Camera Advise

[cosmarchy 0]

I've the unfortunate situation where some very kind people have dented two of our cars (within two weeks) and drove off, so I think now I am in need of a camera to catch the culprits.

 

So, I'm looking for some advise on the best camera for the job.

 

Due to the layout of the road, I'm thinking of a varifocal camera so I can adjust the view. I obviously need to be able to see number plates in the dark with the headlights facing but I'm not sure what features I need in order to do this? I wouldn't mind LPR but I suspect this is costly and I'm happy so long as I can identify the number plate at 'all times of day'.

 

I need to be able to see about 25m (30ft) in total, although the vehicles will have to drive past the camera in order to leave so I'm guessing the distance to be 6/8m for the purposes of making out the number plate.

 

Could you please advise on the features or setup I'd need in order to stand a chance of achieving this. Are there any recommended cameras (which hopefully wont break the bank) which people have experience of.

 

Thanks

[the toss 0]

NPR cameras can be had at a fairly good price nowdays ($300 or so ) but that is only half your problem. An expensive NPR camera can be rendered useless if it is not set up correctly. Obviously to get a number plate you will need a front or rear end shot. Full frontal is best except at night when you have headlight glare issues. As you move away from full frontal the headlight glare problem decreases but the ledgibility of the number plate also decreases. There is a sweet spot which minimises both these issues and that is 30* angle of incidence from the front of the car. The other important point is to have a defined target area. This is the spot that the target vehicle WILL pass through and the camera is set up for optimal performance in this area and ONLY this area.

[cosmarchy 0]

NPR cameras can be had at a fairly good price nowdays ($300 or so ) but that is only half your problem. An expensive NPR camera can be rendered useless if it is not set up correctly. Obviously to get a number plate you will need a front or rear end shot. Full frontal is best except at night when you have headlight glare issues. As you move away from full frontal the headlight glare problem decreases but the ledgibility of the number plate also decreases. There is a sweet spot which minimises both these issues and that is 30* angle of incidence from the front of the car. The other important point is to have a defined target area. This is the spot that the target vehicle WILL pass through and the camera is set up for optimal performance in this area and ONLY this area.

 

Hi, thanks for your reply.

 

I need to understand which features the camera has to have. Which adjustments are the important ones to have setup correctly? I've looked through a few camera manuals and have not seen (or perhaps misinterpreted) a defined region; what is this commonly called?

 

My initial thoughts were a HikVision DS-2CD2642FWD-IS. Has anyone had any experience with this camera in a similar situation?

 

Thanks