What cameras to recommend to neighbors, for neighborhood coverage?

[ILMP]

I'm not knowledgeable about security cameras, so please ELI5. Our local police have told us that they would be able to solve crimes and prosecute criminals better if more residents had security cameras pointed at the street to 1) capture suspect's cars parked outside when the criminals are committing a crime and 2) capture the suspect's vehicle as it travels toward the Flock LPR cameras that we have at the exits to our neighborhood. (We are in a Large city with an overwhelmed police force, so they need solid evidence handed to them in order to devote time to investigating a crime )

Our neighborhood association's security committee would like to be able to recommend to our residents cameras that will do this, especially at night. They should take clear enough video to be able to identify the car, or clearly capture the tail lights to match to the Flock camera photos (which at night only show the plate and tail lights). They do NOT need to be LPR cameras. The easier the cameras are to install (i.e., not needing an installer), and the less expensive they are, the greater chance residents will get them. The more residents that get them the better chance they will be useful.

Some residents already have security cameras (most of them professionally installed) and might be convinced to add another pointed at the street to capture cars driving by if it would be easy to do themselves, or inexpensive to have someone else install, and would integrate with their existing systems. Other residents do not have cameras (or just have smart doorbell cameras) but might add a wireless battery operated one if there were one that would give clear enough images.

I realize that this is a tall order, but any recommendations or advice would be appreciated.

 

[wittaj]

Good thing you came here first instead of going to the local Costco and buying an all-in-one Lorex kit LOL.

There are no wireless battery operated ones out there to accomplish what you are looking for.

No disrespect to the true professionals out there, but I bet most of the surveillance cameras that were professionally installed in your neighborhood cannot hold a candle to the systems folks here have self installed. Most of these professionals buy cheap 2.8mm fixed lens cameras and charge a premium and call it done. I would be shocked if any of them have a varifocal camera unless it came from a trunk slammer that installed a box kit from Costco or equivalent, which would be on the wrong MP/sensor ratio.

You need to identify the areas you want to cover and pick a camera designed to cover that distance. In some instances, it may be a 2MP or 4MP that is the right camera.

It is simple LOL do not chase MP - do not buy a 4MP camera that is anything smaller than a 1/1.8" sensor. Do not buy a 2MP camera that is anything smaller than a 1/2.8" sensor. Do not buy a 4K (8MP) camera on anything smaller than a 1/1.2" sensor. Unfortunately, most 4k (8MP) cams are on the same sensor as a 2MP and thus the 2MP will kick its butt all night long as the 4k will need 4 times the light than the 2MP... 4k will do very poor at night unless you have stadium quality lighting (well a lot of lighting LOL). Starlight, ColorVu, Full Color, etc. are simply marketing terms, so don't be sold on those names.

While we are at it, let's make sure you get the right camera...

To identify someone with the wide-angle 2.8mm lens that most people opt for, someone would have to be within 13 feet of the camera, but realistically within 10 feet after you dial it in to your settings.



My neighbor was bragging to me how he only needed his four 2.8mm fixed lens 4k cams to see his entire property and the street and his whole backyard. His car was sitting in the driveway practically touching the garage door and his video quality was useless to ID the perp not even 10 feet away. Meanwhile my 2MP varifocal optically zoomed 60 feet away to the public sidewalk provided the money shot to the police to get my neighbors all their stuff back. Nobody else had video that could provide anything useful, other than what time this motion blur ghost was at their car.

Here are my general distance recommendations, but switch out the Dahua 5442 series camera to the equivalent 2MP on the 1/2.8" sensor or equivalent Hikvision works as well. These cameras meet all your requirements.

• 5442 fixed lens 2.8mm - anything within 10 feet of camera OR as an overview camera
• 5442 ZE - varifocal - distances up to 40-50 feet (personally I wouldn't go past the 30 foot range but I like things closer)
• 5442 Z4E - anything up to 80-100 feet (personally I wouldn't go past 60 feet but I like things closer)
• 5241-Z12E - anything from 80 feet to almost 200 feet (personally I wouldn't go past 150 feet because I like things closer)
• 5241-Z12E - for a license plate cam that you would angle up the street to get plates up to about 175 feet away, or up to 220 with additional IR.
• 49225 PTZ - great auto-track PTZ and in conjunction with an NVR or Blue Iris and the cameras above that you can use as spotter cams to point the PTZ to the correct location to compliment the fixed cams.

You need to get the correct camera for the area trying to be covered. A wide angle 2.8mm to IDENTIFY someone 40 feet away is the wrong camera regardless of how good the camera is. A 2.8mm camera to IDENTIFY someone within 10 feet is a good choice OR it is an overview camera to see something happened but not be able to identify who.

One camera cannot be the be all, see all. Each one is selected for covering a specific area. Most of us here have different brands and types, from fixed cams, to varifocals, to PTZs, each one selected for it's primary purpose and to utilize the strength of that particular camera.

So you will need to identify the distance the camera would be from the activities you want to IDENTIFY on and purchase the correct camera for that distance as an optical zoom.

If you want to see things far away, you need optical zoom, digital zoom only works in the movies and TV...And the optical zoom is done real time - for a varifocal it is a set it and forget it. You cannot go to recorded video and optically zoom in later, at that point it is digital zoom, and the sensors on these cameras are so small which is why digital zoom doesn't work very well after the fact.

Main keys are you can't locate the camera too high (not on the 2nd story or above 7 feet high unless it is for overview and not Identification purposes) or chase MP and you need to get the correct camera for the area trying to be covered. A 2.8mm to IDENTIFY someone 40 feet away is the wrong camera regardless of how good the camera is. A 2.8mm camera to IDENTIFY someone within 10 feet is a good choice OR it is an overview camera to see something happened but not be able to identify who. Also, do not chase marketing phrases like ColorVu and Starlight and Full Color and the like - all cameras need light - simple physics...

A trusted vendor here is Andy @EMPIRETECANDY that sells Dahua OEM cameras.

Amazon.com

I would consider getting the Z12E to have the ability to capture plates (visually read by you not automated by the camera), so that it is a positive ID to the Flock LPR cameras.

Regarding a camera for plates (LPR) - keep in mind that this is a camera dedicated to plates and not an overview camera also. It is as much an art as it is a science. You will need two cameras. For LPR we need to zoom in tight to make the plate as large as possible. For most of us, all you see is the not much more than a vehicle in the entire frame. Now maybe in the right location during the day it might be able to see some other things, but not at night.

At night, we have to run a very fast shutter speed (1/2,000) and in B/W with IR and the image will be black. All you will see are head/tail lights and the plate. Some people can get away with color if they have enough street lights, but most of us cannot. Here is a representative sample of plates I get at night of vehicles traveling about 45MPH at 175 feet from my 2MP camera (that is all that is needed for plates):

 

[wittaj]

And @bigredfish is our resident subdivision camera person that can share his experiences getting cameras in his subdivision.

 

[mat200]

I'm not knowledgeable about security cameras, so please ELI5. Our local police have told us that they would be able to solve crimes and prosecute criminals better if more residents had security cameras pointed at the street to 1) capture suspect's cars parked outside when the criminals are committing a crime and 2) capture the suspect's vehicle as it travels toward the Flock LPR cameras that we have at the exits to our neighborhood. (We are in a Large city with an overwhelmed police force, so they need solid evidence handed to them in order to devote time to investigating a crime )

Our neighborhood association's security committee would like to be able to recommend to our residents cameras that will do this, especially at night. They should take clear enough video to be able to identify the car, or clearly capture the tail lights to match to the Flock camera photos (which at night only show the plate and tail lights). They do NOT need to be LPR cameras. The easier the cameras are to install (i.e., not needing an installer), and the less expensive they are, the greater chance residents will get them. The more residents that get them the better chance they will be useful.

Some residents already have security cameras (most of them professionally installed) and might be convinced to add another pointed at the street to capture cars driving by if it would be easy to do themselves, or inexpensive to have someone else install, and would integrate with their existing systems. Other residents do not have cameras (or just have smart doorbell cameras) but might add a wireless battery operated one if there were one that would give clear enough images.

I realize that this is a tall order, but any recommendations or advice would be appreciated.

Welcome @ILMP

ELI5:
"ELI5 stands for the phrase, “Explain Like I'm 5.” The 5 refers to a five-year-old child, the implication being that the person requesting the explanation has a limited or naive understanding of the issue. "

OK, so here it is:

"Big Bad Democrats in Republik of Kalifornia no likee Police and Likee BLM peaceful protestors and will not ask police to do their jobs and arrest any "peaceful protestors" ( known as rioters / thieves / muggers / home invaders ) and de Governor man ( he who identifies as a man ) no want you to having any firearm, just wanna tax you ..

SO you better move to a State that cares.. "


ILMP
"Our neighborhood association's security committee would like to be able to recommend to our residents cameras that will do this, especially at night... "

Is this an HOA? If so you want to make certain the rules do not disallow installation of security cameras.

 

[wittaj]

Oh yea didn't realize it is California. Many CA members here have had great video evidence and nothing was done...yep save the money to move...where to is another story...

 

[bigredfish]

Thanks for the translation @mat200

In not a pro installer but have experience with a few neighborhoods installing cameras.

I assume the Flock LPR units are city owned?

@wittaj does a great job above with the overview of what it takes. That said many cameras/NVRs don’t play well together, finding a one size fits all camera for many homes won’t be very likely.

How big is this neighborhood?
How many streets/homes?
How many exits?
How far setback are the homes from the street?
Lots of trees?
What is the street lighting like?

You want to rely on individual homeowners to coordinate and pass along footage/snapshots to identify a vehicle that may be associated with a crime? If there isn’t a camera well positioned at the crime scene home, how are the other neighbors going to know which vehicle was the bad guys?

A picture or diagram of the neighborhood would go a long way.

 

[Duh987]

I recommend the Amcrest ADC2Ws. They are onvif, PIR, WIFI, Active deterrence and USB powered. Are they the greatest cameras of course not are they good enough to do what a camera needs to do, yes. You are unlikely to get buy-in on POE from most people, they want something like a ring stickup camera. The amcrest is usb powered and wifi both an easier sell to some people. They will record 24/7 to an SD or a NVR making them way better than ring. Same for the doorbell which will likely be the easiest sell, Amcrest AD410.

 

[ILMP]

Thanks for the translation @mat200

In not a pro installer but have experience with a few neighborhoods installing cameras.

I assume the Flock LPR units are city owned?

@wittaj does a great job above with the overview of what it takes. That said many cameras/NVRs don’t play well together, finding a one size fits all camera for many homes won’t be very likely.

How big is this neighborhood?
How many streets/homes?
How many exits?
How far setback are the homes from the street?
Lots of trees?
What is the street lighting like?

You want to rely on individual homeowners to coordinate and pass along footage/snapshots to identify a vehicle that may be associated with a crime? If there isn’t a camera well positioned at the crime scene home, how are the other neighbors going to know which vehicle was the bad guys?

A picture or diagram of the neighborhood would go a long way.

Thank you for your response, and for responding like I'm 5

The neighborhood has one 3 mile long through street and we have a Flock LPR camera at each end. There are several cul de sac streets which intersect with the through street, and these dead end streets range from a couple hundred feet long to a mile long.

Most lots are 75 - 100 feet wide.

Most homes are 10 - 20 feet back from the road.

The road is 30 feet wide.

There are a lot of trees, and road is winding at many points.

There is intermittent street lighting, and lighter night skies from being in a city.

The hope is to have more cameras pointed at the road where they would 1) catch a car parked near the crime scene, or with people exiting the vehicle, at the time of the crime, especially if the vehicle wasn’t captured by the homeowner's security, or not well captured. (Often criminals won’t park directly in front of the house they’re burglarizing, though package thieves, and car burglars, will), and 2) have other homeowners who can check their video to see if and when the car passed by their property, so we can tell which exit it left by, and when. Burglars usually leave right away, but package thieves and car burglars may drive around looking for more victims before leaving. Having more residents with cameras covering the streets would increase the chances that a camera captures the criminal's car during the crime, and would provide the police with more proof that the LPR camera data has the right car. It’s a heavily trafficked street, except in the dead of night, so a lot of cars might pass by the LPR cameras at the exits.

 

[mat200]

1st post:

I'm not knowledgeable about security cameras, so please ELI5. Our local police have told us that they would be able to solve crimes and prosecute criminals better if more residents had security cameras pointed at the street to 1) capture suspect's cars parked outside when the criminals are committing a crime and 2) capture the suspect's vehicle as it travels toward the Flock LPR cameras that we have at the exits to our neighborhood. (We are in a Large city with an overwhelmed police force, so they need solid evidence handed to them in order to devote time to investigating a crime )

Our neighborhood association's security committee would like to be able to recommend to our residents cameras that will do this, especially at night. They should take clear enough video to be able to identify the car, or clearly capture the tail lights to match to the Flock camera photos (which at night only show the plate and tail lights). They do NOT need to be LPR cameras. The easier the cameras are to install (i.e., not needing an installer), and the less expensive they are, the greater chance residents will get them. The more residents that get them the better chance they will be useful.

Some residents already have security cameras (most of them professionally installed) and might be convinced to add another pointed at the street to capture cars driving by if it would be easy to do themselves, or inexpensive to have someone else install, and would integrate with their existing systems. Other residents do not have cameras (or just have smart doorbell cameras) but might add a wireless battery operated one if there were one that would give clear enough images.

I realize that this is a tall order, but any recommendations or advice would be appreciated.

-----

Thank you for your response, and for responding like I'm 5

The neighborhood has one 3 mile long through street and we have a Flock LPR camera at each end. There are several cul de sac streets which intersect with the through street, and these dead end streets range from a couple hundred feet long to a mile long.

Most lots are 75 - 100 feet wide.

Most homes are 10 - 20 feet back from the road.

The road is 30 feet wide.

There are a lot of trees, and road is winding at many points.

There is intermittent street lighting, and lighter night skies from being in a city.

The hope is to have more cameras pointed at the road where they would 1) catch a car parked near the crime scene, or with people exiting the vehicle, at the time of the crime, especially if the vehicle wasn’t captured by the homeowner's security, or not well captured. (Often criminals won’t park directly in front of the house they’re burglarizing, though package thieves, and car burglars, will), and 2) have other homeowners who can check their video to see if and when the car passed by their property, so we can tell which exit it left by, and when. Burglars usually leave right away, but package thieves and car burglars may drive around looking for more victims before leaving. Having more residents with cameras covering the streets would increase the chances that a camera captures the criminal's car during the crime, and would provide the police with more proof that the LPR camera data has the right car. It’s a heavily trafficked street, except in the dead of night, so a lot of cars might pass by the LPR cameras at the exits.

Hi @ILMP

1) if it would be easy to do themselves,

2) or inexpensive to have someone else install,

3) and would integrate with their existing systems.

4) Other residents do not have cameras (or just have smart doorbell cameras) but might add a wireless battery operated one if there were one that would give clear enough images.

5) Most homes are 10 - 20 feet back from the road.

6) catch a car parked near the crime scene or with people exiting the vehicle, at the time of the crime,
So you need a minimum ID distance of 30-40 feet at night to cover the


ELI5:
There is no such unicorn of a camera. You'll need to spend money on a wired security camera that has a good "zoom" ( aka varifocal ) as well as a larger pixel size ( larger sensor for the resolution ).

Here's what you will need for the California LEO .. clear pictures of the suspects, clear pictures of the illegal acts, time stamps, and clear documentation that the suspects have exceeded the thresh hold of damages / value that your local leo will do something about it.

1st recommendation is to add 2-4 quality IP PoE low light cameras to each of your LPR stations on each side of the street. ( if you have a narrow street then 2 cameras per LPR station, one catching them going and one catching them coming - if you have a wider street 2x the number of cameras as you will need to get enough "pixels on target" )

 

[ILMP]

Thank you Mat200,

unfortunately, we don’t have the money in our Neighborhood Association's budget to add more cameras (its not an HOA, so we can’t force people to join and pay dues), and we also don’t have electricity near the exits, that’s why we're hoping to find cameras that our residents can add to their homes without too much trouble, because if it’s too much trouble they won’t do it

 

[mat200]

Thank you Mat200,

unfortunately, we don’t have the money in our Neighborhood Association's budget to add more cameras (its not an HOA, so we can’t force people to join and pay dues), and we also don’t have electricity near the exits, that’s why we're hoping to find cameras that our residents can add to their homes without too much trouble, because if it’s too much trouble they won’t do it

Hi @ILMP

Well, actually a good thing it is not an HOA .. HOAs tend to eventually get bad leaders that are abusive ..


See @wittaj note, you're looking at either model:

• 5442 ZE - varifocal - distances up to 40-50 feet (personally I wouldn't go past the 30 foot range but I like things closer)
• 5442 Z4E - anything up to 80-100 feet (personally I wouldn't go past 60 feet but I like things closer)

So for starters: Andy has the Turret version of the 5442 ZE for $189.99 .. add a small PoE switch, cat5e/cat6 cable and possible junction box for installation ..






Recommend getting one camera, one small poe switch and start playing with it - you can then share what you learn with the others - and hopefully you can get a few people to buy some cameras to at least cover the front of their homes.

 

[wittaj]

If anyone has a Lorex, Amcrest, Dahua, QSee NVR, then the 5442 should work seamlessly with it.

If your neighbors have paid professionals to instal Ring, Nest, Night Owl, Swann, Blink, then you won't find a camera capable of IDENTIFY at those distances that will work with those systems.

 

[wtimothyholman]

Our neighborhood association's security committee would like to be able to recommend to our residents cameras that will do this, especially at night. They should take clear enough video to be able to identify the car, or clearly capture the tail lights to match to the Flock camera photos (which at night only show the plate and tail lights). They do NOT need to be LPR cameras. The easier the cameras are to install (i.e., not needing an installer), and the less expensive they are, the greater chance residents will get them. The more residents that get them the better chance they will be useful.

Some residents already have security cameras (most of them professionally installed) and might be convinced to add another pointed at the street to capture cars driving by if it would be easy to do themselves, or inexpensive to have someone else install, and would integrate with their existing systems. Other residents do not have cameras (or just have smart doorbell cameras) but might add a wireless battery operated one if there were one that would give clear enough images.

I realize that this is a tall order, but any recommendations or advice would be appreciated.

I'm going to go very much against the grain of some of the advice already given, and outline a camera security concept that I've been promoting where I live: the Virtual Neighborhood Watch.

First of all, the type of camera systems that many of the people on IPCamTalk (including myself) are using are simply beyond the capabilities of 99.9% of homeowners to install, optimize, or maintain. We are an obsessive bunch when it comes to cameras, but your average homeowner is not. You need a camera that is dead simple to install and maintain, with a price to performance ratio that makes it practical but affordable. Even at that, I'd still recommend that your neighborhood association consider hiring someone to install the cameras for residents. Your average person is incapable of dealing with even the simplest of electronic devices, as you'll find out.

So the camera I recommend is this: the Wyze Cam v3, with a 32 GB high endurance SD card installed. Here are the reasons:

(1) Very cheap (~$35). Put in a $10 SD card, and you'll have 4 days of continuous recording from each camera.
(2) Weatherproof.
(3) Excellent low light performance. You can get color images just from the illumination of street lights.
(4) Capable of detecting vehicles and human figures with the Cam Plus service ($24 / camera / year), but otherwise costs nothing for basic motion detection.
(5) With Cam Plus, multiple camera feeds can be viewed in a browser on a PC or Mac, i.e. Wyze Web View (currently in beta).

Now many will tell you that the Wyze Cam v3 is completely incapable of either the resolution or shutter speeds needed for serious surveillance, and they are absolutely correct. Motion blur is quite bad at night. You'll see human figures, but no faces. But ... you don't need those things at 99% of the homes. All you need is a video record of the vehicle and perpetrators involved, with a timestamp. As long as you have LPR cameras at each entrance and exit into your neighborhood, you can correlate the movement of each vehicle with the license plate of that vehicle by checking timestamps and downloading video from various Wyze Cams at different homes. You can also get an idea of the color and type of vehicle, if not necessarily the exact model.

So here are the details:

(1) Install multiple Wyze Cams pointing at the street in front of (or behind) residents' homes around your neighborhood.

(2) Give each camera a name that is descriptive of the address it is at, e.g. "123 Main Street".

(3) Have each resident share their camera with a master account, to consolidate the feeds.

(4) Set up each camera so that it only activates late at night through early morning, when the door checkers and auto burglars are active, e.g. 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. Configure it to provide motion alerts (or human figure / vehicle alerts if Cam Plus is purchased). The intent of the late night activation is to preserve privacy, to alleviate residents' concerns that others will see them coming or going through the day.

After this, it's just a matter of coordinating with other people in your neighborhood to determine who will be keeping an eye on your neighborhood on any given night via the master account.

Something else to consider doing: hire a private security firm, and give them access to the camera feeds. If they suddenly begin receiving human figure alerts from the cameras at 2 a.m., they can check the feeds and dispatch a vehicle if a group of thieves are hitting your neighborhood. If you have a responsive police force, you might even get them to block the thieves' exit from your neighborhood.

It will still take considerable effort and coordination to set this up, but it is doable, whereas multiple PoE camera installations will not be.

 

[EMPIRETECANDY]

The place has lots of trees so better use with our cams, the new cams ease the wrong alarms a lot, so can be a really reliable system.
IPC-T5442T-ZE for nearby watching,
IPC-B5442E-Z4E for long distance watching. This LINK for 130ft watching, good day and night.

LPR For IPC-B5442E-Z4E

Here are some pics for LPR with IPC-B5442E-Z4E. Zoom in to Max. Drive way around 120ft. Just do some simple setting.

ipcamtalk.com

For 100-200ft, the IPC-HFW5241E-Z12E is the best choice.

 

[bigredfish]

Agree with a lot of the above.

Im not familiar with the Wyze cam model mentioned, but I was going to suggest a similar route with Amcrest and their Amcrest cloud. I set up 2 cameras for my wife’s uncle who’s a snowbird and has a place in Sarasota that sits empty 1/2 the year. Works well and I think you could do a common account for ease of managing

Depending on the recording length it’s pretty cheap. Works well and Amcrest is made by and similar to Dahua. A relatively common set of settings could easily be made by anyone with a short demo video or 1 page of instructions to give to all who buy in to get them in the ballpark. As to what model, I’d have to spend time looking at their specs.

Still it’s a cheap low end solution. At best IF you have enough light, you may get vehicle color and be able to figure out a model. But each house is going to have different light conditions and well every location will be different.

The better solution might well be what @mat200 suggested which is adding overview companion cameras at the entrances beside the Flocks.

 

[wtimothyholman]

Im not familiar with the Wyze cam model mentioned, but I was going to suggest a similar route with Amcrest and their Amcrest cloud.

There are several brands of cloud cameras that could be made to work, but I chose the Wyze because of the cost and ease of installation. The web viewer interface is dead simple, too. But even at that, you'll still need a lot of hand holding to get them installed. As I said, most people are incapable of dealing with even the simplest electronic device.

You might want to find a couple of neighborhood volunteers to assist people with the installation. The homeowner buys the camera, and the volunteer shows up to help them. Once they become familiar with the camera interface, the volunteers could probably have each camera set up within an hour. Another possibility is to make a deal with a local security camera installer to put the cameras in for about $100 (labor + camera). They won't make much money, but some residents will quickly get used to the camera and may decide to purchase a more comprehensive system, and guess who they'll call first?

The better solution might well be what @mat200 suggested which is adding overview companion cameras at the entrances beside the Flocks.

By all means, overview companion cameras near the Flock LPR cameras would be very desirable. But again, finding a homeowner near each neighborhood entrance willing to purchase and install them will be problematic.

 

[mat200]

FWIW -

I do like the Wyze cameras, however I think of them more as an augmentation of a core IP PoE wired system.

The Wyze Camera while a nice little affordable camera does not meet the OPs original specifications fully.

The Wyze v3 tech specs are:
Resolution: FHD 1920x1080p
Viewing angle: 130º diagonal (D FOV )

Previously I had calculated the ID distance ( too 100 ppf ) of a Dahua 2MP 1080p cameras ( theoretical, under good lighting conditions )

Dahua IPC-HDW4231EM-AS starlight fixed lens 1080p 1920x1080​

w/2.8mm lens FOV H 110 degrees: 10 feet { area covered 95.94 sq feet covered }​

w/3.6mm lens FOV H 87 degrees: 12.65 feet { 121.43 sq feet covered }​

w/6mm lens FOV H 51 degrees: 21.58 feet { 207.16 sq feet covered }​

SO roughly I would expect under ideal conditions and no excessive compression that the Wyze can get an ID distance of about 10 feet.

Recently @eggsan posted the following capture from a Wyze camera.

drug related massacre *GRAPHIC WARNING*

Look’s like a scene from Narcos. Watch the guy holding a beer while using a pistol. Audio out of sync.

ipcamtalk.com

The question you want to ask, is the quality of image capture sufficient for your needs?

For me the answer is no, so I would want more than just a few Wyze cameras for any setup as I want to capture potential ID images beyond 10 feet away from the camera lens.

With enough light, the affordable Wyze camera can be useful, yet do remember the 10 foot ID distance and issues with moving image capture ..














I tried.. however I can not even identify the firearm the attacker is carrying ..



ref:

Cidra PR massacre security footage released – PR informa

www.prinforma.com

 

[wtimothyholman]

FWIW -

I do like the Wyze cameras, however I think of them more as an augmentation of a core IP PoE wired system.

The Wyze Camera while a nice little affordable camera does not meet the OPs original specifications fully.

The Wyze v3 tech specs are:
Resolution: FHD 1920x1080p
Viewing angle: 130º diagonal (D FOV )

Previously I had calculated the ID distance ( too 100 ppf ) of a Dahua 2MP 1080p cameras ( theoretical, under good lighting conditions )

Dahua IPC-HDW4231EM-AS starlight fixed lens 1080p 1920x1080​

w/2.8mm lens FOV H 110 degrees: 10 feet { area covered 95.94 sq feet covered }​

w/3.6mm lens FOV H 87 degrees: 12.65 feet { 121.43 sq feet covered }​

w/6mm lens FOV H 51 degrees: 21.58 feet { 207.16 sq feet covered }​

SO roughly I would expect under ideal conditions and no excessive compression that the Wyze can get an ID distance of about 10 feet.

Recently @eggsan posted the following capture from a Wyze camera.

drug related massacre *GRAPHIC WARNING*

Look’s like a scene from Narcos. Watch the guy holding a beer while using a pistol. Audio out of sync.

ipcamtalk.com

The question you want to ask, is the quality of image capture sufficient for your needs?

For me the answer is no, so I would want more than just a few Wyze cameras for any setup as I want to capture potential ID images beyond 10 feet away from the camera lens.

With enough light, the affordable Wyze camera can be useful, yet do remember the 10 foot ID distance and issues with moving image capture ..

Your analysis is correct. The Wyze Cam is absolutely insufficient for identification of the suspects or the vehicle, but that doesn't mean they won't work.

Consider that even with a good PoE PTZ auto-tracking camera, you may only see hoodies and face masks. The criminals are aware of Ring cameras if nothing else, and they prepare accordingly. You might get details of clothing, or perhaps tattoos, but the real value is in the LPR camera capturing the license plates.

But here's the thing: thieves can hide their faces, but not their bodies, and the Wyze Cam with the Cam Plus subscription does a pretty good job of alerting you on human figures. If a Wyze Cam neighborhood network starts sending human alerts at 3 a.m., chances are excellent that whoever is being recorded is up to no good.

I believe that neighborhood camera networks based on AI-enabled human figure identification will be a growing trend. In an era when police no longer do neighborhood patrols, and where property crime is rarely prosecuted, the only alternative is interdiction by residents. If criminals can be spotted "in the act", the police can be on the scene in minutes (if willing and available), or a private security firm can show up to scare off the perps. Maybe you can't catch or convict the criminals, but if nothing else you can run them off.

The Flock Safety LPR cameras will get you an ID on the vehicle, and the Wyze cameras will tell you which vehicle was driven by the criminals. That's about as good as you can expect. Actually getting a good ID of a suspect would be a bonus, but the real power of the Wyze Cam would be in alerting you that someone is checking doors in the wee hours.

 

[mat200]

Your analysis is correct. The Wyze Cam is absolutely insufficient for identification of the suspects or the vehicle, but that doesn't mean they won't work.

Consider that even with a good PoE PTZ auto-tracking camera, you may only see hoodies and face masks. The criminals are aware of Ring cameras if nothing else, and they prepare accordingly. You might get details of clothing, or perhaps tattoos, but the real value is in the LPR camera capturing the license plates.

But here's the thing: thieves can hide their faces, but not their bodies, and the Wyze Cam with the Cam Plus subscription does a pretty good job of alerting you on human figures. If a Wyze Cam neighborhood network starts sending human alerts at 3 a.m., chances are excellent that whoever is being recorded is up to no good.

I believe that neighborhood camera networks based on AI-enabled human figure identification will be a growing trend. In an era when police no longer do neighborhood patrols, and where property crime is rarely prosecuted, the only alternative is interdiction by residents. If criminals can be spotted "in the act", the police can be on the scene in minutes (if willing and available), or a private security firm can show up to scare off the perps. Maybe you can't catch or convict the criminals, but if nothing else you can run them off.

The Flock Safety LPR cameras will get you an ID on the vehicle, and the Wyze cameras will tell you which vehicle was driven by the criminals. That's about as good as you can expect. Actually getting a good ID of a suspect would be a bonus, but the real power of the Wyze Cam would be in alerting you that someone is checking doors in the wee hours.

Hi @wtimothyholman

Not saying a Wyze camera community setup is not useful.. especially with LPR data .. ( still I would want make and color of the vehicle also .. )

A lot depends on the response of the LEOs also .. in my experience, they wanted all 4 of the following:

1) clear pictures of the suspects,
2) clear pictures of the illegal acts ( being performed by those individuals ),
3) time stamps, and
4) clear documentation that the suspects have exceeded the thresh hold of damages / value that your local leo will do something about it.

5) LPR and car identification would be useful indeed also .. ( required for some cases, optional for others .. )

This all adds up to a significant amount of cameras for my situations I have looked at.

imho ymmv a lot depending on the interest of the leo's to follow through, some probably will be ok with less info.

Of course, in a case of murder it will have a higher priority vs car break-ins, and the leo probably will be happy with any info for that to start a proper investigation ( vs "property crimes" )

 

[mat200]

FWIW - more pixels covering the street can be very useful.. example

Stolen Motorcycle

For a few days now there is a motorcycle parked on my street that I've never seen before. I viewed my camera playback and it looks like its a stolen bike and was dumped on my street. I ran the plates and it comes back to a Suzuki and not a Kawasaki (ignore the color in the screenshot below)...

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