Cam Location Pic (2.8mm or 4mm)?

Roman

Getting the hang of it
Aug 31, 2014
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Hey all...hoping some others can offer their opinion on whether to go with a 2.8mm or 4mm lens for this location....I am thinking go with the wider 2.8mm so that I can cover more of the yard but really the priority is to try and get coverage for all 3 door locations. Not sure if the wider lens would still let me get most of the yard and the door locations or not? Anyway the cam will most likely be a Hik Turret.

 
2.8 mm will certainly allow you to capture more of the yard (to the right). However, you need to tilt that camera away from the wall. There is no nneed to watch that wall as much as you are.
 
Q2U...thanks for your opinion on lens width. I assume from what your saying you think the 2.8 will capture the yard as well as still capture the door(s) entrance way?

And in reference to why the camera is view is so close to the wall is my current camera's night vision is so terrible (age) that if you take it away from the wall the IR LED's will not light up the door area:) Trust me, when I get the new Hik's I will tilt the cam away from the wall as you stated:)
 
With mini PTZ you wouldn't need to think which lens you need and figuring out what to do about that crappy night time quality.
 
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With mini PTZ you wouldn't need to think which lens you need and figuring out what to do about that crappy night time quality.

Thanks for the suggestion but I will stick with a dome or turret for now until the mini ptz has been tested thoroughly for it's reliability. You always have to wonder how long that ptz motor is going to last in a 100-200 cam:)
 
Q2U...thanks for your opinion on lens width. I assume from what your saying you think the 2.8 will capture the yard as well as still capture the door(s) entrance way?

And in reference to why the camera is view is so close to the wall is my current camera's night vision is so terrible (age) that if you take it away from the wall the IR LED's will not light up the door area:) Trust me, when I get the new Hik's I will tilt the cam away from the wall as you stated:)

I'm not certain how much of the 2mm camera will capture because I don't know how large the yard is. You may want to post a satellite image of the portion of the yard in question, in relation to that door, so we can better determine how much coverage a 2.8 millimeter lens might provide.
 
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Sure, it's your call but don't be surprised how awful these Hiks are at night. As far as Ptz motor I am not worried, my cams are static after initial configuration.
 
4mm. The 2.8 will give you 90 degrees, which means full yard, but you'll significantly compromise door detail. Or just buy two 4mm and then you're really cooking ;)
 
All my Hik cameras below are 2.8mm, I like wide angle because it gives me an overview picture, but anything beyond roughly 20' feet is not great if you want to get any detail. Your yard appears significantly larger then what I have so you may want to look at 5+ MP cameras, but like I said with Hiks you are considering you will need to either add more IR light or flood light for any night viewing.

Here is my comparison of night quality 3MP vs 4MP with 2.8mm lens
https://www.ipcamtalk.com/showthread.php/5338-Image-comparison-of-3MP-Turret-vs-4MP-Dome-at-Night
 
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4mm. The 2.8 will give you 90 degrees, which means full yard, but you'll significantly compromise door detail. Or just buy two 4mm and then you're really cooking ;)

This is very good advice in my opinion. Once again, it would be nice to see the scope of the yard in relation to the door and the house in order to make a better assessment of which camera, or cameras, would best meet your needs
 
4mm. The 2.8 will give you 90 degrees, which means full yard, but you'll significantly compromise door detail. Or just buy two 4mm and then you're really cooking ;)

Thanks for the good feedback....I may go with the 4mm to really hone in on the doors...I am not all that concerned about capturing yard "area".
 
All my Hik cameras below are 2.8mm, I like wide angle because it gives me an overview picture, but anything beyond roughly 20' feet is not great if you want to get any detail. Your yard appears significantly larger then what I have so you may want to look at 5+ MP cameras, but like I said with Hiks you are considering you will need to either add more IR light or flood light for any night viewing.

Here is my comparison of night quality 3MP vs 4MP with 2.8mm lens
https://www.ipcamtalk.com/showthread.php/5338-Image-comparison-of-3MP-Turret-vs-4MP-Dome-at-Night

Not sure about your theory about the Hiks having poor night vision...especially these turret's? Anyway, I had a 3MP 4mm turret set up over at a relative's house for a few months in between someone moving in permanently (just to keep an eye on the residence) and the night viewing was exceptional in my opinion. Thus why I am opting to continue using the turrets for my own application.
 
This is very good advice in my opinion. Once again, it would be nice to see the scope of the yard in relation to the door and the house in order to make a better assessment of which camera, or cameras, would best meet your needs

What specifically would you need to see in regards to a picture to help better assist me? As you stated above a satellite image, a pic standing in the backyard looking at the back of the house, etc? Please elaborate and I will provide:)
 
Not sure about your theory about the Hiks having poor night vision...especially these turret's? Anyway, I had a 3MP 4mm turret set up over at a relative's house for a few months in between someone moving in permanently (just to keep an eye on the residence) and the night viewing was exceptional in my opinion. Thus why I am opting to continue using the turrets for my own application.

It's not a theory, I have various, turrets, domes, mini domes and none perform exceptionally as you see from the link above. They are only good for small area coverage or need to throw in some additional light, but they are far from being exceptional IMHO. I wouldn't even call Huisun mini PTZ exceptional at night, although it is the best I've seen in the same price range.

What I would call exceptional (in the same price range) is this, but no one has it yet:

https://www.ipcamtalk.com/showthread.php/6964-5-MegaGixel-1-1-8-quot-low-light-destroyer-for-90
 
It's not a theory, I have various, turrets, domes, mini domes and none perform exceptionally as you see from the link above. They are only good for small area coverage or need to throw in some additional light, but they are far from being exceptional IMHO. I wouldn't even call Huisun mini PTZ exceptional at night, although it is the best I've seen in the same price range.

What I would call exceptional (in the same price range) is this, but no one has it yet:

https://www.ipcamtalk.com/showthread.php/6964-5-MegaGixel-1-1-8-quot-low-light-destroyer-for-90

I saw your link above comparing the turret to the dome. Interesting findings indeed....I was always satisfied with the night image of the turret's...possibly because my current cams suck so bad at night I guess:)

Do they make the 2142 dome in 4mm or just 2.8? The more I think about it the more I think the 4mm would really narrow down the scope of the entry doors.
 
yes, they have the same lens options as for 3MP. 4MP does a bit better at night and recent firmware improves it even further. 4mm is probably a better option in your case. I would probably have two cams for this scenario anyway.
 
If no one has it yet then how do you know it's exceptional? From the specs?
The demo isn't enough for you to think IQ looks exceptional? Or do you think they slipped some other higher end cam for demo purposes, so they could sell it?
 
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The demo isn't enough for you to think IQ looks exceptional? Or do you think they slipped some other higher end cam for demo purposes, so they could sell it?

it was a sincere question, because I didn't know what led you to that conclusion.
 
it was a sincere question, because I didn't know what led you to that conclusion.
Well we have demo and the spec and it looks amazing in terms of IQ, everything else is unknown at this point. Btw, I am getting access to admin panel, I will post some screenshots of that.