I am still really hoping things are correctable with FW updates but we will see. In the meantime I remain in a holding pattern regarding my purchase and installation plans. I may ask Andy for the 10/28 update while I wait, just to get a feel for the difference.
Dahua WizColor 5x59-PRO and SmartLight 5x59-IL new series
- Thread starter steve1225
- Start date
Just go with the 1028 update, no reason not to at this point, been running it on two here since release. Auto LED's a bit wonky but that can be overcome. Like you and many others, hoping these can be saved to some degree with firmware, otherwise 54Pro v2 will be the next fix. On the plus side at least we can play some relaxing music to the birds when these get used in a nest box!
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Comparisons of the new 54PRO-ZE (5459H-ZE-PV-PRO) vs the 5442H-ZHE
Brighter isn't necessarily better.
Primarily they are using NR, Sharpness and Brightness (through whatever digital means) to mask the inherent shortcomings of the sensor.
Honestly sample test cameras should have gone out 3 months before availability to 3-4 folks who have tested before with focus on real-life scenes with movement, with a focus on image quality and facial ID. No amount of analysis of static images can reproduce real world video results. This was easily identifiable in the first hour of testing on moving targets. Testing at 30+ft under bright street lights with about a 3-4mm zoom doesn't really tell you much.
Can it be improved via FW? I honestly don't know, that's beyond my technical knowledge. Maybe? I'm not optimistic.
Can much/some of it be overcome by adding light? Sure, same with ANY camera. But as I demonstrated on the Z4 variant, even that doesnt overcome the softness in bright daylight.
Can it be useful? sure. If we didnt have the 5442 series we'd probably accept it as the go-to camera. But alas we've seen what good sensors and optics can do and we can't put the toothpaste back in the tube. If you have, or are willing to add enough external light, it can still be a great camera series.
Here are comparisons of the ZE variant to the 5442 ZE.
I saw similar results on the fixed AS variant on my back porch but am able to mitigate much of it with extreme added light in an enclosed tight area. Once in an open low light area, relying on IR, it again becomes obvious that it is not on par with the image quality of the 5442.
On first look we see the same thing we saw with the other 54PRO variants: Brighter image.
Both running 4.5ms Exposure
Note: both cameras benefit from a S3 Z4 right on top of them pointing in roughly the same place but zoomed to the street.
This camera is meant to cover the driveway and provide Overview.
Now the difference isn't blatantly obvious unless you add movement, expand the photos to actual resolution on a real monitor, but generally there is more digital noise (fuzz) and more blur.
Even if you consider the 54PRO image acceptable, you can't say it's "Better"
Another snap example: Again Brighter, but not Better
In setting it for Auto Smart Illum to take advantage of the white LED's and run color on motion activation, we see the same results as the Z4.
Yes its color and to some that may be enough.
But the noise, softness and artifacts are a mess accept when I'm standing almost perfectly still in image #2
View attachment 192.168.1.110_ch2_20251102202748_20251102202806.mp4
Lastly Daytime.
At a distance of about 55ft I'd actually give an edge to the 54PRO over the 5442 due to the inherent "WDR/SSA" effect of better handling the shadows and a more vibrant dynamic range.
This may be part of what we're seeing at night with blur as WDR/SSA in low light can introduce blur?
Obviously at these distances blur and detail noise are greatly diminished for all cameras. Part of why manufacturers use distance shots in their marketing materials.
But in normal daytime scenes, the 54PRO performs fine. Again LIGHT makes the difference
* While I could even out the shadows with WDR/SSA on the 5442, I choose not to because of the flattening of the image it produces.
As the light changes, to overcast, there is less of a clear difference
Brighter isn't necessarily better.
- I have not found any instance where there is benefit of the 54PRO-ZE over the 5442 varifocal. (other than the mic)
- Color daytime - soft and blurry, Color Nighttime - soft and blurry along with added digital noise that cannot be removed without extreme added lighting, B&W/IR Nighttime- soft and digital fuzz noise on the moving target
- I have seen this and struggled with it on all 3 variants -Fixed AS, ZE, and Z4
Primarily they are using NR, Sharpness and Brightness (through whatever digital means) to mask the inherent shortcomings of the sensor.
Honestly sample test cameras should have gone out 3 months before availability to 3-4 folks who have tested before with focus on real-life scenes with movement, with a focus on image quality and facial ID. No amount of analysis of static images can reproduce real world video results. This was easily identifiable in the first hour of testing on moving targets. Testing at 30+ft under bright street lights with about a 3-4mm zoom doesn't really tell you much.
Can it be improved via FW? I honestly don't know, that's beyond my technical knowledge. Maybe? I'm not optimistic.
Can much/some of it be overcome by adding light? Sure, same with ANY camera. But as I demonstrated on the Z4 variant, even that doesnt overcome the softness in bright daylight.
Can it be useful? sure. If we didnt have the 5442 series we'd probably accept it as the go-to camera. But alas we've seen what good sensors and optics can do and we can't put the toothpaste back in the tube. If you have, or are willing to add enough external light, it can still be a great camera series.
Here are comparisons of the ZE variant to the 5442 ZE.
I saw similar results on the fixed AS variant on my back porch but am able to mitigate much of it with extreme added light in an enclosed tight area. Once in an open low light area, relying on IR, it again becomes obvious that it is not on par with the image quality of the 5442.
On first look we see the same thing we saw with the other 54PRO variants: Brighter image.
Both running 4.5ms Exposure
Note: both cameras benefit from a S3 Z4 right on top of them pointing in roughly the same place but zoomed to the street.
This camera is meant to cover the driveway and provide Overview.
Now the difference isn't blatantly obvious unless you add movement, expand the photos to actual resolution on a real monitor, but generally there is more digital noise (fuzz) and more blur.
Even if you consider the 54PRO image acceptable, you can't say it's "Better"
Another snap example: Again Brighter, but not Better
In setting it for Auto Smart Illum to take advantage of the white LED's and run color on motion activation, we see the same results as the Z4.
Yes its color and to some that may be enough.
But the noise, softness and artifacts are a mess accept when I'm standing almost perfectly still in image #2
View attachment 192.168.1.110_ch2_20251102202748_20251102202806.mp4
Lastly Daytime.
At a distance of about 55ft I'd actually give an edge to the 54PRO over the 5442 due to the inherent "WDR/SSA" effect of better handling the shadows and a more vibrant dynamic range.
This may be part of what we're seeing at night with blur as WDR/SSA in low light can introduce blur?
Obviously at these distances blur and detail noise are greatly diminished for all cameras. Part of why manufacturers use distance shots in their marketing materials.
But in normal daytime scenes, the 54PRO performs fine. Again LIGHT makes the difference
* While I could even out the shadows with WDR/SSA on the 5442, I choose not to because of the flattening of the image it produces.
As the light changes, to overcast, there is less of a clear difference
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Yes, yes, and yes. Excellent analysis and helpful pics.
Based mostly on the testing I have followed here, I agree. This is my worst-case scenario and I hope I am wrong.
Sorry for the multi-posts. I didn't know because an error message popped up each time so I tried again.
edit: I deleted the duplicate and related messages that I posted to clean up the unintended mess.
edit: I deleted the duplicate and related messages that I posted to clean up the unintended mess.
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Yeah it’s happening to everyone.
I find just ignore the error, x out. And hit refresh.
Each time you accept the ooops message and try again it’s stuck in a posting /error loop
I find just ignore the error, x out. And hit refresh.
Each time you accept the ooops message and try again it’s stuck in a posting /error loop
I finally think I have the T54PRO-ZE dialed in for daytime, though the night images are still a work in progress. The mailman's reaction today was priceless. It's fun to make him laugh.
It's the one at the door.
Be interesting to see night footage. In that confined space like my back porch it may do ok
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I think the digital noise is probably gain. As said before AI can't work wonders. It's most likely adjusting Brightness, Gain, and contrast to obtain a brighter image to a larger extent than a person would thus inducing noise, then post processing the induced noise out with Intelligence based interpolation. The issue with this as I mentioned above, is where the previous frame (frames) have been rapidly changing and so are very different from the current one, eg on movement, the AI is probably struggling to find a reference and so has to do more blind guesswork, hence the degradation of the image on movement. This is just my interpretation of what is likely going on and not fact. If you want that, ask Dahua although I doubt you'll get an answer as to how it all works as it's probably a guarded secret.
I still believe the only way forward for better night time performance is larger sensors and better processing such as a progression towards old low light DSLR camera sensor units such as Sony 7sii or maybe an intermediate sensor size such as 1 inch / 4/3rds / APS-C etc although I'm not aware of anything outstanding in low light in the intermediate sizings. You can't beat physics. No AI can magically make a wonderful image. It can only process and improve the one it has already got or as BigRed allured to, put makeup on the "pig".
Hopefully the 54Pro can be improved with Firmware, but I don't think we're going to see a low light monster this side of a large sensor transition.
I have to say I feel a bit sorry for Andy in all this. He probably bought hundreds of these cameras hoping for strong sales on here and elsewhere only to now be realising they might not materialise.
I still believe the only way forward for better night time performance is larger sensors and better processing such as a progression towards old low light DSLR camera sensor units such as Sony 7sii or maybe an intermediate sensor size such as 1 inch / 4/3rds / APS-C etc although I'm not aware of anything outstanding in low light in the intermediate sizings. You can't beat physics. No AI can magically make a wonderful image. It can only process and improve the one it has already got or as BigRed allured to, put makeup on the "pig".
Hopefully the 54Pro can be improved with Firmware, but I don't think we're going to see a low light monster this side of a large sensor transition.
I have to say I feel a bit sorry for Andy in all this. He probably bought hundreds of these cameras hoping for strong sales on here and elsewhere only to now be realising they might not materialise.
100% Agree with this, should never have left the factory in this state, period.
What I have to state again though, the shutter on the 54Pro will not freeze motion above 2ms, simple facts. It still puzzles me, because in your samples (and my own two test cameras) I see hints that this sensor might still give better results at night.
There are still times with mine that I get actually quite good results during poor lighting, all be it dark images, but, still there seems to be a glimmer of hope. My heart says they can pull this around with firmware and get close to the S3, my head says different. But honestly, any shutter speed above 1-2ms is not going to give acceptable results on these guys.
Sunrise and sunset, my S3's and 5442's are still destroying the 54Pro's, sadly. Great post though @bigredfish - appreciate the time and effort both yourself and others are putting in, I have countless hours testing these things now and very sad to see the outcome. As you rightly stated, those with experience will know within the first 30 minutes of testing if a camera is going to be good or not. This begs the question, how in the heck did these ever get boxed up and sent out for sale, they are in beta testing stage at best.
For all our sakes I hope firmware can make these usable
Lovin' my ancient circa 2019-2022 5442's...
View attachment Recording 2025-11-10 101745.mp4
View attachment 192.168.1.110_ch6_20251106212144_20251106212215.mp4
View attachment Recording 2025-11-10 101745.mp4
View attachment 192.168.1.110_ch6_20251106212144_20251106212215.mp4
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I'm curious to know, is the latest official Dahua FW worth the trouble of updating? I am on the original July version.
There may be some slight benefit but I havent noticed it.
Chokolinho
Getting comfortable
I'm okay with 45 gain 1/60 for now. A string of lights is arriving in the next few days. Let's see how it looks in color.
I have a couple of 5442 original bullets, hands down the best cameras I own for seeing into the darkness. Interested to swap one for an S3 to see if there are any benefits. Simply amazes me the ability those 5442's have with onboard IR.
When I replaced an S2 5442 with an S3, I thought there was a definite improvement in how it performed with IR lighting. I use external IR, so this does not reflect any differences in the built-in IR.