Replacing my old cams; need night vision, etc.

[ran87]

Hello! I need recommendations for IP cameras. We purchased the house a couple years ago, and it came with 6 pre-wired cameras (see pic 1). The previous owner used a NRV which broke, so I hooked it up with a PC with Blue Iris. These cameras were likely Dahua from 10-20 years ago - they work, but the quality is not good, so I want to replace them with new cameras. I don't plan to change the locations of the cameras nor to add new ones, as the wiring is done already.

I don't know my needs! Obviously, I want more details, wider and clearer images for security reasons. But I'm not very sure what's possible. Below is what I can think off:
1. nigh vision: the current camera is terrible (see pic 2); do I need to install some outdoor lighting for this?
2. see license plates for incoming cars & any cars parked near my house in both day and night (from the FrontRight cam)
3. for the 2 backyard cameras, ideally I can see the critters eating any of my plants.
4. for FrontDoor and RightLane cameras, I want to see the faces of anyone approaching (RightLane covers two side doors).

I want to keep the budget under $2,000 CAD, if possible (for cameras only). I had purchased one EmpireTech-T24IR (before doing my research, not smart), and it was not installed yet. If needed, it can go too, but ideally it can be used somewhere.

My hard drive is 4TB, if it matters.

BTW, I am terrible at Blue Iris setup, so if anyone could throw tips or a guide, etc., that would be great. I don't use AI in BI and don't know how to set it up. Do I need it?

Thanks!

 

[The Automation Guy]

First, I would suggest that you read the IP Cam Talk Cliffnotes.

In a nut shell, low light performance is determined in large part by the size of the individual pixels on the camera sensor. All of these camera sensors are relatively small and therefore many times the higher the resolution the camera uses, the worse the low light performance is because they are squeezing more pixels into a small sensor (the more pixels there are, the smaller each individual pixel has to be). So while it might seem counter productive at first, often times getting lower resolution cameras will actually help the low/no light performance. Now that is a general statement however and it really comes down to the actual performance of the camera you are looking at. But it is a good general "rule of thumb".

You also need to carefully choose each camera based on the place it is going to be mounted, and the desired goal of that camera. Keep in mind that you generally can't have both "wide angle" view with clear enough footage to identify strangers. You will need to pick one or the other (generally speaking). To capture footage with clear enough images to really be able to identify a stranger, it generally requires a "tighter" shot (ie one that isn't a super wide angle). This means you should really look at purchasing separate cameras, not some "8 camera kit" because those kits always provide identical cameras and the odds that your goals and needs will be exactly the same for every camera is pretty low.

I will say that many of the current cameras are mounted too high to really provide "identifying footage". That being said, it only matters if one of your goals is to have "identifying footage" of strangers. If you just want to keep track of animal activity in the garden for example, this isn't really a problem then. However if you want your front door camera to provide "identifying footage" during an incident (like package theft), it definitely needs to be mounted lower because all you are going to capture right now is the top of someone's head. But again, if the goal of this camera is just to see if a package has been delivered, then the high height doesn't prevent you from achieving the goal of the camera (and might actually be beneficial for that specific goal).

 

[steve1225]

Here you have comparison of most popular here on the forum camera Dahua 5442 (54IR), which is 2.5 years on market with 1 year old 34PRO (Dahua 3449-PRO aka Color4M) and very fresh release of 54PRO (5459-PRO) in 2 versions (fixed lens and with optical zoom).

All those cams are the best cams for color night vision. 54IR have only IR, all PRO cams have both IR and white lights..





You can read more here:

Post in thread 'Dahua WizColor 5x59-PRO and SmartLight 5x59-IL new series'

Aug 16, 2025

Moved cameras today, will post some IR footage tomorrow of no light area.

All camera settings the same-
Just about default except-

H264H @ 10240 CBR
NO SSA / NO AI SSA
Color mode

• jmcu

• 

 

[ran87]

Thanks a lot for the above resources! There is so much for me to learn. I wonder whether these are good ideas:
1. change both laneway cameras to triple sight cameras (e.g. IPC-B52IR-X3), so both the street (further away) and close-up are covered;
2. change the front yard and back yard cameras to PTZ cameras: supposedly the PTZ cameras can detect and then automatic zoom in to record (is that how it works?), so it captures many details within its vision.
3. If I change to a PTZ camera (w/ either starlight or Wizcolor) in the front yard (FrontRight spot), will it solve the reading-plates-at-night problem? Do I need a dedicated camera for plate reading at night. If so, what is the best camera (within reasonable price range) for that purpose (dedicated night vision)?
4. If I use a dedicated camera for night vision at the FrontRight spot, I may need an additional camera for daylight activities at the front. Is there any wifi camera that can do the job (I don't want to touch the wiring unless have no choice).
5. I will have a doorbell camera at sight level, so the frontdoor dome won't be an issue.
6. When is a floodlight camera appropriate?

Edit:
Re: height, is there a good height that can cover both far and near? or do I have to choose (prioritize) one over the other?

Thanks!

 

[Ri22o]

One camera cannot do it all. You cannot see everything and still see details. Getting good details does not allow you to see everything; it is a give and take.

This is why a good system will have cameras that complement each other. This is also why a PTZ is a complement to a good, already established system and should not be heavily relied on by itself. It will always be looking the wrong way, especially if it is set up for auto-tracking.

When planning your system and layout start by focusing on choke points and set up fields of view to capture details and give the ability to ID. This means all this camera will be able to do/see is the very narrow scope of its job. You can then deploy a more general overview cam to give context to the details. This overview cam can support one or more of your choke point ID cams.

A camera deployed for reading license plates will not be able to do anything else. PTZs are not typically a good choice for LPR. The B54IR-Z12E is the typical goto for this task.

Most recommended cameras (T54IR-AS or T54IR-ZE) will be more than capable of night and day time duties.


This is a post I put together with images from my journey showing the differences between focal lengths, install heights, changing fields of view, etc. It uses pictures to answer a lot of questions.

"I want 2.8mm cameras everywhere to see everything..." - This is why you need specific FOVs with purposeful focal lengths.

I am treating this as a living document and will update it with new captures, information, etc from time to time since the journey and knowledge gained never ends. Even though it was originally posted in May of 2023, it is still very much relevant. I have gained a lot of knowledge since I...

ipcamtalk.com