What lens or model for this view

[neverever]

I'm gonna buy two more cameras of this model:
Dahua H2.65 IPC-HDW4431C-A

The other cameras have the 2.8mm lens but maybe I should try another one now.

I provide you with two pictures taken with my digital camera to show you where they are supposed to be placed.

First one:

I'm only interested in the area inside the green line and maybe get a good face picture when somebody is at the front door as you see in picture.

I'm willing to change Dahua model if you have better suggestion but I rather not pay more than a 100 dollars.



Second one:

This one is gonna be placed here.
I hope the two cams can monitor themselves

It's more important to get a good picture closer to the camera as I have another cam pointing at the entrance of the fence from another view.

This view is already covered.


So what is your suggestions of lens or Dahua model?

 

[ldasilva]

Dahua Starlight Varifocal Turret (IPC-HDW5231R-Z)

 

[neverever]

Dahua Starlight Varifocal Turret (IPC-HDW5231R-Z)

Yeah, that's a good camera, but right now it's over my budget, I'll go with some cheaps ones right now and maybe upgrade later.
Thanks anyway.

 

[Fastb]

2.8mm is not a good choice for outdoors. Search this forum for the many reasons why.
You can check what different FOV you'll get with different lens choices.
Camera Calculator / Design Software
Enter your address, google maps will let you place a virtual camera on your property.

Fastb

 

[Camit]

Like posted above 2.8 isn't a good choice to get face ID,and if you don't get face ID what's the point of a security camera? You wanna place the cameras to as close to a enter/exit spot as you can most people go with 6mm camera for the enter/exit spot and 2.8 for a wide view. All you need is one nice shot of the face,then you can look off the 2.8 wide view cameras . Get your facial close shot first then get your whide view cameras. One 6mm camera with a face shot is better then 4 2.8mm with no face shot.

Also not a fan of the dahua 4431 it's a crap cam. You would be better off with one starlight dahua then 4 of 4431 even the low grade hikvision 4mp are better then the 4431


What's your budget ??? In total

 

[nayr]

With fixed lenses in residential setups, 6mm or larger is the default outdoors.. rarely will you have a valid reason for less.. 2.8mm indoors for corner mounts revealing the entire room.

The first manufacturer to offer a 'kit' with all 6mm lenses will win Kudos from me, but all those wide angle lenses are just terrible for security and that makes them unrecommendable.

 

[imazephed]

Not trying to hijack the thread but have been reading through old post trying to decide on what 2mp starlight cameras to purchase myself. I have read several post about 6mm being best for outdoors and am curious if anyone had bought a IPC-HDW4231EM-AS with a 6mm lense? If so how does it compare to the varifocal IPC-HDW5431R-Z
everyone raves about? I would like to surround my home with 7 cameras and I think I would be happy with 5 6mm fixed lens and 2 varifocals. I thought I read a post before saying the varifocal performed better in low light than the fixed lens. When I messaged Andy at Empire he told me there would be a wait on 6mm fixed lens starlight cameras. Is it worth the wait or should I go with 3.6 he had in stock? Thanks

 

[fenderman]

Not trying to hijack the thread but have been reading through old post trying to decide on what 2mp starlight cameras to purchase myself. I have read several post about 6mm being best for outdoors and am curious if anyone had bought a IPC-HDW4231EM-AS with a 6mm lense? If so how does it compare to the varifocal IPC-HDW5431R-Z
everyone raves about? I would like to surround my home with 7 cameras and I think I would be happy with 5 6mm fixed lens and 2 varifocals. I thought I read a post before saying the varifocal performed better in low light than the fixed lens. When I messaged Andy at Empire he told me there would be a wait on 6mm fixed lens starlight cameras. Is it worth the wait or should I go with 3.6 he had in stock? Thanks

you are confusing cameras...the 5431 is not the one folks are raving about..its not starlight...spend the extra money and go with the varifocal starlight...saving 35 dolars is not worth it...

 

[nayr]

Here's how the 4MP Varifocal Performs next to the 2MP Starlight Varifocal
Dahua 4MP Varifocal Bullet (IPC-HFW5421E-Z)

It does rather poorly, buy all varifocals.. not worth the savings to have a lil bit of zoom and better night performance

 

[neverever]

Thank you all guys for the input.

I'm very new to all about security cameras as you see and only used it for three months.
And so far I only have one up and running but another three at home waiting to be installed.

Why I bought the cheap ones I have, is because someone recommended them and said the were really good for the price.
I don't remember what forum though and pretty sure, now, that it wasn't this forum anyway
Because I have nothing to compare to, I still think they performing well, I guess I don't know what I'm missing...

My first thought was to cover up my whole garden, which is small, with cameras, that's why I bought 2.8mm according to my own observations.
I am only doing this for fun and maybe isn't that serious about it, yet, but still I do listen and learn from you guys and I'm very thankful for all your comments.
Getting a good face picture at the front door, wouldn't the best option be to put a small camera in the door like an eye you look into when somebody is knocking on your door? Or but it in the hallway inside aiming the front door.



I still jump high, mostly of joy, when an alarm is triggered, and checking my mail for the alarm alerts.
Yet, the only un-welcome-intruder, I had is this one.

I guess I should be happy for that intruder but that cat is taking a shit in my kids sandbox regularly.
Before the picture was black and white at night time but I changed it to colors, why does it go black and white by default, is that better?

I don't really have budget but I don't want to spend a lot right now, and I falsely thinking getting three cams instead of one to cover up my whole garden is a good idea. I like to see all this thumbs from my whole garden covered.
I understand I don't do it by the book but I just playing around for now and learning, I'll go for the 6mm though or maybe 8mm for that corners of my house.

 

[imazephed]

you are confusing cameras...the 5431 is not the one folks are raving about..its not starlight...spend the extra money and go with the varifocal starlight...saving 35 dolars is not worth it...

Yes I wasnt paying attention and grabbed the model # off andys site in what I thought was the 2mp starlight section but looking now there are non starlight cameras there also, For whatever reason the 2mp varifocal isnt on his site right not, I guess its out of stock most likely.

I had made up my mind on buying Starlight cameras from reading through old post already. From the looks of the test Nayr did nothing touches there low light performance. My dilemma is with the 2 mp starlight that has a fixed lens. IPC-HDW4231EM-AS Dahua Built-in Mic 2mp Starlight IR Eyeball Network Camera IPC-HDW4231EM-AS | Dahua Technology Andy has it listed as a starlight camera. Is it? Will it perform as well as the varifocal IPC-HDW5231R-Z Starlight? I really dont need varifocal on all 7 cameras. I would be happy with 6mm fixed lens starlights in most locations on my home. If they perform like the 5231R-Z varifocal then the $40 dollar savings on 5 cameras is substantial. I guess I am confused by thinking all the cameras listed as starlight 2mp are the same as the 5231R-Z that performs so well.

 

[fenderman]

They do not perform the same,...He compares a mini done with the same specs as this fixed cam... Again the few dollars saved is not worth it. .A fixed lens will almost always be you wide or narrow. Never exactly what you need...200 dollars is really nothing in the long term ..

 

[imazephed]

.200 dollars is really nothing in the long term ..

You make a good point $200 more is money well spent when looking at the quality of the varifocal compared to the fixed lens. Looks like I need to contact Andy and make an order

 

[Deali]

currently i have 3 cams with varifocal installed and one with fixed lens at the corners of my house. The variofocal are manually set. I have adjusted them during installation and never touched them again. I ordered 3 Dahua IPC-HDW4231EM-AS to replace them. I found no need for the varifocal. Instead i will change the fixed lens to my need (nayr has posted some picture about that). I have also one IPC-HDW5231R varifocal on order for a different place and to test it. Later on i will order more on the outcome of the test. I was afraid of these cameras as the lens is not covered. But nobody complained, so it must be good.

 

[fenderman]

currently i have 3 cams with varifocal installed and one with fixed lens at the corners of my house. The variofocal are manually set. I have adjusted them during installation and never touched them again. I ordered 3 Dahua IPC-HDW4231EM-AS to replace them. I found no need for the varifocal. Instead i will change the fixed lens to my need (nayr has posted some picture about that). I have also one IPC-HDW5231R varifocal on order for a different place and to test it. Later on i will order more on the outcome of the test. I was afraid of these cameras as the lens is not covered. But nobody complained, so it must be good.

That is the point of varifocal, you set it once, even motorized varifocal...point is it makes it easy and allows you to get an EXACT fov which you will never get with a fixed lens.
The HDW4231EM as a different aperture and a camera with similar specs has already been tested..its not as good in low light. Additionally, you will need to open the camera and manually replace the lens. Cost of a quality lens + time + breaking the seal on the camera is silly to save a few dollars...

 

[Deali]

It is not about the dollars. I will optimize the camera. I will install a lens with F1.2, so the camera is better on lowlight as the IPC-HDW5231R.
I found out that my varifocal lenses got out of focus because of different season temperature. It was not much but it was visible. If motorized that is no deal, but i have to climb the latter.
It´s time for the equipment to show up here. I can´t wait anymore!

 

[Fastb]

Deali,

If I understand your plans, you'll replace existing lens with a wider aperture lens, to achieve better night time performance.
I don't think you can replace one component in an optical chain and have everything still operate as a fine tuned system.

With larger aperture lens, you may be focusing the light over a different area. (an area that is different than the area of the pixel array)
Doing a mix-n-match may change the actual FOV.

Good luck,
Fastb

 

[nayr]

its what he does heh, @Deali is pretty good at franken-cameras.. find his build thread, he's been around the block a few times.

 

[Deali]

@Fastb
I am optimizing cameras. I like to improve things. I have a wide range of lenses which i install as i need them. If i buy a fixed 6mm lens with F 1.4 then that is what i get. If i buy a varifocal 2.8-12mm F 1.4 i will get a lens which has F 1.4 if it is in the wide angel position. It is different if it is zoomed in. So it is marketing. If you look on the market for slr-cameras they identify exactly what is in the box like Canon EF-S 18-135mm 1:3,5-5,6. That means the best aperture is 3.5 and the worst is 5.6
If you need a varifocal, very nice, i ordered one too. But in places where i don´t need it i install my improved HDW4231EM. I don´t think that the difference is too much, but i love to do it.
Also, if you order they mostly offer only 3.6mm or you have to wait longer.


here you can see how easy it is to change a lens.

 

[Fastb]

Wow!