Oh ok, I didn't realize you cut the female connector off the camera and added a new one. I thought you did just the cable side.
Review-Dahua IPC-HDBW4231F-E2-M Dual Starlight Cam
- Thread starter looney2ns
- Start date
and i didnt realize that you were talking about the female side , but i like your idea!! LOL
I have one of these cameras and despite its many faults, I like that it can effectively provide 180 degrees of viewing angle from "one" unit and am considering the purchase of a second one. Although there is still inventory of this camera to be purchased, it is officially EoL'ed (see the EoL right after the description on the product page IPC-HDBW4231F-E2-M/M12) but I don't see any newer/updated version. Does a newer model exist, or is there knowledge that one is even coming?
Yes a newer one exists that fixed the faults of this one!
Review-Dahua/EmpireTech Dual lens IPC-HDBW5441F-AS-E2 (The Boobie Cam Upgrade)
EmpireTech Dual lens IPC-HDBW5441F-AS-E2 courtesy of @EMPIRETECANDY Review unit courtesy of Andy (@EMPIRETECANDY) in exchange for a fair and honest review. Andy's ipcamtalk vendor forum: link Andy's AliExpress store: link Andy's Amazon store: link Purchase direct by Email: Andy's Email...
Last edited:
EMPIRETECANDY
IPCT Vendor
Review-Dahua/EmpireTech Dual lens IPC-HDBW5441F-AS-E2 (The Boobie Cam Upgrade)
EmpireTech Dual lens IPC-HDBW5441F-AS-E2 courtesy of @EMPIRETECANDY Review unit courtesy of Andy (@EMPIRETECANDY) in exchange for a fair and honest review. Andy's ipcamtalk vendor forum: link Andy's AliExpress store: link Andy's Amazon store: link Purchase direct by Email: Andy's Email...
The 2mp is end of life now, never have again, right now is replaced by this 4mp.
Scott Ritchey
Getting the hang of it
Sad saga with promising ending and a mystery.
Sad saga: I finally got my 2mp boobie cam (HDBW4231F-E2-M) mounted and aimed the way it needed to be. In while cleaning the insides of the domes (before replacing the cover) had a fit of terminal stupidity and squirted one lens with Invisible Glass cleaner. I should have stopped right there (with cover still off) to let it dry but I didn't. I put the screwed the cover back on and moisture migrated throughout the camera (foggy imagery). The next day I brought the camera indoors, removed the cover and than ran it for several days: since then one camera improved a but the other is still terminally fogged.
The promising part is I ordered one of the new 4mp versions. The mount/aiming is already sorted so install should be quick and EZ. I'm using one of the L-shaped wall mounts but mounted vertically from the soffit; that avoids strong IR reflection from the facia. So I have high confidence the new camera will be online in no time.
The mystery: I wonder if it's possible to open up the plastic eyeball and clean the foggy back side of the lens?? The one camera/eyeball is unusable now so I'm attempted to try. Has anyone done this (open the eyeball or clean the lens)? Did it work? Are there any tricks? It looks like the eyeball just pops out of the rotating socket and I saw a screw on the back. Or is it possible to remove the lens without opening the eyeball? What is the internal configuration of the sensor and lens? Am I nuts to even try this?
Sad saga: I finally got my 2mp boobie cam (HDBW4231F-E2-M) mounted and aimed the way it needed to be. In while cleaning the insides of the domes (before replacing the cover) had a fit of terminal stupidity and squirted one lens with Invisible Glass cleaner. I should have stopped right there (with cover still off) to let it dry but I didn't. I put the screwed the cover back on and moisture migrated throughout the camera (foggy imagery). The next day I brought the camera indoors, removed the cover and than ran it for several days: since then one camera improved a but the other is still terminally fogged.
The promising part is I ordered one of the new 4mp versions. The mount/aiming is already sorted so install should be quick and EZ. I'm using one of the L-shaped wall mounts but mounted vertically from the soffit; that avoids strong IR reflection from the facia. So I have high confidence the new camera will be online in no time.
The mystery: I wonder if it's possible to open up the plastic eyeball and clean the foggy back side of the lens?? The one camera/eyeball is unusable now so I'm attempted to try. Has anyone done this (open the eyeball or clean the lens)? Did it work? Are there any tricks? It looks like the eyeball just pops out of the rotating socket and I saw a screw on the back. Or is it possible to remove the lens without opening the eyeball? What is the internal configuration of the sensor and lens? Am I nuts to even try this?
tibimakai
Known around here
On Ali, some sell domes, you should check them out, to see if their dimensions would work on these cameras.
If I read you right, it isn't the dome that is ruined but the lens.
It isn't fog on the other side of the lens, you have ruined the anti-glare coating on the lens. Yep I did that too once with this camera lol.
I just kept rubbing it until the antiglare coating was gone. Not as good as pre, but good enough and certainly better than the blur I had before.
Probably the other lens wasn't damaged as much and the mess evaporated off of it more.
It isn't fog on the other side of the lens, you have ruined the anti-glare coating on the lens. Yep I did that too once with this camera lol.
I just kept rubbing it until the antiglare coating was gone. Not as good as pre, but good enough and certainly better than the blur I had before.
Probably the other lens wasn't damaged as much and the mess evaporated off of it more.
Scott Ritchey
Getting the hang of it
What @wittaj said.
I'll experiment with that when I get a chance.
After my misadventure, I inspected the camera about 2 a.m. and could see visible moisture trapped inside the rubber ring that surrounds the bad camera's lens. Quite possible that the long water-soak destroyed the coating and that's the whole problem.
Currently that image is very blurry so maybe I can bring it back to a useful level. I can always use another camera (or excuse to buy a new one).
This cam is mounted under the soffit on the front porch for a 180 degree view of the front yard. I have 5442s (two each) covering the front and back doors and other outside cameras. But That big-picture panoramic view (from boobie cam) is very handy.
I'll experiment with that when I get a chance.
After my misadventure, I inspected the camera about 2 a.m. and could see visible moisture trapped inside the rubber ring that surrounds the bad camera's lens. Quite possible that the long water-soak destroyed the coating and that's the whole problem.
Currently that image is very blurry so maybe I can bring it back to a useful level. I can always use another camera (or excuse to buy a new one).
This cam is mounted under the soffit on the front porch for a 180 degree view of the front yard. I have 5442s (two each) covering the front and back doors and other outside cameras. But That big-picture panoramic view (from boobie cam) is very handy.
Scott Ritchey
Getting the hang of it
@wittaj: you da man!! THANK YOU so much.
I removed the small rubber ring (that seals against the dome) and rubbed the front lens face with a paper towel, wetted with alcohol. That improved the image greatly but there was still some haze. So I used a genuine lens cloth which eliminated nearly all of the haze. Now the "bad" camera looks sharper than the "good" camera (in the same boobie-cam). The colors don't match exactly but who cares, maybe they never did. I'll still use the new 4K boobie-cam in front and decide where to mount this resurrected one (probably on barn to cover back yard).
By the way, the lens appears to be mounted in a "rubber" surround which allows a small amount of angular movement. Shock mounting? In any event, I now suspect the actual sensor array is attached to the lens to maintain alignment/focus such that the back of the lens is not even accessible. Just guessing; I don't need to know now.
Now that it's "fixed" I won't do a post-mortem. But if anyone ever decides to tear apart a dead camera please take and post photos for the rest of us curious folk.
I removed the small rubber ring (that seals against the dome) and rubbed the front lens face with a paper towel, wetted with alcohol. That improved the image greatly but there was still some haze. So I used a genuine lens cloth which eliminated nearly all of the haze. Now the "bad" camera looks sharper than the "good" camera (in the same boobie-cam). The colors don't match exactly but who cares, maybe they never did. I'll still use the new 4K boobie-cam in front and decide where to mount this resurrected one (probably on barn to cover back yard).
By the way, the lens appears to be mounted in a "rubber" surround which allows a small amount of angular movement. Shock mounting? In any event, I now suspect the actual sensor array is attached to the lens to maintain alignment/focus such that the back of the lens is not even accessible. Just guessing; I don't need to know now.
Now that it's "fixed" I won't do a post-mortem. But if anyone ever decides to tear apart a dead camera please take and post photos for the rest of us curious folk.
freshsworld
n3wb
I have a similar problem...after I opened the camera once to align the lenses, the picture is always a bit foggy in night mode (see picture). I maybe I got to the infrared leds with my fingers...can that be? I dont think it is moisture in the housing because I have not cleaned wet. Shall I open it again an try to clean it somehow?
Attachments
That looks like IR reflection off the domes.
That is either infrared bounce from that light down below, IR off the dome due to the seal being rolled, or a fingerprint on the lens.
I would look at those first.
freshsworld
n3wb
Thanks for the tips. The lamp below is off...apparently the glass panel above the LED reflects here. With what kind of cleaner would you clean the lens? Sorry I think I dont understand that point "IR off the dome due to the seal being rolled" what exactly do you mean by that? Thanks again!
You have to be careful wiping the lens as it has an anti-glare coating on it. So move it around in the light to make sure if you have a fingerprint smudge on it or not.
If you rub it and part of the anti-glare comes off, then you need to just continue to wipe it until it is gone.
There is a rubber gasket that goes around the lens that seats up to the dome. Sometimes when putting the dome back on, the seal rolls and lets a little bit of the IR to bleed past it. So confirm it is a tight fit. from the rubber gasket to the dome.
If you rub it and part of the anti-glare comes off, then you need to just continue to wipe it until it is gone.
There is a rubber gasket that goes around the lens that seats up to the dome. Sometimes when putting the dome back on, the seal rolls and lets a little bit of the IR to bleed past it. So confirm it is a tight fit. from the rubber gasket to the dome.
freshsworld
n3wb
ok i tried all your tips and it seems to be a bit better (here is a picture but in a different spot now). I´ll see how this works out and if necessary I clean it again.
Yesterday the new version of the boobie cam (4MP) arrived which I placed instead of the old one. To me it seems like the quality is worse/blurrier despite the higher resolution. Can this be due to the 3.6mm version (the old one is 2.8mm). From the settings both should run the same. Have you made any experiences here?
Old boobie cam (2MP):
New boobie cam (4MP):
Yesterday the new version of the boobie cam (4MP) arrived which I placed instead of the old one. To me it seems like the quality is worse/blurrier despite the higher resolution. Can this be due to the 3.6mm version (the old one is 2.8mm). From the settings both should run the same. Have you made any experiences here?
Old boobie cam (2MP):
New boobie cam (4MP):
We have seen two cameras, same model, same focal length, require two different settings when looking at the same thing, so going from a 2MP to a 4MP will most likely need different settings.
The focus target range between the 2.8 and 3.6mm will be different, so that could account for some of it.
But it looks like the bitrate and contrast need to be bumped up on the newer one. Try a bitrate of CBR 8192 and see if that helps improve the image.
The focus target range between the 2.8 and 3.6mm will be different, so that could account for some of it.
But it looks like the bitrate and contrast need to be bumped up on the newer one. Try a bitrate of CBR 8192 and see if that helps improve the image.
Scott Ritchey
Getting the hang of it
The domes on these boobie cams must be clean, inside and out. As a test, I mounted the cam without the cover/domes and the images were the best ever (excellent, actually).
Then I carefully cleaned the insides of the domes and re-mounted the cover while the camera mounted It was impossible to install the cover without touching the outsides of the domes. The initial night images were very foggy but just a quick cleaning of the outsides of the domes helped enormously, but still nowhere near as good as images with the cover/domes removed).
My cameras are pointed at more than 45 degrees off perpendicular (to the camera base) and I suspect the domes cause optical distortion (in addition to reflected IR illuminator glare). I should do a test with the IR illuminators off.
Maybe Dahua will make a point-able duo camera with flat glass instead of domes one day? Or maybe I'll just use two cameras and pull an additional ethernet cable (I hate that crawlspace).
On someone's recommendation I started using "Invisible Glass" to clean the domes (especially inside before installing).
Then I carefully cleaned the insides of the domes and re-mounted the cover while the camera mounted It was impossible to install the cover without touching the outsides of the domes. The initial night images were very foggy but just a quick cleaning of the outsides of the domes helped enormously, but still nowhere near as good as images with the cover/domes removed).
My cameras are pointed at more than 45 degrees off perpendicular (to the camera base) and I suspect the domes cause optical distortion (in addition to reflected IR illuminator glare). I should do a test with the IR illuminators off.
Maybe Dahua will make a point-able duo camera with flat glass instead of domes one day? Or maybe I'll just use two cameras and pull an additional ethernet cable (I hate that crawlspace).
On someone's recommendation I started using "Invisible Glass" to clean the domes (especially inside before installing).