5442-ZE upgrade for better identification at longer distance - Z4E vs Z12E vs ANPR?

[m4gnum]

Hi, I’m looking to replace my current 5442-ZE with something better for face recognition and possibly license plates on mostly static cars at about 60 ft. Even at max 12 mm zoom, the image is still too wide (I’m capturing the side wall and the other side of the street), so I feel like something around 20+ mm could still give me enough overview while improving identification quality.

With the 5442-ZE, faces and plates are sometimes readable, so I’m thinking a Z4E-type lens might be enough, while a Z12E could end up being too narrow for my needs.

I’ve also been looking at ANPR options like the Amcrest IP4M-1072EW and Dahua ITC413-PW4D-Z3, but I’m not sure they make sense as a “do-it-all” camera. i don't want a visible IR, the Dahua lists 730 nm illuminators, while the Amcrest specs seem a bit confusing between 730 and 850 nm.

1. Are these two ANPR cameras essentially the same, and does anyone know for sure if the Amcrest uses 730 nm or 850 nm IR?

2. Do any of these support something like auto/active zoom, or at least ONVIF zoom controls/presets that could be triggered via HA/Frigate automations?

3. If that’s possible, is the zoom/focus speed any better than the 5442-ZE, or are Z4E, Z12E, and ANPR models all about the same in real use (set and forget)?

Dahua:



Amcrest:

 

[bigredfish]

Can't help you with the automated LPR cams, but for 60ft the 5442 Z4 will do well

35ft to curb
45ft to middle of street
56ft to far edge of street
62ft to closest corner of porch
80ft to far edge of porch
Still a little zoom left

Perspective shot from driveway 5442 ZE



Z4




View attachment 192.168.1.110_ch8_20251225215224_20251225215234.mp4

View attachment 192.168.1.110_ch8_20251128192541_20251128192553.mp4

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[Alaska Country]

Some other camera considerations that might fit your needs.

HFW-5242H-Z6E-MF
8mm - 48mm
1/1.8
2 MP

HFW7442H-Z4-4MP
8mm - 32mm
1/1.8
4 MP

These are both "set and forget" zoom.

For daytime use a dedicated LPR camera, depending on FOV, can be used for both plates and face ID. However, at night forget face ID. Thus a 2nd camera will be needed for that application.

Plus one should also consider the use of a third camera for use as an overview cam for night color auto ID if you have enough white light. In that case, the use of a fixed lens cam either at 6 mm or 3.6 mm would be suggested. Some even use a 180 cam for that purpose.