Review-SD4A425DB-HNY 1/2.8" CMOS 4MP 25x Starlight Auto-tracking MiniPTZ

TuckNTruck said:
Try adding IR illuminators on the area you want to watch. My SD4A is useless at night. It's either too dark or after adjusting settings so I can see, I get motion blur and the image is unusable if there's any motion. I added another camera in the area where I have the SD4A. The new camera is another PTZ with laser IR. I can point my SD4A at something 250+ feet away and not see it with just the SD4A IR on max, but if I illuminate the area with the laser IR (advertised as good for 500M, and that's accurate from what I've seen - it's amazing) from the other camera, the image on the SD4A is perfect. Bright, detailed, no motion blur. It's like an entirely different camera.

So I don't think the camera is the limiting factor, though it is technically limited by the less than ideal sensor size for the resolution. The IR just sucks and it sounds like the IR on the tinted one sucks even worse. Light the area up with IR illuminators if you can and see how it looks.
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Could you show us a photo of your SD4 with and without the supplement IR from the other camera. If its that great I am thinking of purchasing a IR Solar light.
 
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OfficerD00fy said:
Could you show us a photo of your SD4 with and without the supplement IR from the other camera. If its that great I am thinking of purchasing a IR Solar light.
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Here's a picture of a raccoon I took with the SD4A with supplemental IR from the other camera. This is fully zoomed in and the raccoon is maybe 250' from the camera. I didn't take a picture of it without the IR from the other camera because nothing was visible lol. The second image is the same angle/zoom with just the SD4A IR turned on at 100%.

Edit to add - this camera hasn't been cleaned in 4-5 months and it's pollen season. Expect even better images once I clean it off.

Dock PTZ 25X 2026-04-08 10.41.51.17 PM.jpg

Dock PTZ 25X 2026-04-11 09.26.24.371 PM.jpg
 
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bigredfish said:
Yes agree.
A $1500-$2500 PTZ does much better. :rolleyes:
I have one at another location

This is a budget low end PTZ but still should do fine at 100-200 ft

The problem is the weak IR and apparently the same weak acquisition issues as the SD5A425
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I wasn't really trying to compare the two PTZs with that post, just pointing out that supplementing IR can make the cheap Dahua PTZ much much better in the dark.

I agree that the camera itself is just fine - it's the IR that makes it so weak in the dark. I have a few areas I feed deer and other wildlife, and I'd love to have a good laser IR pointed right at those, but I can't find any illuminators like that - just the basic tendelux illuminators which seems to be maybe one small step above what's on these cameras. If I had easy access to power out there, I'd put a tendelux up at the feeders and the SD4A in the area would probably see things just fine, but getting power out there is a pain.
 
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This is mine, I have two cameras and have no issues. I am a firm subscriber to the policy that is to not fix what is not broken. These are the newest cameras on my network.

I updated my web socket version to 23490 a few weeks ago.




1776724521571.pngI updated my Web Socket Server to
 
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I just picked up one of these cameras. Bench testing and to get familiar with it before it goes to its designated place. Should I upgrade the FW? If so, what is your best advice to do so.

Thank you

Screenshot 2026-04-21 at 7.23.47 PM.png
 
I didn't realize this has been asked a couple tines above me. My bad, but I still ask the question because maybe there is something that was fixed that I'm not aware of.
 
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Does anyone have the issue where you click a button, say "Left" and it just keeeeeeps on going left?
 
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IReallyLikePizza2 said:
Does anyone have the issue where you click a button, say "Left" and it just keeeeeeps on going left?
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I've had it happen a few times where I want the camera to go barely to the left or barely go right and it just takes off on its own. One time I actually had to unplug the camera from the NVR to get it to stop; probably went around at least 12 times! Once I plugged the camera back in, I carefully and slowly reversed the direction 12 times or so (after reviewing saved footage). I'm thinking the interal wiring was getting twisted so I wanted to undo the twisting.
 
StevenFromTexas said:
I've had it happen a few times where I want the camera to go barely to the left or barely go right and it just takes off on its own. One time I actually had to unplug the camera from the NVR to get it to stop; probably went around at least 12 times! Once I plugged the camera back in, I carefully and slowly reversed the direction 12 times or so (after reviewing saved footage). I'm thinking the interal wiring was getting twisted so I wanted to undo the twisting.
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I would assume it has spring pad things that go on traces and not wiring, but I could be wrong!

Really the only issue I had, love the camera. I might get another
 
IReallyLikePizza2 said:
I would assume it has spring pad things that go on traces and not wiring, but I could be wrong!

Really the only issue I had, love the camera. I might get another
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I don't have any idea at all on the possibilility of the wiring getting twisted. Cameras are very nice in the daytime.
 
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