Worlds First Review - Dahua DH-IPC-HDW5842T-ZE-S2 / IPC-T5842T-ZE - 8MP / 4K Vari-Focal Turret

W

Wildcat_1

Known around here
Dec 9, 2018
2,129
6,092
US
Intro

I’m pleased to announce we have another worlds first review to kick off, this time on the new IPC-T5842T-ZE (@EMPIRETECANDY / Andy’s model number). This camera picks up where the 5831 left off and is a natural, potential step up from those already utilizing the legendary 5442. Lets jump into it but first a big THANK YOU as always to @EMPIRETECANDY for providing this unit in exchange for a fair, honest, unbiased and no holds barred review.​
​
I’ll attempt to answer any and all comments as always BUT please keep those to the main topic of this thread. Pricing for this unit expected to be around only $50 more than the 5442 equivalent cam. Andy's (@EMPIRETECANDY) Amazon link for the turret version is HERE​
​
Lets get into it….​

The Camera

From a body/footprint perspective this camera is inline with the 5442 vary-focal which means a nice, compact size and easier to hide for most than bullet cams. The lens (1/1.8” sensor) features an f1.4 aperture and in respect to aperture and IR distance is a slight (on paper) improvement over the 5442 but features slightly less WDR (120 vs 140db on 5442). This 5842 is also lighter than the 5442 so IF this does deliver more and weighs less, well thats not a bad thing either :) I’ll be comparing 1 vs the other primarily in this review over the next few days.​
​
Post 2 - Pics & Videos, Post 3 - Special Features / Functions / Tips & Tricks, Post 4 - Bug List (new), Post 5 - Wrap Up​
​
Without further ado lets get onto those specs​

——

Shipping FW Version - Thought I would start adding this for reference
2021-06-11 (VOLT based)​


Mounting Options

The mount options for the IPC-T5842T-ZE are:
  • PFA122 - 3 hole junction box
  • PFA130E - Circular junction box
  • PFA152E - Pole Mount Adapter
  • PFB220C - Ceiling Mount
  • PFB203W - Wall Mount Bracket
Remember my tip about using PFA121 & PFA122 junction boxes and quick switching the plates (4 hole vs 3 hole), very useful here too. Just remember this one needs the PFA122 (3 hole plate)

——

Onto the specs

This camera is part of the Dahua Wizmind range so not only gets IVS based object filtering (Human, Vehicle, Non-Vehicle) as well as Face Detection, Heat Mapping, People Counting but also SMD 3.0. As this camera features the newer FW you will see support for Smart Plan schedules + the new Sensitivity and ‘inside’ options for IVS triggers introduced with the 4K full color cams.​

Camera Details

Image Sensor - 1/1.8”​
Effective Pixels - 3840(H) x 2160(V), 8 Megapixels​
RAM: 1GB​
ROM: 128MB​
Electronic Shutter Speed - 1/3s~1/100,000s​
Minimum Illumination​
Color: 0.004 Lux @F1.4​
B&W: 0.0004 Lux @F1.4​
Illumination Distance (utilizing the additional LED options) - Up to 50m (164.04 ft)​
IR On/Off Control - Auto/Manual (Brightness slider only, no near & far granularity)​
Illuminator LEDs - 2 IR​
​

Lens Information
​
Focal Length (Vari-Focal)​
2.7mm - 12.0mm​
​
Max. Aperture​
F1.4​
​
Field of View​
H: 110.4° (Wide), 45° (Tele)​
V: 57.8° (Wide), 35.2° (Tele)​
D: 133.8° (Wide), 51.8° (Tele)​
​
Close Focus Distance​
1m (3.3ft)​
​
DORI Distance
​
Wide​
Detect - 86m (282.2ft）​
Observe - 34.4m (112.9ft)​
Recognize - 17.2m (56.4ft)​
Identify - 8.6m (28.2ft)​
​
Tele​
Detect - 196m (643ft）​
Observe - 78.4m (257.2ft)​
Recognize - 39.2m (128.6ft)​
Identify - 19.6 (64.3ft)​
​
Audio Information
Built In Mic​
 
Last edited:
As an Amazon Associate IPCamTalk earns from qualifying purchases.
  • Like
  • Love
Reactions: JoshFink, moonlightshaker, OldBobcat and 13 others
Post #2 - Pics & Videos

Daytime Video Test

Ok all, here is the first video, daytime. Here I show the 5842 then side by side with the 5442 and lastly show what 50% and 100% zoom looks like for those wanting to understand what the focal length will gain them for their installs. Take a look.

As always, be sure to select and watch in 4K on YouTube as edited and uploaded in full res.

Daytime Test of IPC-T5842T-ZE 8MP / 4K Vari-Focal Turret

​

​
​
Nighttime Video Test

Here is the night time video as promised along with comparisons to 5442. A longer 11 minute video but night is a key area to test any cam and as always I include timestamps for your viewing pleasure :) Couple of caveats:

  1. As I mention in the video, this FW does NOT include SmartIR adjustments I’ve had added by Dahua to 5442’s (for those that have followed the journey in getting that in place :)) therefore would wash out the image. I’ve reported this back to Dahua for inclusion in next test FW (and will note on bug list). Due to this I manually dial down Exp. Comp but this can crush details in the blacks so just be aware there is more opportunity to adjust this and bring details back manually for now BUT in time will be addressed by the FW
  2. YouTube HATES side by side video sources from a re-encode perspective and truly screws what is ultimately good video being uploaded. Therefore make sure you take time to look at the full screen 5842 to understand (and reach your own conclusion) on quality of image. The side by sides will appear softer than full screen due to this PITA YouTube re-encode. This is even more noticeable on the color at night section I include where in some places you see smear on the side by side
  3. There is a rolling shutter issue on higher shutter speeds (1/250 its evident more) at night (in IR mode) which also needs to be corrected in next FW (reported and will add to bug list too)
  4. I include color at night in the test as I know people are interested in this. I don't advocate for it without appropriate additional lighting but again wanted to make sure this section was included for you

Couple of quick observations from me on this cam after testing at night:
  • I include distance markers and you can see that in IR only that around 22 feet is where the 5842 starts to clean up nicely from a detail perspective
  • In comparison to other 8MP/4K implementations on a 1/1.8" sensor, there are improvements in keeping noise down on this implementation for sure. Even when running a NR of only 36 (relatively low for night) it handles it well
  • There will always be a sweet spot for these cams and you should/will expect fall off outside of that in detail and especially over distance. This will always be more evident at night and especially if IR is your only source. This 5842 is no different from any other cam in that respect and as mentioned above, sweet spot for IR only FOV’s is around 22 feet (in this implementation with current FW) BUT add light to the FOV (as you should and I advocate for constantly) and you’ll adjust the sweet spot and improve the overall resulting image. If you look at timestamp 4:56 in IR with just 62.5w equivalent light added you’ll hopefully see how this cam improves further. In real terms it added approx 10 feet to the distance (therefore 30-32 feet total reach) at which to expect detail and allows 1/100 to become the sweet spot for this amount of light on the FOV. Increase the light further (check out the 100% 250w test) and you can push (while keeping in IR mode) to approx 40 feet but that should be your furthest expected limit for this cam in my testing (with decent config rather than using Auto which I never recommend) at night. Not to say you cannot go further out (or wider coverage) by adding in additional lighting in front and off center but 40 feet is where to gear your expectations on this one.

Nighttime Test Link - Remember to Watch on YouTube in Full 4K Quality




HTH, enjoy !
 
Last edited:
  • Like
  • Love
Reactions: moonlightshaker, danvet, CCTVCam and 9 others
Post #4 - Bug List

  1. Current 5842 FW does not include SmartIR adjustments previously made in 5442 FW - Reported to Dahua, awaiting fix
  2. Rolling shutter evident on IR caps starting around 1/120 and more evident at 1/250 - Reported to Dahua, awaiting fix
 
Last edited:
Post #5 - Wrap Up

Summary

While many of the cams I’ve reviewed recently have special application features that are impressive such as the Dual Lens fusion cam HERE and the Full Color 4K HERE, this cam doesnt. Its just a regular vari-focal 4K turret cam. However, don’t be fooled into thinking this is like previous 4K generation cams because what it lacks in 'special' features, it makes up with in performance.

I’ve never been an advocate for pushing pixel density on sensor (as you may have read in my previous posts) as I’m a firm believer in matching sensor size carefully to megapixels for the ultimate in image quality. This would generally mean that I would like to see 1/1.2” sensors on 4K’s ideally. However as I’ve also said in the past, 4K / 8MP is doable BUT is also the absolute maximum I ever want to see on these 1/1.8”s. Early iterations of this size have led to a lot of noise or have pushed AGC to increase brightness at the expense of image quality and frame rate. This 5842 finally seems to blend all of these without much compromise. Certainly if you want to nit pick, the blacks (even with exposure comp dialed back) still get crushed a little more than the 5442 and the image sharpness falls off a little quicker at further distance at night (when only using IR) in comparison. However, the fact that this cam can pull off an almost identical night time image with the same or in my opinion less noise (even at low NR, set to about 36/38) than its lower pixel dense brother, while gaining added clarity and resolution from the 8MP / 4K config, is for me the most impressive feature this cam brings.

A Portfolio With Some Great Options

As I mentioned in an earlier post in this thread (told you I would bring it back for the conclusion) :) It's taken a while to stabilize (not all models are created equal ;)) but we are now starting to see the benefit that Dahua is bringing to the portfolio is that there are now good choices of camera for each environment that complement your overall setup and most importantly each other and come in at a range of budget options. For example:

  • Dual Lens (Fixed) - Great for traditionally dark areas, benefits from a small amount of light, allows for color capture where possible and fuzed image ensures you don’t have to choose Color vs B&W but let the cam try and capture what it can in either. Great for music videos too ;)
  • Color4K-X (Fixed) - Phenomenally good at what it does, 4K in full color all the time with a larger sensor that benefits from extra light which also does not attract bugs !
  • 5842 (this cam) (Vari) - Benefits those with little to no light that want 4K quality but have to rely on IR. don’t want a ‘fuzed image’ as above but want low noise, usable caps
  • 5442 (Vari) - A leader in its own right, well tuned at the 4MP/1.1/8” pairing and offering a cheaper option than the cams above with similar great quality and allows for traditional IR

Therefore, with the above cams + any speciality application requirements (LPR/ANPR, PTZ, Face Recognition, Access Control etc) you have some great cams available to you that suit most deployments. This also gives you the ability that I call out many times and that is to have a staggered setup of B&W vs Color cams covering a given area and gaining you both color (lost in areas only covered by IR) + details (lost in dark areas when capturing in color) which increases your chances of critical ID. It also increases your ability for good PTZ activation (if you’ve seen my posts on PTZ call to preset in single, triangulated or quad rollouts) as you’re improving quality of target acquisition by your non PTZ cam. All of this with a choice or blend of Turret vs Bullet and Fixed vs Vari cams to fit your needs.

Could you have done this before with older cams, absolutely but now you have the ability to do it with a base of 4MP and up to 4K (now with very usable quality) and that takes this up a level IMO. This is great to see that we are moving towards a more consistent (HW wise but FW needs work ;) ) approach to cams in series and with less compromise as an end user or installer.

Final Thoughts

In closing, the 5842 actually impressed me in how well it handled noise at night, it is definitely a move in the right direction for these newer generations 4K's and lets be honest has been 1 of the primary stumbling blocks (night performance + noise) that has stunted their deployment in some installs. Also, never forget you need light, these cams are getting better and require less of it BUT you'll always improve your target caps and increase the cam's ability to do what it does best, when you add light to your FOV.

Does this mean you should place 4K's everywhere, absolutely NOT as I've mentioned before, build a blended deployment (for yours or others needs) utilizing the right cam (including special application cams) for the FOV, location and target requirements. However, should you be in the market for adding a 4K into your environment / deployment AND want a performant turret, well this one follows hot on the heels of its 4MP brother, and in some cases surpasses it with resolution and improved noise handling. In other words you really don’t compromise much quality by moving from (or adding in) a 5442 to 5842 at equal target distance / similar FOV at night.

------ WC ------

Hope you enjoyed following along as I put this one through its paces. Will be reviewing another unit soon so stay tuned !
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: brynp and scmiller
Amazing thank you for these detail reviews / testing. Looking forward for this one. Thank you Andy as well for all he does simply just amazing service year after year Even thru the pandemic and now thru the supply chain issues. :)
 
  • Like
Reactions: CellyThePhoneMedic, JDreaming, Parley and 3 others
Sure, the HDW5231R-ZE we replace the IPC-T5442T-ZE to update, price is cheaper than this 4K, if you have good budget this one can be a good choice.
 
Ok all, here is the first video, daytime. Here I show the 5842 then side by side with the 5442 and lastly show what 50% and 100% zoom looks like for those wanting to understand what the focal length will gain them for their installs. Take a look. I'll also update in the main posts for reference. @sebastiantombs shout out to you, notice the hoodie change in this one ;)

As always, be sure to select and watch in 4K on YouTube as edited and uploaded in full res.

Daytime Test of IPC-T5842T-ZE 8MP / 4K Vari-Focal Turret

 
  • Like
  • Love
Reactions: brynp, JoshFink, djernie and 8 others
Parley said:
I like the detail on the 5842.
Click to expand...

Yes it definitely crams in a lot of detail and is nice and has the right amount of sharpness out of the box. It's shown off even more when you look at the 100% Tele section in the video to give you an idea of how it looks when at full zoom. Its even slightly more detailed / sharper in person. Unfortunately even when using pro codecs and keeping things native, YouTube loves to re-process and hard. You'll notice this on the side by sides and even more evident at night due to YT algorithm. Either way, hopefully gives a good insight into the cam. Very low image noise on this one too.
 
  • Like
Reactions: djernie, ronoob, looney2ns and 2 others
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom