SUNBA PoE+ PTZ Camera Outdoor, 36X Optical Zoom 5MP

[Saltster]

I hope I'm allowed to talk about other cameras? if not let me know. Thanks

After having some of my Dahua IPC-HDW5231R-ZE and IPC-HFW5231E-Z12E and PTZ fail. and after receiving a scratched Dahua camera and scratched lens that was replaced by Andy. and now in short supply. I need replacements.

I started searching for some other low-light IR cameras.
I live on acreage and my cameras listed above did OK but I never did like the resolution.

So I started searching and reading reviews.

I came upon the below camera and decided to pull the trigger.

SUNBA PoE+ PTZ Camera Outdoor, 36X Optical Zoom 5MP Dome Security Camera, Long Range Infrared Night Vision up to 1500ft (P636 V2, Performance Series)
I ordered it off of Amazon direct from the manufacturer

https://amzn.to/397o6pU

received the camera and updated the firmware, (all went flawlessly)

The resolution is outstanding and the IR blow me away.

I zoomed in 36X time at night and the IR kicked too high and I can see everything as if it was day and the focus is perfect even at night

I did not know that there were any cameras out there that can see out over 1500 feet at night perfectly.
the house up the road and across the lake is over 1500 feet and I can see it perfected day and at night, zoomed in 36x right up to the doors.
Wow, I'm blown away by this camera.

I just ordered a second one and waiting for it to arrive. I am also ordering four more of their smaller ones for each corner of my house.

The only thing that I'm trying to correct is that I have it mounted on an 18 ft metal pole with three guide wires and I am getting wobbling in high winds. I ordered a better pole mount bracket that should be here this weekend.

does anyone have experience with PTZ on poles? if so how did you mount yours and is there any wind wobble?

Anyways I'm excited about this camera and thought I would share my thoughts.

Thanks

 

[wittaj]

I am sorry you are having such bad luck with your cams!

Yeah, my first PTZ was a Sunba (albeit not this model but a cheaper one) - I was blown away with how far it could see as well....initially.....

Then perps came by at night and it was a complete blur and the algorithm won't let it hold a faster shutter if the camera thinks it makes the image too dark, so I had some ghosting.

That $500 camera is marketed as a Budget Outdoor Intelligent Surveillance camera. Well the 5MP on the 1/2.8" sensor makes it a budget camera, but that price tag certainly doesn't LOL. It says 36 zoom, but the focal length min and max is the actual performance capability, and the specs are not providing that.

I replaced it with a $400 PTZ camera, the 49225 with autotracking and kicked myself that I went with a budget PTZ first as the 49225 blew that Sunba away in build quality, distance capabilities, and pretty much everything. I like it so much I bought another one LOL.

As long as the 5MP Sunba works for you and your use case, that is all that matters. If it is just for looking around, it should be fine. But 5MP on a 1/2.8" sensor is a sensor made for 2MP and the range would be further on a 2MP at night. I do know that some of the Sunba models are Hikvision OEM, so if this is that, then you probably have a decent camera.

Anyway, back to your question. The newer bracket should help, but the biggest issue is the amount of pole sway at 18 feet. Even with guide wires, it doesn't take much movement to make the camera image look wobbly, even more so when zoomed in. Plus the guide wires may actually accentuate the wobbly as the 3 wires compete to try to hold it steady, so instead of a gentle sway, you get lots of micro jumping trying to hold it in place.

 

[Flintstone61]

Glad you're happy with the optics and the IR.
what does the User interface look like?
Does it have similar settings available as the 5231's?
the mount looks Hik.
The case Looks Dahua esp. the black side part where it tilts down and up.
But the Business part of sure has a lot of IR! are any of those LED lights?
or all IR?

 

[Griswalduk]

If possible it would be interesting to see some day / night footage

 

[Saltster]

Glad you're happy with the optics and the IR.
what does the User interface look like?
Does it have similar settings available as the 5231's?
the mount looks Hik.
The case Looks Dahua esp. the black side part where it tilts down and up.
But the Business part of sure has a lot of IR! are any of those LED lights?
or all IR?

They are all IR, and more kick in when zoomed.

 

[Saltster]

I am sorry you are having such bad luck with your cams!

Yeah, my first PTZ was a Sunba (albeit not this model but a cheaper one) - I was blown away with how far it could see as well....initially.....

Then perps came by at night and it was a complete blur and the algorithm won't let it hold a faster shutter if the camera thinks it makes the image too dark, so I had some ghosting.

That $500 camera is marketed as a Budget Outdoor Intelligent Surveillance camera. Well the 5MP on the 1/2.8" sensor makes it a budget camera, but that price tag certainly doesn't LOL. It says 36 zoom, but the focal length min and max is the actual performance capability, and the specs are not providing that.

I replaced it with a $400 PTZ camera, the 49225 with autotracking and kicked myself that I went with a budget PTZ first as the 49225 blew that Sunba away in build quality, distance capabilities, and pretty much everything. I like it so much I bought another one LOL.

As long as the 5MP Sunba works for you and your use case, that is all that matters. If it is just for looking around, it should be fine. But 5MP on a 1/2.8" sensor is a sensor made for 2MP and the range would be further on a 2MP at night. I do know that some of the Sunba models are Hikvision OEM, so if this is that, then you probably have a decent camera.

Anyway, back to your question. The newer bracket should help, but the biggest issue is the amount of pole sway at 18 feet. Even with guide wires, it doesn't take much movement to make the camera image look wobbly, even more so when zoomed in. Plus the guide wires may actually accentuate the wobbly as the 3 wires compete to try to hold it steady, so instead of a gentle sway, you get lots of micro jumping trying to hold it in place.

I appreciate your response, but my results are not matching what you are saying.

 

[Saltster]

I am sorry you are having such bad luck with your cams!

Yeah, my first PTZ was a Sunba (albeit not this model but a cheaper one) - I was blown away with how far it could see as well....initially.....

Then perps came by at night and it was a complete blur and the algorithm won't let it hold a faster shutter if the camera thinks it makes the image too dark, so I had some ghosting.

That $500 camera is marketed as a Budget Outdoor Intelligent Surveillance camera. Well the 5MP on the 1/2.8" sensor makes it a budget camera, but that price tag certainly doesn't LOL. It says 36 zoom, but the focal length min and max is the actual performance capability, and the specs are not providing that.

I replaced it with a $400 PTZ camera, the 49225 with autotracking and kicked myself that I went with a budget PTZ first as the 49225 blew that Sunba away in build quality, distance capabilities, and pretty much everything. I like it so much I bought another one LOL.

As long as the 5MP Sunba works for you and your use case, that is all that matters. If it is just for looking around, it should be fine. But 5MP on a 1/2.8" sensor is a sensor made for 2MP and the range would be further on a 2MP at night. I do know that some of the Sunba models are Hikvision OEM, so if this is that, then you probably have a decent camera.

Anyway, back to your question. The newer bracket should help, but the biggest issue is the amount of pole sway at 18 feet. Even with guide wires, it doesn't take much movement to make the camera image look wobbly, even more so when zoomed in. Plus the guide wires may actually accentuate the wobbly as the 3 wires compete to try to hold it steady, so instead of a gentle sway, you get lots of micro jumping trying to hold it in place.

non zoom




zoomed in

 

[Saltster]

If possible it would be interesting to see some day / night footage

I will have to get some for you.

 

[Saltster]

[/QUOTE]

Anyway, back to your question. The newer bracket should help, but the biggest issue is the amount of pole sway at 18 feet. Even with guide wires, it doesn't take much movement to make the camera image look wobbly, even more so when zoomed in. Plus the guide wires may actually accentuate the wobbly as the 3 wires compete to try to hold it steady, so instead of a gentle sway, you get lots of micro jumping trying to hold it in place.

I need to have this camera where it is because of what I am viewing. Would a 4x4 work better? or a CD tower?

 

[Ssayer]

I've got all of my >5x cams mounted on my house or shed. Once you start getting up there in magnification, it just doesn't take much to see the sway/movement by the wind. Heck, even at 5x my cam mounted 15' up on a very stout foot and a half diameter tree gets moved around a lot in a decent wind.

 

[Flintstone61]

Heck, even the cam on the telephone pole out back moves in wind gusts. Maybe 6 guide wires?

 

[Saltster]

Glad you're happy with the optics and the IR.
what does the User interface look like?
Does it have similar settings available as the 5231's?
the mount looks Hik.
The case Looks Dahua esp. the black side part where it tilts down and up.
But the Business part of sure has a lot of IR! are any of those LED lights?
or all IR?

Is this what you wanted to see?

I am using my NVR and Blue Iris

 

[Flintstone61]

Yeah thats a helluva lot better than my Jidetech UI. I think mine was translated from Post Neolithic Hyieroglyphics

 

[Saltster]

Yeah thats a helluva lot better than my Jidetech UI. I think mine was translated from Post Neolithic Hyieroglyphics

From what I am seeing, this Camera is giving me a lot clearer video than what I have been using posted above. This is the first time I can make out faces in the dark, and zoomed-in photos are so crisp. I purchased this because of the 36X and I needed some footage of some illegal activity for someone. got exactly the footage I needed clear as day. no problem making out faces or signage on the vehicles.

 

[wittaj]

That GUI image doesn't look like Hikvision, but it doesn't look like Sunba either, so maybe they have yet another OEM in the mix?

My Sunba gives incredible still shot images day and night. Even better than yours. You have a ton of chromatic aberration going on there. It is an optical flaw that causes bright areas to appear purple or purple fringing on edges of objects and it gives that red/blue or green/purple color shifts you see here. Let me see if I can find an old screenshot from when I was playing with mine when I first got it.

What is important is what does motion look like at night - is it a blur or can you freeze frame it to get a clean shot?

Here is a test that will give us an idea of the capabilities of the camera. At night we have to run fast 1/2000 shutter speed in order to get plates. That means at nighttime the image is completely black except for when the head/taillight and plate come by. I thought maybe I would use the great zoom of the Sunba and use it as an LPR so I zoomed down the street and got great plates during the day. At nighttime, the image stayed bright like it as a 1/30 shutter and every car that went by was a blur. That test can tell you a lot about a camera quality.

If you can run this at 1/2000 shutter at night and the image is all black, then you have better firmware than the Sunba I have.

Regarding hanging it higher - the more stockier of a post you can get, the better. It just doesn't take much movement for any type of zoom camera to really show the movement.

My neighbor put his PTZ on his flagpole and it has a fair amount of movement, but it is more sway than I suspect the jerkiness you are probably experiencing with the guide wires trying to do their job.

 

[Saltster]

That GUI image doesn't look like Hikvision, but it doesn't look like Sunba either, so maybe they have yet another OEM in the mix?

My Sunba gives incredible still shot images day and night. Even better than yours. You have a ton of chromatic aberration going on there. It is an optical flaw that causes bright areas to appear purple or purple fringing on edges of objects and it gives that red/blue or green/purple color shifts you see here. Let me see if I can find an old screenshot from when I was playing with mine when I first got it.

What is important is what does motion look like at night - is it a blur or can you freeze frame it to get a clean shot?

Here is a test that will give us an idea of the capabilities of the camera. At night we have to run fast 1/2000 shutter speed in order to get plates. That means at nighttime the image is completely black except for when the head/taillight and plate come by. I thought maybe I would use the great zoom of the Sunba and use it as an LPR so I zoomed down the street and got great plates during the day. At nighttime, the image stayed bright like it as a 1/30 shutter and every car that went by was a blur. That test can tell you a lot about a camera quality.

If you can run this at 1/2000 shutter at night and the image is all black, then you have better firmware than the Sunba I have.

Regarding hanging it higher - the more stockier of a post you can get, the better. It just doesn't take much movement for any type of zoom camera to really show the movement.

My neighbor put his PTZ on his flagpole and it has a fair amount of movement, but it is more sway than I suspect the jerkiness you are probably experiencing with the guide wires trying to do their job.

I thought the color looked great and the video and images also looked great, much better than the other ones I posted above. at least with this one, I can make out the face.

 

[wittaj]

Like I said, my Sunba was a cheaper one and I know that they started working more closely with Hikvision on some of their models. As long as you are happy with it and get the results you want, that is all that matters! But you can do a search here of many Sunba users that had issues.

I will say that Sunba does have great customer service. They have sent folks here new motherboards or optic sensor without hesitation (for those that are inclined to take apart and replace themselves). When I first got mine I was having some issues with it and they remoted in and fixed it. Later I had another issue and they sent me a new one priority shipping (I think I got it in one day, but maybe two from China) no questions asked.

And they will be quick to admit the limitations. When I reached out to them and asked why won't it honor a user set parameter like a shutter at 1/2000 and they said their firmware is designed to override a user setting if it results in too dark of a picture. Not many companies will do that! I get the idea behind overriding a user setting for those that don't know any better, but it is also a limiting factor of the software if you cannot further dial in the parameters to eliminate blur during motion at nighttime.

I found an old screenshot I took when I first got the Sunba and was testing out the range.

I forgot mine had the purple fringe to the extent it did as well LOL. Must just be a thing with Sunba's LOL

This was about 1,200 feet away.

 

[Saltster]

Like I said, my Sunba was a cheaper one and I know that they started working more closely with Hikvision on some of their models. As long as you are happy with it and get the results you want, that is all that matters! But you can do a search here of many Sunba users that had issues.

I will say that Sunba does have great customer service. They have sent folks here new motherboards or optic sensor without hesitation (for those that are inclined to take apart and replace themselves). When I first got mine I was having some issues with it and they remoted in and fixed it. Later I had another issue and they sent me a new one priority shipping (I think I got it in one day, but maybe two from China) no questions asked.

And they will be quick to admit the limitations. When I reached out to them and asked why won't it honor a user set parameter like a shutter at 1/2000 and they said their firmware is designed to override a user setting if it results in too dark of a picture. Not many companies will do that! I get the idea behind overriding a user setting for those that don't know any better, but it is also a limiting factor of the software if you cannot further dial in the parameters to eliminate blur during motion at nighttime.

I found an old screenshot I took when I first got the Sunba and was testing out the range.

I forgot mine had the purple fringe to the extent it did as well LOL. Must just be a thing with Sunba's LOL

This was about 1,200 feet away.

View attachment 125836

once this wind lets up, I will take a few more pics.

 

[sebastiantombs]

Please get some night captures that include motion. Without motion it's not really useful.

 

[KenAllen15]

That GUI image doesn't look like Hikvision, but it doesn't look like Sunba either, so maybe they have yet another OEM in the mix?

My Sunba gives incredible still shot images day and night. Even better than yours. You have a ton of chromatic aberration going on there. It is an optical flaw that causes bright areas to appear purple or purple fringing on edges of objects and it gives that red/blue or green/purple color shifts you see here. Let me see if I can find an old screenshot from when I was playing with mine when I first got it.

What is important is what does motion look like at night - is it a blur or can you freeze frame it to get a clean shot?

Here is a test that will give us an idea of the capabilities of the camera. At night we have to run fast 1/2000 shutter speed in order to get plates. That means at nighttime the image is completely black except for when the head/taillight and plate come by. I thought maybe I would use the great zoom of the Sunba and use it as an LPR so I zoomed down the street and got great plates during the day. At nighttime, the image stayed bright like it as a 1/30 shutter and every car that went by was a blur. That test can tell you a lot about a camera quality.

If you can run this at 1/2000 shutter at night and the image is all black, then you have better firmware than the Sunba I have.

Regarding hanging it higher - the more stockier of a post you can get, the better. It just doesn't take much movement for any type of zoom camera to really show the movement.

My neighbor put his PTZ on his flagpole and it has a fair amount of movement, but it is more sway than I suspect the jerkiness you are probably experiencing with the guide wires trying to do their job.

That looks identical to the Uniview PTZ interface that we have at work: