Camera recommendations?

[kaivorth]

Edited to focus on camera selection

Cameras:
1. Distance to back entrance 5-10ft. IPC-Color4K-T 2.8mm
2. Distance to cars about 50ft
3. Distance to driveway entrance 80ft
4. Probably get another IPC-Color4K-T 2.8mm to place as a general overview

Not sure what to use for the longer distance cameras

They'll all be mounted in the same general area I'm thinking. Driveway has no light, although I could add some solar powered floodlights. Suggestions? Ordering this week

 

[Ri22o]

The Color4K cameras you have mentioned do not have IR lights and do not see IR. You also mention not having any light over the driveway. You will either need to run the onboard LEDs, install lighting, or change to a 4MP 5442 version with IR.

 

[TonyR]

NVR: Beelink EQ12 i3 N305, will replace SSD with 2TB Sabrent Rocket, and install Blu Iris

I'll be surprised if that PC will perform to your satisfaction, especially if you plan to use that 2TB SSD for Windows, Blue Iris AND the video clips.
Two 4K/8MP cams will likely max it out and it'll run pretty warm.

Are you sold on a tiny PC or would you be OK with at least a refurbished i5 8th gen Dell SFF or HP SFF with 16GB RAM and a 256 SSD for Windows, BI and BI's"db" folder and a spinning HDD, preferably surveillance-rated, for the video clips?

 

[flynreelow]

NVR: Beelink EQ12 i3 N305, will replace SSD with 2TB Sabrent Rocket, and install Blu Iris

Cameras:
1. Distance to back entrance 5-10ft. IPC-Color4K-T 2.8mm
2. Distance to cars about 50ft
3. Distance to driveway entrance 80ft
4. Probably get another IPC-Color4K-T 2.8mm to place as a general overview

Not sure what to use for the longer distance cameras

They'll all be mounted in the same general area I'm thinking. Driveway has no light, although I could add some solar powered floodlights. Suggestions? Ordering this week



View attachment 166969

just pick up a cheap refurb dell optiplex and max out the ram 6500+ and above so it can utilize quicksync

 

[Flintstone61]

( looks at his pile of Optiplex)

 

[kaivorth]

I'll be surprised if that PC will perform to your satisfaction, especially if you plan to use that 2TB SSD for Windows, Blue Iris AND the video clips.
Two 4K/8MP cams will likely max it out and it'll run pretty warm.

Are you sold on a tiny PC or would you be OK with at least a refurbished i5 8th gen Dell SFF or HP SFF with 16GB RAM and a 256 SSD for Windows, BI and BI's"db" folder and a spinning HDD, preferably surveillance-rated, for the video clips?

I did look and somebody else already has been successful using a N100 to run 4 @ 2k and 1 @ 720p, and this is the bigger brother processor so I'm hoping to stay within a NUC if I can

The Color4K cameras you have mentioned do not have IR lights and do not see IR. You also mention not having any light over the driveway. You will either need to run the onboard LEDs, install lighting, or change to a 4MP 5442 version with IR.

Because these are general overview cameras, shouldn't they be sufficient with their built in LEDs?

 

[Ri22o]

Because these are general overview cameras, shouldn't they be sufficient with their built in LEDs?

It is possible, but I have not used my 4K X/T in a situation with no ambient light and only the onboard LEDs. Most don't know that they can't see IR and I wanted to make sure to point that out so you would not be disappointed.

 

[TonyR]

I did look and somebody else already has been successful using a N100 to run 4 @ 2k and 1 @ 720p, and this is the bigger brother processor so I'm hoping to stay within a NUC if I can

Please keep us updated regarding your success, if you would.

 

[kaivorth]

I did double check the N350 CPU benchmarks and it appears to outperform the i5-8500T in every aspect. I'll report back like I said I would when I get that up and running

Now considering a PTZ camera.

1. SD49425XB-HNR PTZ home here
2. IPC-Color4K-T 2.8mm would oversee the entire parking lot and driveway and detect motion. When motion detected, it would tell the PTZ camera to change orientation and zoom in on target?

This sound a little more effective? I'll put up a solar motion detected floodlight to ensure it can see motion in the parking lot?

Less cameras are nice and I think this will be more effective

Thoughts?

 

[Ri22o]

I did double check the N350 CPU benchmarks and it appears to outperform the i5-8500T in every aspect. I'll report back like I said I would when I get that up and running

Now considering a PTZ camera.

1. SD49425XB-HNR PTZ home here
2. IPC-Color4K-T 2.8mm would oversee the entire parking lot and driveway and detect motion. When motion detected, it would tell the PTZ camera to change orientation and zoom in on target?

This sound a little more effective? I'll put up a solar motion detected floodlight to ensure it can see motion in the parking lot?

Thoughts?

I guess the main question is: What are you wanting to accomplish with your system? PTZs are a good supplement, but most do not typically implement them from the beginning. They are usually added to an already strong, developed system to help add value to what is already there.

However, it could work, but the limiting factor is how far away the 2.8mm 4K-T is able to effectively detect someone day/night and call the PTZ to its position. You also need a camera (spotter) for each location/area you would want the PTZ to move to.

Your floodlight will want to be dusk/dawn and not on a motion sensor. There is too much delay and other issues caused by the light coming on and causing overexposure with the camera.

 

[kaivorth]

I guess the main question is: What are you wanting to accomplish with your system? PTZs are a good supplement, but most do not typically implement them from the beginning. They are usually added to an already strong, developed system to help add value to what is already there.

However, it could work, but the limiting factor is how far away the 2.8mm 4K-T is able to effectively detect someone day/night and call the PTZ to its position. You also need a camera (spotter) for each location/area you would want the PTZ to move to.

Your floodlight will want to be dusk/dawn and not on a motion sensor. There is too much delay and other issues caused by the light coming on and causing overexposure with the camera.

This is a good point. What camera would have a better chance at detecting that far?

What I'm trying to accomplish is the least amount of cameras, to be able to detect, and identify individuals coming in the front parking lot entrance, and from the back alley entrance.

That's why I liked the idea of leveraging a PTZ camera. One to detect, one to identify, working together

 

[Ri22o]

This is a good point. What camera would have a better chance at detecting that far?

What I'm trying to accomplish is the least amount of cameras, to be able to detect, and identify individuals coming in the front parking lot entrance, and from the back alley entrance.

That's why I liked the idea of leveraging a PTZ camera. One to detect, one to identify, working together

When a PTZ is looking one way it is not looking the other. There are plenty of times my PTZ is called to a preset and misses something that it would have seen had it not moved.

Camera 1, is there a fence with an opening or is that entire distance free to walk through?
Are you set on only installing cameras from that corner of the building?
Where is the driveway entrance? Just to the right of the shadow?

 

[wittaj]

See this thread on the recommended cameras based on distance to IDENTIFY.

The Importance of Focal Length over MP in camera selection

At the urging of several folks here, I created a thread to show the importance of focal length and how focal length can be more important than megapixels (MP). I mentioned some of this in the post regarding The Hookup’s latest video demonstrating different cameras, including one sold from a...

ipcamtalk.com

See this thread on how to leverage the fixed cameras to call up a PTZ to a certain preset. As mentioned, if you don't have adequate coverage, the PTZ will be looking left and the perp comes from the right. Or there is more than one perp and the PTZ only tracks one of them. But best practice is to have enough fixed cams to capture every area you want and then the PTZ is a supplemental compliment, but not a replacement, for a fixed cam.

Using Spotter Cameras to direct a PTZ where to look in an NVR or Blue Iris and setting a spotter cam as a priority in Blue Iris

We get this question from time to time, so I thought with the recent addition to BI, it made sense to have a thread we can point to. Previously in BI, if you had more than one spotter cam, you could not make one a priority, so if spotter cam #1 triggered the PTZ and it starts tracking and...

ipcamtalk.com

 

[mat200]

This is a good point. What camera would have a better chance at detecting that far?

What I'm trying to accomplish is the least amount of cameras, to be able to detect, and identify individuals coming in the front parking lot entrance, and from the back alley entrance.

That's why I liked the idea of leveraging a PTZ camera. One to detect, one to identify, working together

HI @kaivorth

I understand wanting to keep the number of cameras down .. fortunately there are some nice larger sensor 8MP cameras which do help with longer DORI distancers ( 2x vs 2MP ) .. still in most cases better to have 2 fixed cameras vs one PTZ if you are looking at shorter distances.

( the PTZ really do well longer distances )

 

[kaivorth]

When a PTZ is looking one way it is not looking the other. There are plenty of times my PTZ is called to a preset and misses something that it would have seen had it not moved.

Camera 1, is there a fence with an opening or is that entire distance free to walk through?
Are you set on only installing cameras from that corner of the building?
Where is the driveway entrance? Just to the right of the shadow?

It's an 8ft opening they can walk through. I'd be pointing camera 1 there (ideally the PTZ homed here)

Then when somebody comes up INTO the driveway, it would swivel around and track until they leave or whatever

I could do 2 fixed I suppose and have the PTZ swivel to look down the driveway whenever there's movement

Driveway entrance is to the right of the shadow

 

[Ri22o]

It's an 8ft opening they can walk through. I'd be pointing camera 1 there (ideally the PTZ homed here)

Then when somebody comes up INTO the driveway, it would swivel around and track until they leave or whatever

I could do 2 fixed I suppose and have the PTZ swivel to look down the driveway whenever there's movement

Driveway entrance is to the right of the shadow

Are you set on only installing cameras from that corner of the building?

 

[kaivorth]

Are you set on only installing cameras from that corner of the building?

Open to other places if it's going to be that much more beneficial

 

[kaivorth]

So I think the best solution now is just going to be to:

Camera 1: IPC-Color4K-T 2.8mm ( just constantly looking at the back alley. It's close enough where it'll see everything fine using the onboard LEDs)

Camera 2: SD49425XB-HNR (just constantly overseeing the driveway and zooms & tracks as necessary?)

Thoughts?

 

[kaivorth]

Found a nice lens calculator tool that would show me how that PTZ camera could cover the entire parking lot here.

I'll plan to get another IPC-Color4K-T 2.8mm dedicated to watching the cars, but this seems pretty bullet proof with 3 cameras?

PTZ covering the lot



Second picture showing the IPC-Color4K-T 2.8mm covering the rear


Third, an IPC-Color4K-T 3.6mm also covering the lot

 

[Ri22o]

Found a nice lens calculator tool that would show me how that PTZ camera could cover the entire parking lot here.

I'll plan to get another IPC-Color4K-T 2.8mm dedicated to watching the cars, but this seems pretty bullet proof with 3 cameras?

PTZ covering the lot
View attachment 167158


Second picture showing the IPC-Color4K-T 2.8mm covering the rear
View attachment 167159

Third, an IPC-Color4K-T 3.6mm also covering the lot
View attachment 167161

What tool did you use?

An issue with the PTZ on that corner and trying to look that far down the side of the building (unless there is a soffit or overhang I am not seeing) is the IR could light up the siding and cause issues at distance.