Review-Dahua IPC-HFW5241E-Z12E AI Varifocal Bullet

looney2ns

IPCT Contributor
Joined
Sep 25, 2016
Messages
15,600
Reaction score
22,814
Location
Evansville, In. USA
Hello everyone I wanted to know if this camera always has the problem of loss of focus at times, I saw that on the new 5 series I have no problem and when the camera goes from day to night and from night to day the camera does not autofocus so it's rather interesting, what do you think Looney for this model?

Thank you

BICK
I didn't see that problem with my sample.
 

bigredfish

Known around here
Joined
Sep 5, 2016
Messages
17,295
Reaction score
48,293
Location
Floriduh
The two I installed do at extreme zoom only at the night/day switch, not always, and not near as often as the 5231, but it has happened.
Again like the 5231, if under 85% or so zoom I havent seen the problem.

I've not seen them randomly lose focus other than at the night/day switch however.
 

William Nelson

Young grasshopper
Joined
Jan 7, 2017
Messages
30
Reaction score
1
Overall, would you guys recommend this camera over the 5231? I am going to be outfitting my house with a brand new system and I like that this has the updated alerting.
 

Arjun

Known around here
Joined
Feb 26, 2017
Messages
9,064
Reaction score
11,088
Location
USA
Has there been any update in respect to a varifocal turret?
 

William Nelson

Young grasshopper
Joined
Jan 7, 2017
Messages
30
Reaction score
1
Has there been any update in respect to a varifocal turret?
Crap, I guess I should pay more attention. I thought this was a turret. What is the next best varifocal turret that is comparable to this one?
 

Arjun

Known around here
Joined
Feb 26, 2017
Messages
9,064
Reaction score
11,088
Location
USA
Checkout the Dahua 3241 turret model. Its a 2mp model

Crap, I guess I should pay more attention. I thought this was a turret. What is the next best varifocal turret that is comparable to this one?
 

William Nelson

Young grasshopper
Joined
Jan 7, 2017
Messages
30
Reaction score
1
Has there been any update in respect to a varifocal turret?
Just looking on their website, the IPC-HDW2531T looks like it might be the latest vari-focal turrent at 5MP.

Not trying to hijack the thread, so if need be I will start a new one.
 

Arjun

Known around here
Joined
Feb 26, 2017
Messages
9,064
Reaction score
11,088
Location
USA
That model won't be performing well at night. Currently, the 3241 is the next best varifocal turret.

Just looking on their website, the IPC-HDW2531T looks like it might be the latest vari-focal turrent at 5MP.

Not trying to hijack the thread, so if need be I will start a new one.
 

William Nelson

Young grasshopper
Joined
Jan 7, 2017
Messages
30
Reaction score
1
That model won't be performing well at night. Currently, the 3241 is the next best varifocal turret.
Oh perfect. This looks to be what I am looking for. It has the newest tech with regards to AI and vari-focal turret.
 

wrybread

Pulling my weight
Joined
Sep 12, 2018
Messages
256
Reaction score
119
Location
San Francisco
A shame that the 1980s font (as you nicely put it) on the OSD isn't updated on this model. It looks so heinous I have a Python script doing the OSD timestamps for my uploads. What is Dahua thinking?
 

pbc

Getting comfortable
Joined
Jul 11, 2014
Messages
1,024
Reaction score
156
What is the latest firmware on this cam? Mine is running 2.80...
 

Wayneole

n3wb
Joined
Jan 18, 2017
Messages
3
Reaction score
3
Hi,
I have this Camera installed since last summer.
I am facing a problem starting on saturday evening ( maybe after shifting to B/W ) that the picture is almost completely dark on day time. Restarting and changing settings and manually triggering the IR Filter doesn't help.
So i think that maybe its a stuck Iris/Aperture. Does someone had similar problems?

EDIT: I got it working again after hitting the housing with the hand a few times and additionally switching between BW and Color in the menu. Is there somehow a motorised aperture which could get stuck? Now that is it working again, I tried going in B/W-mode. That looks totally different as expected than what I was looking at with the error.
 
Last edited:

Wayneole

n3wb
Joined
Jan 18, 2017
Messages
3
Reaction score
3
There is a motorized IR cut filter, but when that gets stuck it usually makes the colors in color mode more purple/pink.
Thank you, I know that kind of behaviour. But my error was like recording in a way to short exposure. But that was def. not the Case. I even changed all those settings and done a factory reset, too.
 

Attachments

Blackhawk

Young grasshopper
Joined
Nov 24, 2017
Messages
42
Reaction score
14
Thanks for the great review @looney2ns

We had a car prowler last night but the IPC-HDW5231R-ZE on my house was too far away to get a good picture. I'm looking to add the 5241 for a driveway overview closer to the street.

My driveway is at a slight angle to the fence I would mount it on. One question I didn't see - what is the range of motion of the mount?

The Dahua spec sheet shows that it can pivot at least 45 degrees in the vertical direction when ceiling mounted, but what's the horizontal range of movement? I probably need ~40 degrees.
 
Top