'All-around' Outside Camera Recommendation?

[subterminal]

I'm looking for recommendations for a versatile outdoor camera. My budget is up to roughly $250/camera, though cheaper is better if the performance increase is marginal. The camera will be used in conjunction with Blue Iris.

I'm looking for a versatile camera for general monitoring of people/cars/wildlife that's coming and going. Here's the technical wishlist:

• PoE/PoE+
• Be able to read license plates during the day from up to ~35ft away. Cars will be traveling towards/away from the camera at low speeds (less than 10mph), and offset maybe 15* at the most, while directly face on at other times
• Be able to make out a face during the day from 20ft away while casually walking towards-ish the camera. Ideally, this would be up to 35ft.
• OK-ish night vision for just seeing stuff like wildlife, a car driving, a person walking, etc. Not looking to read license plates/faces at night. I know that I could supplement IR panels, but that's not in the cards ATM due to electrical infrastructure.

Is this doable from an average camera? I've read that LPR is an art and often times takes dedicated cameras, but I'm hoping that well-lit low speeds at closer distance is doable.

I currently have a few Amcrest 4k turrets that I've been using for a few years, and they're alright. But I'm hoping to improve on sharpening license plates/faces.

 

[CCTVCam]

Probably a 5442 series.

However, one camera isn't going to do 35ft on a number plate and capture a wide angle over view of your property (you didn't say that, but I presume you want an over view and not just a picture of the middle of the road). You're probably looking at 2 cameras to do both.

 

[subterminal]

Probably a 5442 series.

However, one camera isn't going to do 35ft on a number plate and capture a wide angle over view of your property (you didn't say that, but I presume you want an over view and not just a picture of the middle of the road). You're probably looking at 2 cameras to do both.

Yeah, at a minimum, I'd want the cameras to have a ~60* FOV, which would equate to me needing to buy two. A wider ~100* FOV would cover everything and save money since I'd only need one camera, but I'm not opposed to the former if it could read license plates. However, I'm assuming that when you say wide, you're probably mean like 40*?

 

[Rob2020]

A Dahua 5442 2.7 - 12 MM varifocal turret for faces, $175 (Empire Tech Amazon).

A Dahua 5442 8 - 32MM for License Plates, $235 (Empire Tech Amazon).

These should work for the intended purposes, there are other options but I believe these would meet your stated requirements.

 

[The Automation Guy]

Is this doable from an average camera? I've read that LPR is an art and often times takes dedicated cameras, but I'm hoping that well-lit low speeds at closer distance is doable.

Capturing plates is hard for two reasons. First, the lighting needed for LPR is different than the lighting needed for general use. However this more of a problem in low/no light. During the day, this really isnt an issue. However the second issue is always present..... That's the level of detail needed to read a plate. Even at 35', you'll need the plate to be large enough in your video capture that there are enough pixels capturing the plate to ensure there is enough detail to read the plate. This isn't hard to accomplish, but it generally requires a pretty tight shot of the roadway you want to cover. Of course this is the same story with capturing people's faces too. If you try to cover a wide field of view, your subjects will need to be very close to the camera before you will have enough detail to actually be able to identify a subject (or read a plate). Therefore it is critical that you define your goals for any camera you want to put up and make sure the camera is capable of achieving these goals. Putting up a 180 degree camera and expecting to be able to read plates (or identify people) at a distance isn't going to work very well for example.

 

[wittaj]

Depends on what you mean by "average" camera. If you mean Ring or Arlo or the type you buy at a big box store, then no. If you mean a camera that will let you adjust settings and the camera has the OPTICAL zoom capabilities for the distance you have to reach, then yes a camera not designed for plates can be used.

You have to setup the camera to get plates, but at night that is all it will get.

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 OPTICALLY 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. We need the fast shutter to capture the plate and take advantage of the reflective properties of the plate. 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 40m from my 2MP 5241-Z12E camera (that is all that is needed for plates):

At that shutter speed you will not pick up the outline of the car, people walking by, etc. Just like at a shutter speed to capture people at night, the plate will be all white due to the reflective properties of the plate.

 

[subterminal]

I was about to pull the trigger on the Dahuas and then had a thought...

There's not much light around my property at night. The Amcrest that I have do OK because they have a built-in IR light, but the Dahuas don't have anything. Now, I do plan to install some battery/solar motion-activated flood lights, which will be good if they get triggered. But if they don't get triggered, I probably won't see anything I'm assuming? I also don't want to have bright flood lights on all night. A porch light is OK, but not looking to light up my place every night. I like our dark area.

Any thoughts on this?

PS - any suggestions on motion-activated battery/solar flood lights?

 

[wittaj]

The 5442 had infrared so you can see B/W.

Here is usually what happens when a motion activated floodlight comes on - it just about completely blinds the camera right at the moment of optimal opportunity to get the picture. There are 3 deer in this picture and two of them are lost in the blinded white while the camera's exposure adjusts to the rapid change in available light and if this were a perp, the money shot is gone because the perp will be out of the image before the camera adjusts the exposure:

Most here will run with lights on all night or not at all.

 

[subterminal]

Hrm, thanks for that tidbit. I like the flood light idea as it seems like a good deterrent to someone on my property at night, but also don't want to miss out on wildlife/money shots.

Anyways, I'll ponder it over tonight. Maybe I can find a happy medium of not-as-bright lights on all night.

 

[wittaj]

We have found that motion activated lights are not a deterrent. There are enough videos here showing that perps do not flinch when a floodlight turns on. They avoid homes all lit up, so go with floodlights on all night.

Watch this video someone posted and how the floodlight comes on and they don't even flinch. But then the audio comes on and they don't know which way to run LOL.

https://ipcamtalk.com/attachments/whatsapp-video-2020-07-28-at-7-23-08-pm-mp4.73970/

Either keep the lights on all night or not at all to ensure the best chance of capture.

 

[CCTVCam]

The 5442 had infrared so you can see B/W.

Here is usually what happens when a motion activated floodlight comes on - it just about completely blinds the camera right at the moment of optimal opportunity to get the picture. There are 3 deer in this picture and two of them are lost in the blinded white while the camera's exposure adjusts to the rapid change in available light and if this were a perp, the money shot is gone because the perp will be out of the image before the camera adjusts the exposure:

Most here will run with lights on all night or not at all.

Not an issue with the 4KT anymore, but can't comment on other cameras. Personally I run a 5w led in a wall light with the 4kT then a 40W flood light (3,500 lumens on a sensor). Change is instantaneous.