera trips, BI turns on the T180's white light for a minute.
 
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Is there a written manual for this camera yet? I purchased one of these cams, have set it up, but there are some settings that I am still wading through to figure out exactly what they do.
 
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Is there a written manual for this camera yet? I purchased one of these cams, have set it up, but there are some settings that I am still wading through to figure out exactly what they do.
I have the Turret version. @wittaj had me just stay with defaults. All I changed was Color Palettes...
Did try to turn Off Cold / Hot Spots but even though they are Off they are still visible...

I am sure you already know this, use IE browser...
 
I have the Turret version. @wittaj had me just stay with defaults. All I changed was Color Palettes...
Did try to turn Off Cold / Hot Spots but even though they are Off they are still visible...

I am sure you already know this, use IE browser...
Yeah, I haven't used IE browser in decades. I have BI setup on a dedicated win 7 machine, but everytime I try to launch IE, it just crashes.........LOL! I wouldn't expect anything different from MS.
 
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