Review - OEM IPC-B5442E-ZE 4MP AI Varifocal Bullet Camera With Starlight+

@signal9 not yet. My review here is the standard zoom version and @Parley (to my knowledge) is the first one of us to get our hands on the Z4 model.

signal9 said:
Has anyone posted a review of the Z4E yet? I thought I saw one but can't find it now, so either I'm remembering wrong or just not finding the thread.
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bigredfish said:
I agree @Parley , I think they surpass the 5231 series. That new Z4E seems to have the best minimum illumination specs yet.

Of course with the fixed version we have the Smart IR problem, basically in the center within about 15ft it washes out. Past that and to the sides it seems fine.

I’m guessing the Z4E is better with regards to close in Smart IR... can you confirm?
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I have the IR disabled. I have enough light in the area that I do not need it. However if you step out the back door and look around it looks fairly dark. It sure does not seem that way with this camera. :)
 
I am so impressed with this camera that I have looked at my monthly finances and I have enough money to buy one more of these cameras. It will be the 8-32mm IPC-B5442E-Z4E. However I went to Andy's website to place the order and they are all sold out. :( It will replace this 6mm Hikvision with the 1/2.8" sensor(pictured) when I am able to get my hands on one.

Edit: On Andy's website it says "Sorry, this item is no longer available!"

Camera 7B Hikvision 6MM.jpg
 
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signal9 said:
Has anyone posted a review of the Z4E yet? I thought I saw one but can't find it now, so either I'm remembering wrong or just not finding the thread.
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The specification no big difference, just the lens difference. These cams are great,will replace the 2mp bullet.
 
Parley said:
Yes it will. No reason to order the 2mm anymore.
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I will replace 2mp with IPC-HFW5241E-ZE/5E/12E, 2mp cheaper than the 4mp one.2MP Also working great and cheaper This is the reaon, lol.
 
EMPIRETECANDY said:
I will replace 2mp with IPC-HFW5241E-ZE/5E/12E, 2mp cheaper than the 4mp one.2MP Also working great and cheaper This is the reaon, lol.
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I like the 5241-Z12 for LPR as I posted over in that forum. The images are more ‘processed‘ than the 5231 but still a great image and very usable for LPR
 
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Parley said:
Here are the night pictures between the two cameras. Let me just say I am sold on the IPC B5442E ZE. ;) The range is 2.7mm to 12mm and camera is at 12mm and fully out. The Hikvision is also rated at 12mm. You can see the difference. So I will order the IPC-B5442E-Z4E 4MP and that one is in 8-32mm and I will put this camera in a different location and replace that camera. I can see me ordering maybe 4 more over the coming months. :)
camera-3b-dahua-4mp-jpg.47321
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Woah wicked night image Parley :D. Kudos my man.

May I ask is this image the night vision for the camera "IPC B5442E ZE"? also if possible, I would like-to know what adjustments did you made to achieve this lovely night vision? so much detail and very high quality. I'm jealous :p
 
MikeyTech8 said:
Woah wicked night image Parley :D. Kudos my man.

May I ask is this image the night vision for the camera "IPC B5442E ZE"? also if possible, I would like-to know what adjustments did you made to achieve this lovely night vision? so much detail and very high quality. I'm jealous :p
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In this case I left the adjustments pretty much as they came from Dahua. I might experiment and leave it in color day and night and see how that works out.
 
A couple of newbie questions here - when talking the motorized lens/zoom of the bullet vs. the the turret.
1. The turret says fixed lens with focal length of 2.8, 3.8, 6. What does this mean? That you can manually adjust the zoom to those three settings? Having a hard time reconciling a fixed lens and 3 different focal lengths.

2. In situations where you are mounting right at a front door or just off to the side (much like what OP has done), is there really any advantage in have a motorized zoom? I mean wouldn’t the camera need to be pretty much at the minimum zoom to see what is right in front of its nose (front door), so to speak?
 
Those are different fixed lens you can choose from. You can only have one.
 
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A little update with these cameras. Today the gardeners came by to mow the grass and do some yardwork. I was watching them go around the backyard going by the Hikvision/Dahua 2MP cameras with the 1/2.8" sensor and my 2 new Dahua 4MP cameras with the 1/1.8" sensors and all I can say is you can really see the difference in the detail. Even in the daytime it is obvious. I have a Dahua 2MP PTZ that guards the West side of my house and I was going to keep it as I like the camera. However after today even it is gone. :)

By the way for my uses the 8-32mm version will be what I will order. Only the one camera is what I would call an over view camera and that is where I put the Dahua IPC-B5442E-ZE 4MP camera with the 2.7mm to 12mm optical zoom. Down the road I might try one as a license plate camera and see how that works out, but that is low on my priority list.
 
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foghat said:
In situations where you are mounting right at a front door or just off to the side (much like what OP has done), is there really any advantage in have a motorized zoom? I mean wouldn’t the camera need to be pretty much at the minimum zoom to see what is right in front of its nose (front door), so to speak?
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If you haven’t already bumped into them, there are a few front door threads where folks with fixed-lens cameras rotate the lens 90’ so the image becomes taller than wider... that can get more of the floor in the shot (to look for packages) without cutting off the top. Sometimes folks here call that “corridor mode”.

I had a varifocal on my porch because it was 20ft from the door. For folks mounting closer to the door, varifocals prob don’t add much value.
 
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aristobrat said:
If you haven’t already bumped into them, there are a few front door threads where folks with fixed-lens cameras rotate the lens 90’ so the image becomes taller than wider... that can get more of the floor in the shot (to look for packages) without cutting off the top. Sometimes folks here call that “corridor mode”.

I had a varifocal on my porch because it was 20ft from the door. For folks mounting closer to the door, varifocals prob don’t add much value.
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Thanks, I will take a look for those threads.

Regarding the varifocals, I assume the zooming is all manually done (via the software)? i.e. the software/camera would not automatically zoom in on a given activity, correct? - say someone getting into (or tampering with) a car that is out in the street.
 
OK, I have a night view that is in color. Our dog walked into the picture. :) Anyways there are tradeoffs. IMHO the B/W is a little sharper in the details, but the color is nice to have so I have a decision to make.

Camera 3B Dahua 4MP In Color At Night.jpg
 
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