So, like a lot of people who buy kits, I was initially concerned with seeing my entire property and surrounding area rather than focusing on the important areas. Having found this forum, I was quickly concerned that I had badly spent my money on cameras that weren't going to be able to help me recognize nor identify suspicious persons. DORI, as it turned out, is VERY important!
I purchased a Dahua NVR and 10 identical 4MP cameras, model IPC-HFW2431S-S-S2. This is a lower-end Dahua POE camera. 1/3" sensor and all the cameras came with 2.8mm lenses. Quickly, I realized that I was going to need to make some changes.
There's a couple threads on here about changing lenses with some success and some frustration:
ipcamtalk.com
ipcamtalk.com
Looks easy enough, right? Well, it turns out it's not that hard but is a bit involved and requires a steady hand. I took a camera apart that I hadn't mounted yet and the patient survived the surgery. I disassembled the camera, separated the lens board from the main assembly, removed the lens (removing the glue holding the lens is the most difficult), screwed the lens back on and reassembled the camera. A dry run and the only damage was to the connector for the IR LED which wasn't going to be used in the desired location anyways.
So, I ordered some M12 lenses off of Amazon. A 25mm lens and two 8mm lenses. I decided to do the 25mm first as it would be the most difficult, being a few MM physically longer than the factory 2.8mm lens. If there was going to be an issue, it would be the new lens being longer; and a bit of a problem it was, however not insurmountable.
I won't go into all the details about how to disassemble the camera but it was easy enough. Different models will have different methods so I won't waste our time, particularly since this is a lower-end unit.
The main assembly removed. There are three connectors (including the ribbon cable) between the board mounted deeper inside the body and this assembly. Disconnecting the connectors gives a bit more room to work but I only disconnected the ribbon cable this time. Visible is the package to absorb any moisture that may get inside the unit.
This is the new, 25mm lens. It's a few mm longer in physical length than the 2.8mm lens that it replaced. I don't have an exact measurement but I'd saw about 4mm longer.
The lens is spec'ed for 25mm 1/3" (same size as the sensor in the camera) 5MP (so not to lose any visual clarity on the 4MP lens). Retails for about $15 USD on Amazon.
After removing the old lens by unscrewing it, I screwed the new one back in. Same standard M12 thread but it was hard to turn. Ended up using a pair of needle-nose plyers to get a better grip. Even with a soft cloth, I still did a bit of damage to the outside of the lens. But this is purely cosmetic.
A pain to focus trying to hold the camera together with it plugged in. I suspect I'll have to refocus it once it's mounted which will be an even bigger challenge.
As predicted, the new lens being longer proved a bit problematic. There's a visible gap between the two pieces of the main assembly where the screws are. This didn't exist with the original lens. Fortunately, the screws were long enough to catch the thread and I was able to give them a couple turns to bring the two pieces together.
But the question was: will I be able to seat the main assembly properly again when I put the camera back together?
As I suspected, the main assembly wasn't fitting properly into the body once I got was ready to close up the camera. After some poking and prodding, I found that bundle of wires from the larger connector was causing the issue. Once I was able to move them to the side as I seated the assembly, it all came together again.
The main assembly seated fully in the body and I was able to put in the torx screws which old it in place. Once that's done, it was a simple snapping on of the cover. And here it is back together and ready for a final test.
In the pictures, the damaged wires for the IR LED harness was visbile. This happened the first time I disassembled the camera but, again, this camera, now having a focal length of 25mm, won't have the IR on. If anything, I'll have to add an IR illuminator should it be necessary. The camera will be mounted approximately 30m from the area that I want to monitor. It's not absolutely critical but since I have the camera just sitting around, it won't hurt to mount it.
So, the slightly out of focus before picture:
And the slightly out of focus after picture:
Looking at the after picture again, I'm sure I'll have to dial in the focus once the camera is mounted in it's desire position. Not looking forward to that even though I'll have the luxury of being on a flat roof. But I think it will be worth it.
So, to summarize, a bit of a job but I know now that the other two cameras I will be switching from 2.8mm to 8mm will be a bit easier since the 8mm lens actually appears to be shorter than the original 2.8mm lens. The real pain is getting the glue off that holds the lens in place. Takes a sharp blade (in one of the other threads, someone is used a dental pick) and a bit of patience.
The result is worth it. Even though this is a lower-end camera (having a 1/3" lens), a $15 investment saved me from buying another camera. I'll post again with the results of the cameras being switched from 2.8mm to 8mm. That project I'm looking forward to as it's not just the lenses, but changing the coverage of a sidewalk in front of my property. It will allow me better face coverage as the cameras will be mounted in a "cross-fire" position.
Just throwing out a big thank you to all the members who contribute. There's some great minds on here and I've learned a LOT in the past couple months. I wish I'd found this forum before buying my system but with a few tricks, like swapping lenses, I'm able to make the best of what I bought.
I purchased a Dahua NVR and 10 identical 4MP cameras, model IPC-HFW2431S-S-S2. This is a lower-end Dahua POE camera. 1/3" sensor and all the cameras came with 2.8mm lenses. Quickly, I realized that I was going to need to make some changes.
There's a couple threads on here about changing lenses with some success and some frustration:
Dahua Lens Replacement
Hi, I have a newly purchased Dahua IPC-HDW2431TP-AS-S2 camera and wanted to know if it is possible to change the lens from a 3.6mm to a 2.8mm. Basically, I am testing this Dahua camera to replace a Hikvision IPC-T120-D 2.8mm camera. The image quality on the Dahua is much better but...
Possible to upgrade Dahua lenses?
When I purchased most of my cameras, I did not realize the importance of focal length mm sizes. Figured, 2.8mm would cover all bases. For some situations, this is true. But now I am finding myself desiring 6mm (or higher) range of lenses for a couple of my 5442 turrets. I have 3 using 2.8mm...
Looks easy enough, right? Well, it turns out it's not that hard but is a bit involved and requires a steady hand. I took a camera apart that I hadn't mounted yet and the patient survived the surgery. I disassembled the camera, separated the lens board from the main assembly, removed the lens (removing the glue holding the lens is the most difficult), screwed the lens back on and reassembled the camera. A dry run and the only damage was to the connector for the IR LED which wasn't going to be used in the desired location anyways.
So, I ordered some M12 lenses off of Amazon. A 25mm lens and two 8mm lenses. I decided to do the 25mm first as it would be the most difficult, being a few MM physically longer than the factory 2.8mm lens. If there was going to be an issue, it would be the new lens being longer; and a bit of a problem it was, however not insurmountable.
I won't go into all the details about how to disassemble the camera but it was easy enough. Different models will have different methods so I won't waste our time, particularly since this is a lower-end unit.
The main assembly removed. There are three connectors (including the ribbon cable) between the board mounted deeper inside the body and this assembly. Disconnecting the connectors gives a bit more room to work but I only disconnected the ribbon cable this time. Visible is the package to absorb any moisture that may get inside the unit.
This is the new, 25mm lens. It's a few mm longer in physical length than the 2.8mm lens that it replaced. I don't have an exact measurement but I'd saw about 4mm longer.
The lens is spec'ed for 25mm 1/3" (same size as the sensor in the camera) 5MP (so not to lose any visual clarity on the 4MP lens). Retails for about $15 USD on Amazon.
After removing the old lens by unscrewing it, I screwed the new one back in. Same standard M12 thread but it was hard to turn. Ended up using a pair of needle-nose plyers to get a better grip. Even with a soft cloth, I still did a bit of damage to the outside of the lens. But this is purely cosmetic.
A pain to focus trying to hold the camera together with it plugged in. I suspect I'll have to refocus it once it's mounted which will be an even bigger challenge.
As predicted, the new lens being longer proved a bit problematic. There's a visible gap between the two pieces of the main assembly where the screws are. This didn't exist with the original lens. Fortunately, the screws were long enough to catch the thread and I was able to give them a couple turns to bring the two pieces together.
But the question was: will I be able to seat the main assembly properly again when I put the camera back together?
As I suspected, the main assembly wasn't fitting properly into the body once I got was ready to close up the camera. After some poking and prodding, I found that bundle of wires from the larger connector was causing the issue. Once I was able to move them to the side as I seated the assembly, it all came together again.
The main assembly seated fully in the body and I was able to put in the torx screws which old it in place. Once that's done, it was a simple snapping on of the cover. And here it is back together and ready for a final test.
In the pictures, the damaged wires for the IR LED harness was visbile. This happened the first time I disassembled the camera but, again, this camera, now having a focal length of 25mm, won't have the IR on. If anything, I'll have to add an IR illuminator should it be necessary. The camera will be mounted approximately 30m from the area that I want to monitor. It's not absolutely critical but since I have the camera just sitting around, it won't hurt to mount it.
So, the slightly out of focus before picture:
And the slightly out of focus after picture:
Looking at the after picture again, I'm sure I'll have to dial in the focus once the camera is mounted in it's desire position. Not looking forward to that even though I'll have the luxury of being on a flat roof. But I think it will be worth it.
So, to summarize, a bit of a job but I know now that the other two cameras I will be switching from 2.8mm to 8mm will be a bit easier since the 8mm lens actually appears to be shorter than the original 2.8mm lens. The real pain is getting the glue off that holds the lens in place. Takes a sharp blade (in one of the other threads, someone is used a dental pick) and a bit of patience.
The result is worth it. Even though this is a lower-end camera (having a 1/3" lens), a $15 investment saved me from buying another camera. I'll post again with the results of the cameras being switched from 2.8mm to 8mm. That project I'm looking forward to as it's not just the lenses, but changing the coverage of a sidewalk in front of my property. It will allow me better face coverage as the cameras will be mounted in a "cross-fire" position.
Just throwing out a big thank you to all the members who contribute. There's some great minds on here and I've learned a LOT in the past couple months. I wish I'd found this forum before buying my system but with a few tricks, like swapping lenses, I'm able to make the best of what I bought.
