Poor lens perfomance from IPC-B52IR-Z12E EmpireTech Smart 2MP 1/2.8" 5mm–60mm

[yourmom]

Check these two photos out. The photos are of the same vehicle passing through the capture area of the camera. The vehicles license plate is significantly clearer when it just enters the cameras view on the far right side.




You can see as the camera passes from right to left, when its right in the center of view, the license plate becomes significantly less clear. During the day with a vehicle adhering to the speed limit, this is not a problem. During low light and with high speed vehicles, reading the plate becomes problematic.


link to the camera that I'm using:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07RJQT9NB?ref_=ppx_hzsearch_conn_dt_b_fed_asin_title_1&th=1

You can also see that the grass and asphalt is much clearer around the edges vs in the middle. I keep the focus pulled so that the plate is readable closer to the edges because thats about where the AI runs but just wondering if there is anything to be done about this or if I should just buy a new camera. (which is why I posted that thread where I was considering a different camera: Has anyone tried this camera? Amcrest License Plate Recognition (LPR) Camera)

 

[bigredfish]

I have a few of those.

Its because you're at a pretty steep angle and need to dial in the focus.
When you go to focus set the "Step" to 1, this makes much smaller/finer adjustments. Set to Manual focus

Best to literally park you car there or have someone hold a plate there while you dial it in right in the middle of your capture area

You may have to live with one part of the image as "Best" this isnt unusual. I get over 30 frames in a single vehicle pass on this one for example, and its not uncommon to have a "Best " frame.

Not sure what your angle is but there is a physical distance between the entry and exit. This takes some effort to dial in

I dont think another camera will necessarily help.

*Also Look up and say "Thank You" for Texas plates (Black on White the way God intended) and No tree branch shadows

** Its not unusual to need a separate night focus. I run a Schedule profile and have the camera change from day to night 45min before sunset and 45 after sunrise. This insures the camera has enough light to focus.
IR tends to change focus a wee bit therefore the need to set both a day and night focus.

110-120ft, 30 degree angle, 1/1000 exposure




View attachment HOAEntrP2P_ch3_20250415122126_20250415122131.mp4

 

[wittaj]

I new camera will not help.

Keep in mind that due to the tight focus we have, in some field of view it can be clear focus in one part of the frame and blurry in the other. The zone of focus gets smaller the more the zoom.

My one LPR field of view is such that if I stop a car at the right, middle, and left of the field of view, the focus number is a 10 point difference.

So as @bigredfish said, you need to decide where you want the optimal focus and recognize it might be slightly out of focus in other areas.

 

[bigredfish]

Angle has a lot to do with it as well. The more straight on the more in-focus frames.

There's 30ft between these captures

(Different location)

 

[yourmom]

Angle has a lot to do with it as well. The more straight on the more in-focus frames.

There's 30ft between these captures

(Different location)
View attachment 219097 View attachment 219096

How much are you zoomed in? Your shot looks focused from left to right. The difference in mine is that the focus number for the middle is quite different from the left and right.

 

[bigredfish]

About 85% I think