Old dog needs new tricks

[PenrodPooch]

Sooo I am on a natural progression.
Background:
I have a 2 acre property with a creek that runs down one side. It can be dry in summer but in winter it can be pretty big. So I like to capture video of logs and stuff in winter but in summer I'm starting to get homeless walking down creek. Not often but enough to worry me when I'm on the road. I first got some Arlo cams many years ago but they were terrible. Not worth explaining why we all know. I then switched to reolink and they were awesome for recording deer out by fence, checking out ducks and turtles on creek but even the deer cam out in North 40 couldn't pick up enough detail in a face at 15 feet for me to find the trespasser and know 100% that i was having a "discussion" with correct person.

So I want to get some big boy tech. I have shielded direct bury cat6 copper I'm using now. I think I will keep some reolink cameras for nature observation but put a IPC-T58IR-ZE S3 on either end of creek and on driveway for facial and liscense plates but the reolink spotlight camera to let me know Pizza guy is there and light the driveway.

Is this a good camera? Would I run Blue Iris? Do you run it on an old computer? I do home automation so want to integrate with my system. Any recommendations on that.

Oh and let's not debate Reolink I know what it is good at (looking at deer and turtles) and what it's bad at (anything to do with actual security) see below best/worst reolink deer video ever and my creek. Not i can't identify face of deer

 

[PenrodPooch]

Oh and the creek pic was taken from my cam under my deck no ambient lighting. Need night and day facial from there. Maybe 40 feet

 

[wittaj]

Welcome.

The 58IR would be the wrong choice in your situation - it is not on the ideal MP/sensor ratio and requires a lot of light.

This thread is used as the go to for the new person here outlining the commonly recommended cameras (along with Amazon links) based on distance to IDENTIFY that represent the overall best value/best bang for the buck in terms of price and performance day and night. It might be a 2MP camera in some instances.

The Importance of Focal Length over MP in camera selection

And coupled with that thread is this great thread which will show why all of the same 2.8 or 3.6mm cameras is the wrong choice:

i-want-2-8mm-cameras-everywhere-to-see-everything-this-is-why-you-need-specific-fovs-with-purposeful-focal-lengths.70053/

We would encourage you to look at those threads in detail.

It will probably raise more questions than answers LOL

Regarding plates, keep in mind that this is a camera dedicated to plates and not an overview camera also. It is as much an art as it is a science. You will need two cameras. For LPR we need to OPTICALLY zoom in tight to make the plate as large as possible. For most of us, all you see is the not much more than a vehicle in the entire frame. Now maybe in the right location during the day it might be able to see some other things, but not at night.

At night, we have to run a very fast shutter speed (1/2,000) and in B/W with IR and the image will be black. All you will see are head/tail lights and the plate. Some people can get away with color if they have enough street lights, but most of us cannot. Here is a representative sample of plates I get at night of vehicles traveling about 45MPH at 175 feet from my 2MP 5241-Z12E camera (that is all that is needed for plates):



See the LPR subforum for more details.

 

[PenrodPooch]

Thanks see below for the two locations I need to see people faces. Just rained so neighbor was in creek. Pics are current cameras I want to replace. I will read the posts tomorrow.

 

[bigredfish]

Those aren’t bad images at all. Seeing faces is more a matter of the proper lens vs the camera itself. You need more zoom which by default on ANY camera means a smaller FOV or choke point.

Standard mistake by new users is to try to do too much with one camera. You typically need a mix of wider area overview cams, like yours show to be, along with more specific highly zoomed in cameras at critical choke points for facial ID.

On larger properties this can also accomplished in some cases by use of PTZ cameras that are directed to zoom into areas by the overview cameras.

At the end of the day it comes down to more cameras with specific purposes

 

[Ri22o]

Here are some captures, at various distances, for reference.

T54IR-AS in 2.8mm at 11ft


T54IR-ZE set to 12mm

40ft to the license plate.


75ft to the license plate.


40ft to the sidewalk.


25ft


18ft


B52IR-Z12E-S2 set to ?? at 95ft.


Color4K-T180 in 3.6mm at a distance of 175ft with the same guy shown above.

 

[PenrodPooch]

Thank You for your replies. I will do some reading. I have choke points along the creek as seen in photo. I'll measure distance when I back home.

 

[EMPIRETECANDY]

Narrow lens, Further details but will be narrow view angle,
more angles less details, but will be wider view.

 

[PenrodPooch]

Thanks I think I will get IPC-T54IR-ZE and IPC-B54IR-ZE unless you think they are too similar I would get two of T541.

I would like to get a 25x zoom. My property goes about 600 feet down creek on both sides so if I hear shenanigans I can zoom in on it. There is a spot I can put it that it has a good LOS maybe PTZ4M-25X-PV it would not be for any notification or recording only for observation and on demand recording.

​

 

[PenrodPooch]

Was going to put the 2 side by side and run them for month or so see which one is best.

 

[Ri22o]

T54IR and B54IR are nearly identical other than one is a turret and the other a bullet. The main difference is the bullet has additional IR LEDs and much more zoom.

 

[PenrodPooch]

Sounds like bullet is way to go they don't need to turn. Thanks

 

[Ri22o]

The bullet still has adjustability, just a larger form factor than the turret.

 

[wittaj]

Plus neither one is a PTZ - they are a set it and forget it, so whether you manually rotate the turret ball to the location or manually aim the larger bullet to the location, they are then done moving until you manually move them.

 

[samplenhold]

Before you buy a bunch of cams, buy ONE varifocal like the IPC-B54IR-ZE or it's turret brother, depending on which form factor you prefer. Set it up on a test rig and see if it gives you the FOV you need. You might need more zoom, like the IPC-B54IR-Z4E or even the IPC-B52IR-Z12E.

 

[PenrodPooch]

Sweet thanks samplenhold I planned on wood screws to tree as my test rig lol. I like your setup and i have a ladder and a 2x4 . I think I'll get one T54IR-ZE there is no abient lighting by creek my neighborhood doesn't have street lights. I like what Ri22o said about more ir on bullet cam and I want people to see the cameras anyway. But if I had more zoom i could focus on the further choke point.
I think ultimately 4 cameras one up stream, one down stream, one by workshop those for facial, one big PTZ to zoom in on facial if I hear shenanigans.
I have 6 reolink currently so I will keep those more for observation and two are the duel lense spotlight those work great in driveway and car area as high tech motion light. Also in creek just to watch the ducks, turtles, deer, and maybe a Bigfoot .

Thank you all ordering the multi focus bullet from empire tonight so I have it when I get home in a week.