Looking for wide angle lense with 5mp for outdoor use

[grizli 0]

Hello everyone,

Looking for a couple cameras that are wide angle, maybe around 2.8mm but with 5mp resolution.

So far 3mp seems like is not good enough.

Trying to have a camera on front of the house so I can read plates that pass by on the road or if someone parks on the driveway (will on be opposite side of the house from camera, hence wide lens). By looking at 3mp pics - plates across the street are blurry (for example - http://www.networkcameracritic.com/Hikvision/Hikvision%20DS-2CD2132-I%20day2.jpg - can't read) So I'm hoping 5mp would solve this? Unless someone can suggest an alternative to a problem?

 

Had a brake in couple weeks ago (a lot of traffic goes by) so this would be very helpful.

Thanks

 

Update:

I attached a picture. The idea was to use 2 cameras where red Xs are. You can see why I wanted wide angle lens on the front - so it can cover everything.

So I wanted front cam - to be able to pick up plates of the vehicles.

 

Or is it better to put a 3rd camera where green X is? And get not wide angle on the other front X?

 

For this coverage I'd like to stay under $800.

[buellwinkle 0]

Let me give you the wrong answer first since it most directly answers your question. The Axis P3367-VE is an excellent 5MP camera, works well in low light with minimal noise. I would use it with a Raytec RM100-120 illuminator to provide nice even light across wide angle view.

 

You are using resolution ineffectively and 5MP won't help you much. You have to change your way of thinking into two types of cameras, an overview camera that captures the activity that is wide angle camera and just shows what's going on in the area, like someone trying to break into a car. Totally worthless for ID'ing anyone.

 

Then you need to strategically place close-up cameras at various choke points that show cars driving up and the camera needs to be less than 10-15' away, don't set it to wide angle, trust me, trees and sky does not help you ID someone. For example, a car drives into the entrance, I would put a camera with say a 6mm lens pointed at their door so you get as much detail as possible. If you want to capture his plate, maybe a 12mm camera 10-12' away pointed straight at the plate so all you see is the front of the car. Resolution is not important, heck, we turn our 1MP camera we use for license plates down to 640x480 and I can read plates very clearly, 24/7.

 

I provide evidence to police on a regular basis and what you are planning to do, they would not have enough evidence to even pursue the case because they want to see the crime progress but also want very clear detail on plate and person. What do you think will happen when you give them 5MP video and they play it on their laptop or even a 1080P monitor? Why do you think they will see more detail than a 3MP camera?

[MaxIcon 0]

Just to clarify the resolution issue:

 

A 5MP cam has 1.7x the total resolution of a 3MP cam, but only 1.25x the horizontal resolution, which is what you care about.

You're really not gaining very much at 5MP. You'd need to go to 10MP to double your horizontal resolution.

 

What you need to do is figure out how far away you want to be able to measure a plate, then figure out what zoom and resolution you'll need to get 60 pixels per foot. As BW says, you can get this even with a lower res camera by using more zoom, though a higher res cam will give you a wider field of view that you can capture the plate in.

[grizli 0]

Thanks for replies guys.

So I could potentially do a simple 2mp camera where front X is just to capture overall picture and then put a zoomed in camera where green X is to capture plates on the driveway, correct?

I will measure the distance between front of the house and road to see how far I need to read moving plates when I get home. (Update: it's about 50-55 feet)

But to be able to read them - do you suggest 2 cameras facing each way of the road on each corner of the house? Or can I get away with 1 camera somewhere?

 

I really would like to pull this off with 3-4 cameras, if at all possible.

[MaxIcon 0]

This really depends on your layout and views, and the only way to find out is to try. I'd fit one cam with a longer lens, then try it in different positions to see where you get the best view of the road. The most successful plate cam setups have choke points, like entry gates or driveways, where every vehicle has to enter in a small area.

 

If you can put two cams on the house that can see the road in both directions without being blocked by anything (trees, parked cars, whatever), you should be good with the appropriate zoom.

 

One cam would miss anyone who came down the road away from the coverage, then turned around and left the same way. Also, having multiple shots from different angles can really help with ID if conditions aren't perfect.

[buellwinkle 0]

To read a plate at 55' is no problem but not sure why you want to and it would cost you a bunch. What you are saying is you have a 55' long area and you can capture the plate anywhere along that corridor. It's not like a car can enter from the middle of that path. I would say try and get it within 12-15' and use a 12mm bullet and you'll likely have to supplement that with a narrow beam IR illuminator pointed at the plate area but try it without first.

 

Resolution does not matter, we read plates perfectly with VGA resolution, kicking that up to 1MP does not make the plates more readable and using that 1MP to get a wider area just makes it that much harder to read the plates. The sole goal of the camera would be to read plates, it has zero other use. That's where most people fail, they try and use that camera for more than plates.

 

Get a separate camera in the same area looking across the lane with a polarizer filter to see who's the car, you'll need that for the police if there's an incident.

 

3 things you need and each is a different camera;

1. overview to capture the crime

2. close-up of the persons face

3. close-up of the license plate

[grizli 0]

Alright, that sounds good.

I appreciate all the comments.

 

What do you recommend for the overview cameras? I'll still have 2 of them where red Xs are and then put bullets for plates and face.

Any good 3mp camera recommendations for the overview? Something that has good night view as well? Maybe 50'?

[buellwinkle 0]

To cover that wide an area, try the Hikvision DS-2CD2632F, it can go to 105 degrees wide with 2.8mm up to 12mm, the less expensive bullets only do about 4mm. If you want a dome, try the DS-2CF2732F, also has the same lens, 2.8mm to 12mm so you can tweak the lens to what you want.

 

50' may be tough for built in illuminators. I know they say they can, but realistically, it's limited on how much power it can draw using PoE to power it and the camera, so it is what it is. I would just use porch lights at strategic locations, put the new LED bulbs in them and run them dusk to dawn.

[grizli 0]

I would probably prefer a dome, but could not find one for sale anywhere? The first camera I found, but can't find 2nd part.

Are suggested cameras better than DS-2CD3332-I? I hear a lot of positive reviews on this.

 

Btw, will this do wide angle? I know 2.8mm is wide, but some places say 90 degrees, while others say 120-140. I'd like it to be a very wide coverage.

[aim120 0]

I would probably prefer a dome, but could not find one for sale anywhere? The first camera I found, but can't find 2nd part.

Are suggested cameras better than DS-2CD3332-I? I hear a lot of positive reviews on this.

 

Btw, will this do wide angle? I know 2.8mm is wide, but some places say 90 degrees, while others say 120-140. I'd like it to be a very wide coverage.

As to which wide angle degrees ,it depends on the sensor size and the distance to the target.The Hikvision 3mp cameras like the DS-2CD3332 they use 1/3 inch sensor.

Use this http://www.wrekincom.com/cctv_cam_calculator.html

[MaxIcon 0]

Lens calculators often don't work well for M12 lenses, having been designed for CS/C mount lenses, which have a back focus length defined by specification. M12 lenses don't have this spec.

 

The Hikvision spec should be fairly close, though they usually are not very precise and/or don't have all the info.

 

If you measure the actual FOV for the 2032 bullet with the 4mm lens, here's what you get:

1080p - 77 degrees horizontal FOV (spec is 75.8 degrees)

3MP - 69 degrees horizontal FOV (Hik doesn't spec this FOV)

 

Assuming the same sensor, 2.8mm will be a good bit wider angle, and on the Hik bullet, it shows part of the housing.