Response to your question on 7842 vs 5842
In order to give you the best answer I really need to know the following as in some respects these cameras are very similar but in others there are a number of feature differences:
- Anything specific you require from this camera ?
- Do you need audio capture ?
- Are you limited in space to install location ?
- Do you prefer turret or bullet cam or don't mind ?
- Is this replacing or augmenting a current setup, any other cams covering this FOV ?
- What target type are you trying to capture (human, vehicle, both) ?
- What is the distance to target (avg speed if wanting vehicle capture) ?
- Do you have any special target application requirements (ANPR, Face Detection, Face Recognition) or just regular IVS, SMD Human/Vehicle captures ?
- Budget for the camera itself ?
General Thoughts
As I don't have the info above from you yet, let me answer more generally for now. If you take a look at my threads and reviews of the 7x42 series you’ll see I do recommend these and have always been a fan or that range. Very good build quality, excellent sensor/optic/SOC pairing and great capture results. There are however a couple of things that I never liked:
a) the proprietary mount that you can’t change for others therefore have to accommodate differently on install
b) while the AI on cam is good (very good in some cases especially with the improved security algorithms) it still needs work to make it great
An example of where
b above is an issue is ANPR, while the camera is great at processing metadata on camera, Dahua did not (has not yet) incorporate(d) US plate formats at a more detailed level into the current algorithms. Therefore you often end up with hit or miss AI caps that something like an LPR cam can do accurately in its sleep AND through glass (as I showed in my ITC LPR 237 review. Now, based on your use case scenario of a 5842/7842, ANPR may not even be a requirement therefore this 2nd concern may not be important to you but mentioning just in case.
In short, I still love the 7x42 range, so much so that I’ve recommended that Dahua spend more time building out the algorithms and enhancing the offering of this range as it goes forward. I'm hopeful I might see results of these recommendations this year but will update when I hear more. Also, I would NOT recommend buying the current 7842 as the S2 version should be available this year so for now I would say wait (if you must have a 7x42) and let’s see what the 2nd Gen version looks like (hopefully I’ll get my hands on one for a review).
A quick rundown of some of the key differences and similarities include:
The 5842 (both turret and bullet cam versions) are incredibly powerful and really do a great job. The extra cost, proprietary mount and size of the 7842 in comparison has to be considered by yourself as well. You should also focus on overall target and AI requirements for the cam you are purchasing per my questions above.
- 5842 and 7x42 both come in Z4 (4x) variants so even if you want /need more reach, both ranges (7x and 5x) have you covered.
- The 5842 is the only 1 of the 2 that comes in a turret, the 7x42 is limited to bullet cam, box or dome (don't recommend the dome for outside)
- The 7x42 use the new Web 3.0 version of the GUI which has more granular controls and an enhanced feel to them that hasn't made it into the 5x42's yet
- The 5x42 support SMD 3.0, 7x42 does not support SMD at all
- 7x42 supports up to 60 fps, 5x42 supports up to 30 fps. While not a deal breaker for most, the 60 fps can be incredibly useful to have that headroom if primary target capture requirements are vehicles
- 7x42 supports 1Gig Ethernet, 5x42 is 100 Mbps Ether, again not a huge deal but can assist if streaming live OR wanting to offload multiple sub streams to different platforms etc. This is where the memory difference can also assist in the 7x42 if you are offloading to multiple platforms
- 7x42 supports additional special capture rules such as Video Metadata, ANPR, Face Detection, Face Recognition on camera, 5x42 supports SMD 3.0, Face Detection, Smart Object Detection
- 7x42 supports an external wiper and external light (should you need it) controllable through the GUI, 5x42's do not
- 7x42 offers audio via a 3.5mm audio jack vs line in on 5x42
- 5x42 turret has built in audio (bullet cam does not), 7x42 does not feature built in microphone / audio on any cam in its range
In most cases the 5842 will be more than enough for most people if you don't have specific needs I mentioned above. You'll benefit from turret or bullet cam and Z4 or standard variants along with on camera audio (turret version) and at a more affordable price. The 7x42 is still a fantastic range of cams but depending on your needs, might be overkill
HTH
ipcamtalk.com
