Need recommendation for PTZ with dog tracking

Michael James

Getting the hang of it
Joined
Dec 20, 2016
Messages
258
Reaction score
37
Using BI5. Will be mounted under my roof next to downspout. I have a 75 lb Newfoundland in a gated in backyard. Looking for a camera to track her. She will eventually be around 130-150 lbs. Ive seen human and car tracking. is there a PTZ that tracks dogs/animals? Live in Louisville. Temps get down to 5 degrees during winter. So I would think I would need a camera that can take the cold weather too. Area is about 100 feet x 75 feet to cover. I bought 2 motion sensor flood lights for night as well for when she goes outside to potty. She sleeps indoors.
 

The Automation Guy

Known around here
Joined
Feb 7, 2019
Messages
1,374
Reaction score
2,734
Location
USA
The cheapest option with auto-tracking is going to be the Dahua SD49225XA-HNR IF you buy it from Loryta/Empire Andy on the forum or his Amazon Store. Dahua has updated the hardware on that model and only the older models with a specific Loryta firmware version will still have the autotracking. I believe Andy still has some stock available, but he will eventually run out of these older hardware versions. It runs about $400 from Andy. It's only a 2mp camera, but don't let that fool you. It has a pretty small sensor size, so the fact that it is only 2mp allows it to perform very well at night. The limited resolution is also offset by the fact that you can zoom in with the PTZ. There is also a SD494225 PTZ camera available, but it is a 4mp camera with the same size sensor as the SD49225, so the low light performance isn't going to be as good.

The only negative comment that people make about the 49225 model is that the auto-tracking will immediately loose it's subject if it stops moving or passes behind a tree or other structure (which is the same thing as "stops moving" to the camera's AI algorithms). The AI isn't quite good enough to predict the subject will continue past an object and pick it up once it becomes visible again. Instead it simply resets back to it's set "PTZ location" and resets it's event detection. It will also only track a subject for up to a maximum of between 15 and 300 seconds as defined in the cameras settings. So the camera will never simply "follow" your dog around all day. If set for the max 300 seconds, the camera will follow until the dog stops moving or 300 seconds - which ever is shorter, then reset to it's programmed PTZ position, then detect when something starts moving and start following it for another 300 seconds, etc, etc, etc.

I cannot remember the model number of the next cheapest (decent) PTZ camera you will want to look at (maybe the SD5A425XA-HNR), but it's about twice as expensive. These more expensive options can have better AI predictive tracking, larger sensors and more resolution, so they can be attractive if you have the budget. Personally if my main goal was watching my dog, I'd stick with the SD49225 for the best feature/cost benefit.
 
Last edited:
As an Amazon Associate IPCamTalk earns from qualifying purchases.

Michael James

Getting the hang of it
Joined
Dec 20, 2016
Messages
258
Reaction score
37
I have the 4 meg version of this camera installed in the front of the house. And it does this same thing:
The only negative comment that people make about the 49225 model is that the auto-tracking will immediately loose it's subject if it stops moving or passes behind a tree or other structure (which is the same thing as "stops moving" to the camera's AI algorithms).

Is there a way to elongate the time when it stops tracking and returns to the Preset position? When I walk my dogs out front it will track me til i stop then quickly stops tracking.
 

The Automation Guy

Known around here
Joined
Feb 7, 2019
Messages
1,374
Reaction score
2,734
Location
USA
Is there a way to elongate the time when it stops tracking and returns to the Preset position? When I walk my dogs out front it will track me til i stop then quickly stops tracking.
Not that anyone has found yet. Again, this is the downside to that model. If you can live with it, then it is a great "bang for the buck". If you can't live with it, then a more expensive PTZ camera may be the only choice.
 

Michael James

Getting the hang of it
Joined
Dec 20, 2016
Messages
258
Reaction score
37
Not that anyone has found yet. Again, this is the downside to that model. If you can live with it, then it is a great "bang for the buck". If you can't live with it, then a more expensive PTZ camera may be the only choice.
Can you change the sensitivity somehow? So that more little movement stays locked on? If so, how do you do that?
 

wittaj

IPCT Contributor
Joined
Apr 28, 2019
Messages
24,428
Reaction score
47,548
Location
USA
Can you change the sensitivity somehow? So that more little movement stays locked on? If so, how do you do that?
Unfortunately not directly. What you can do is not make the tracking ratio so large so that more of the object is in the image.

For example, if someone has it ratio so large that it only shows the upper half of the body and they stop walking for their dog, it will lose track. But if you make it so you see the whole body, as long as there is some movement, it will stay there.

I do not know this to be a fact, but it seems that it learns LOL. When I first got my PTZ it would swing away as soon as the person stopped moving. It now stays on it a lot longer if someone stops.
 

The Automation Guy

Known around here
Joined
Feb 7, 2019
Messages
1,374
Reaction score
2,734
Location
USA
Can you change the sensitivity somehow? So that more little movement stays locked on? If so, how do you do that?
I would assume that the more the camera is zoomed in, the more sensitive it will be to small movements (because they represent a larger number of pixels when the camera is zoomed in more). However everything has a trade off and the risk of zooming in too far is that you will over/under shoot the subject while tracking and actually miss movement that way.

There is also the "target filter min size" settings when you set up the event parameters, but if you are using IVS events that should be left at the default 0,0 which is the most sensitive setting.

I am unaware of any other "sensitively" setting that would effect the tracking. That being said, I've only had mine installed for a couple of days and I'm still trying to "dial in" my settings as well.
 
Top