Newbie: Starlight Recommendation for 2019

S

sibi78

n3wb
Jul 27, 2019
19
5
Texas, USA
Hi All,

I'm a newbie here, and I was directed here from reddit's homedefense sub-reddit. I'm looking to install security cameras in my home, and I'm trying to read the wiki to be familiar with various aspects (like Cliff's notes, etc).

For a starter, I'm looking for a Dahua Starlight recommendation (the latest model 2018-19) that would be ~$200. Is it still the 5231R-ZE as mentioned here: Review-Dahua Starlight IPC-HDW5231R-ZE 800 meter capable ePOE or some other model?

Thanks in advance!
 
That is still a solid choice. There is a cheaper model which is more cost-effective in my opinion: http://amzn.com/B07DRC93S8 It has no built-in microphone and less advanced image analytics, but otherwise is basically the same. They are great if you do not need audio and you need only basic motion detection or if you do motion detection through third party tools like Blue Iris.

There's also a new 4MP Starlight model but it generally costs more. Review-OEM 4mp AI Cam IPC-T5442TM-AS Starlight+ It should still be within your budget and provide a decent little boost to image quality.
 
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@bp2008, thanks for your quick reply. Just to confirm, the 5231R-ZE and 2231R-ZS are vari-focal but the T5442TM is fixed lens, correct? (I'll read the reviews in detail, but I was quickly skimming...)
 
Hey welcome to IPCT.

Take a look at the Dahua catalog. Its set out well and it will help comparing the specs of all the cameras.
There's also 30+ Dahua Reviews of current models to help narrow the decision further.
Good Luck :)
 
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Another basic clarification: among the various models being discussed in this thread, do any of the models support color during night time? The spec sheet just mentions ICR, since I'm not familiar with that term, I wasn't sure if these models support color during night time or not.
 
You can manually set any of these to stay in Color mode, sure. If that is something you think you will do, there is a different model you should consider. IPC-HFW4239T-ASE. It is a 2 megapixel starlight with a larger lens to let in more light, and this makes it better at night-time color capture than T5442TM-AS or 5231R-ZE. The compromise is that IPC-HFW4239T-ASE won't work with infrared like other cameras.
 
bp2008 said:
You can manually set any of these to stay in Color mode, sure. If that is something you think you will do, there is a different model you should consider. IPC-HFW4239T-ASE. It is a 2 megapixel starlight with a larger lens to let in more light, and this makes it better at night-time color capture than T5442TM-AS or 5231R-ZE. The compromise is that IPC-HFW4239T-ASE won't work with infrared like other cameras.
Click to expand...

Just when I thought I had my head wrapped around the various models and had picked a 5231, you go and shake it all up.

Is there a turret model that is comparable?
 
Just my opinion... I think "Full Color" cameras can be a useful addition to a system, but from the few videos I've seen of them working in the types of low-light situations that many folks here have around their houses, they seem to blur motion more than the models that would have switched to B/W and turned on IR at the same light level. That can make it harder to ID someone.

Obviously everyone's situation is different and it all comes down to the amount of light there is to work with. Even as good as the traditional 2MP Starlights (like the 5231/2231) do in low light, it can still be a challenge to get non-blurry motion clips from them in some situations IMO. I'd think that for many folks, getting non-blurry motion clips from Full Color cameras might be a bit more challenging, with the handicap that you can'd just toss in an external IR emitter to make things better for many of the Full Color models.
 
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