A139 (Pro) Telephoto Remote Camera

[marcomrctavares]

I did the same, 12mm lens! Pretty happy wi to the results

 

[kamkar]

Yes and the background graphics seemingly also allowed, that do nothing good for the ability to read a plate.
TBH it is one of the things where i think " what the hell are those Americans doing " CUZ it do seem like, who need to be able to actually read a plate.

 

[pinoyplaya4life]

Generally it's looking good. You have better focus on the right than the left side. That's OK for traffic going in your direction, but might struggle with oncoming vehicles on the left side. As you have found, it is often difficult to get everything in focus with these fast telephoto lenses.
View attachment 64325

I can see why you might want 12mm for those small licence plate characters. Personally I find the FOV is too narrow for anything other than straight roads. On this gentle curve the Silverado is cropped out of the telephoto view. However your 12mm camera can see details that my 8mm did not.
View attachment 64327

Yea. I fixed the positioning of the 12mm camera and placed it in a much center position. Now I have a better focus on all sides and is much more centered to the road.

But yes, the FOV is too narrow but it does capture the needed details that the wider lens could not. Both for sure compliment each other.

 

[kamkar]

12 mm as i also use on my zoom camera, is indeed very narrow, i also have a plan for picking up a slightly lesser zoom lens to try out ( when i get around to putting in a camera CUZ the Mobius Maxi i have used for zoom camera for a while cooked its battery.
Contemplating getting the 4K Mobius to replace it, or maybe the more light sensitive camera there are whispers about ( i am hoping one of the lesser resolution starvis 2 sensors )

Pretty amputated ATM, dont have side cameras, dont have zoom camera.

 

[pinoyplaya4life]

12 mm as i also use on my zoom camera, is indeed very narrow, i also have a plan for picking up a slightly lesser zoom lens to try out ( when i get around to putting in a camera CUZ the Mobius Maxi i have used for zoom camera for a while cooked its battery.
Contemplating getting the 4K Mobius to replace it, or maybe the more light sensitive camera there are whispers about ( i am hoping one of the lesser resolution starvis 2 sensors )

Pretty amputated ATM, dont have side cameras, dont have zoom camera.

If you have a main camera + zoom camera pointing at the same direction, then I think the 12mm FOV is perfect as a secondary camera so you can see those details you wouldn’t otherwise see on the main camera.

A 10mm would probably be ideal for the remote camera but I haven’t found any 10mm lens that meets my requirements.

 

[kamkar]

Of course i have, most often 2 - 3 cameras of the regular flavor.
I am fairly used to the 12 mm lens, i have run that for 5 years or so on various cameras.
It is extremely rare i have gone for footage on the zoom camera, but compared to side cameras it is the one i would keep if i had to remove one of them.

Also i have contemplated a rear zoom camera too, but here for sure less aggressive lens, i have years ago tested a 6 mm lens in the back and it was quite nice.

 

[TonyM]

i also have a plan for picking up a slightly lesser zoom lens to try out ( when i get around to putting in a camera CUZ the Mobius Maxi i have used for zoom camera for a while cooked its battery.
Contemplating getting the 4K Mobius to replace it, or maybe the more light sensitive camera there are whispers about ( i am hoping one of the lesser resolution starvis 2 sensors )

I would recommend the M1S over the MM4K for dashcam use, particularly for a telephoto. I think the IMX317 in the MM4K has too much motion blur to be really useful on a front-facing telephoto. The metering in the M1S is also much more suitable for a dashcam - the MM4K has a strong highlight-priority bias.

 

[TonyM]

I am fine-tuning my wide and telephoto camera setups. For my rear view I now have 2No A139 remote cameras:
1x original wide-angle rear camera
1x modified 6mm F1.2 telephoto, with CPL filter



I am using a thin wedge as a spacer under the telephoto camera so that the CPL does not hit the window.



The wide-angle camera records a good overall view of what is happening behind me, including the lower edge of the screen as a reference point. The telephoto with CPL has a magnified view of the cars directly behind me, and can see through reflections on the windscreen.

 

[evmedievalol]

i just purchased A139 3 channel. All 3 cameras will be facing forward of the car.
Keep the main Camera as is most likely. Interior and Rear cameras will be modified to telephoto lenses and face forward.
For the purpose of license capturing on a moving car in the USA in daytime and night time, which lenses/setup do you guys suggest?
It doesn't matter how much it zooms as long as it does what i asked previously.

 

[marcomrctavares]

i just purchased A139 3 channel. All 3 cameras will be facing forward of the car.
Keep the main Camera as is most likely. Interior and Rear cameras will be modified to telephoto lenses and face forward.
For the purpose of license capturing on a moving car in the USA in daytime and night time, which lenses/setup do you guys suggest?
It doesn't matter how much it zooms as long as it does what i asked previously.

I’m using a 12mm lens.
Here’s the link: https://a.aliexpress.com/_mt5Ta7G

 

[evmedievalol]

I’m using a 12mm lens.
Here’s the link: https://a.aliexpress.com/_mt5Ta7G

i did see your post. How does it perform at night and reading the plates in motion?

 

[LeadMonkey]

Waiting patiently for the OEM release! I agree a 10mm Telephoto with 2.0-2.8 aperture would be nice to see along side the current A139 main 4k wide camera, all in the same housing with easy pointing for the average consumer, make it a 4 channel with interior and rear remote camera, or better yet a 5 channel with both wide and 6mm 2.0+ for the rear! Oh and gonna need a terabyte card too!

 

[Oban]

I’m using a 12mm lens.
Here’s the link: https://a.aliexpress.com/_mt5Ta7G

Good morning!

I too ordered the same lens. Came in yesterday and I started to experiment with what would be the original rear camera. Had the lens installed (first time I am doing this) with little problem. I do, however, would like your insight on focusing the lens. I think I got it to a point where it is pretty alright (I aimed it across the street at a neighbor's house and trees), but I am not sure if this is the right way of doing this. Is there a certain distance I should focus it on? Is there a minimum distance, or a distance which is too far away?

I am asking as your picture results look pretty stunning, but when I looked at the live-feed on my iPad it all seemed a bit grainy and not nearly as sexy and sharp as the pictures you posted.

On another note, are you using some sort of bracket or stand-off to mount your camera? Or are the pictures tricking me and it is mounted directly to the windshield as it normally would pre-modification?

Thank you for any insights you can share!

 

[Julian23]

I am asking as your picture results look pretty stunning, but when I looked at the live-feed on my iPad it all seemed a bit grainy and not nearly as sexy and sharp as the pictures you posted.

The live view is not the full quality of the camera. You would have to download the video to your device to see the full quality.

On another note, are you using some sort of bracket or stand-off to mount your camera? Or are the pictures tricking me and it is mounted directly to the windshield as it normally would pre-modification?

Some people have used wedges to gain enough clearance.

 

[pinoyplaya4life]

Here’s some sample videos of mine with the 12mm lens I linked before. Same lens as what you guys are purchasing:

 

[Zackw419]

2.8-12mm zoom a139 2k. It’s been a long journey of trial and error to get here..

 

[Dashmellow]

2.8-12mm zoom a139 2k. It’s been a long journey of trial and error to get here..
View attachment 65048
View attachment 65049

That looks great Zack, you did a nice job. However, with all your discussions about modifying this camera, this is the first time I am aware that you were planning to install a varifocal lens. I wish you would have mentioned this before. Sorry to be the messenger of not so good news but unfortunately there is a bit of a problem in using this lens on a A139 camera. The available 2.8 - 12mm varifocal M12 lenses are all only 3 megapixel optics. This is not adequate resolution for the A139 and especially so if you installed it in a 139 Pro (as this is a 139 Pro telephoto thread, I'm not sure exactly which camera you are talking about). You really need a lens with much higher resolving power to more closely match the specifications of the sensor in this camera. This means at least a 5K lens for a 2K camera at a bare minimum and preferably much higher.

I think you may get reasonable performance if everything in your mod is working properly but certainly not the optimal performance that the 139 camera is capable of.

I happen to have years of experience with this particular 2.8-12mm ƒ/1.4 varifocal lens, so I know what I am talking about. - Mobius Varifocal Zoom IR. Also have had a lot of experience with a similar 5MP 6-22mm ƒ/1.6 version of the lens as well. More recently I've been using the 5MP varifocal in a 2K camera and am in the process of looking to upgrade it to a higher spec primary lens because the 5K lens's performance isn't quite cutting it.

 

[Zackw419]

That looks great Zack, you did a nice job. However, with all your discussions about modifying this camera, this is the first time I am aware that you were planning to install a varifocal lens. I wish you would have mentioned this before. Sorry to be the messenger of not so good news but unfortunately there is a bit of a problem in using this lens on a A139 camera. The available 2.8 - 12mm varifocal M12 lenses are all only 3 megapixel optics. This is not adequate resolution for the A139 and especially so if you installed it in a 139 Pro (as this is a 139 Pro telephoto thread, I'm not sure exactly which camera you are talking about). You really need a lens with much higher resolving power to more closely match the specifications of the sensor in this camera. This means at least a 5K lens for a 2K camera at a bare minimum and preferably much higher.

I think you may get reasonable performance if everything in your mod is working properly but certainly not the optimal performance that the 139 camera is capable of.

I happen to have years of experience with this particular 2.8-12mm ƒ/1.4 varifocal lens, so I know what I am talking about. - Mobius Varifocal Zoom IR. Also have had a lot of experience with a similar 5MP 6-22mm ƒ/1.6 version of the lens as well. More recently I've been using the 5MP varifocal in a 2K camera and am in the process of looking to upgrade it to a higher spec primary lens because the 5K lens's performance isn't quite cutting it.

I was just reading about this before you posted but you clarified it well.

I just ordered this lens a little while ago because I wanted to test the various options. It’s a 5mp 6-22mm. Is this a good option?

5MP Action Camera Vari-Focal Lens 6-22mm M12 Mount 1/2.5 Inch IR Filter Long Distance View https://a.co/d/d6QzG5g

And is the ‘issue’ the same with prime lenses? I’ve also got a 3mp 12mm telephoto, but I really want the option to zoom in and out.

 

[Dashmellow]

I was just reading about this before you posted but you clarified it well.

I just ordered this lens a little while ago because I wanted to test the various options. It’s a 5mp 6-22mm. Is this a good option?

5MP Action Camera Vari-Focal Lens 6-22mm M12 Mount 1/2.5 Inch IR Filter Long Distance View https://a.co/d/d6QzG5g

And is the ‘issue’ the same with prime lenses?

Yes, that is essentially the same lens as in my second link above. It is an excellent lens. I am concerned that such a lens is too big and heavy for a camera like the A139 but as I don't own one of these cameras I don't know for sure if it will be stable in the mount, protrude too much or stay in place.

The megapixel thing is basically the ability to resolve detail onto the sensor (or film). With digital sensors, the resolving power of the lens needs to more or less match the size of the pixels on the sensor plate. The higher the resolution, the smaller the pixels and this applies to any lens, varifocal or primary. Actually, higher resolution lenses on digital sensors may not always produce the best results. More resolution is not always better in every circumstance. A high resolution lens with way to many megapixels projected onto a lower resolution sensor with larger pixels theoretically will perform worse than a lower resolution lens more closely matched to the sensor's pixel size. For now, you don't need to worry about that however.

I think if it were me I would go with a smaller lightweight primary lens more like what @TonyM has been demonstrating in his 139 mods here.

 

[Zackw419]

w

Yes, that is essentially the same lens as in my second link above. It is an excellent lens. I am concerned that such a lens is too big and heavy for a camera like the A139 but as I don't own one of these cameras I don't know for sure if it will be stable in the mount, protrude too much or stay in place.

The megapixel thing is basically the ability to resolve detail onto the sensor (or film). With digital sensors, the resolving power of the lens needs to more or less match the size of the pixels on the sensor plate. The higher the resolution, the smaller the pixels and this applies to any lens, varifocal or primary. Actually, higher resolution lenses on digital sensors may not always produce the best results. More resolution is not always better in every circumstance. A high resolution lens with way to many megapixels projected onto a lower resolution sensor with larger pixels theoretically will perform worse than a lower resolution lens more closely matched to the sensor's pixel size. For now, you don't need to worry about that however.

I think if it were me I would go with a smaller lightweight primary lens more like what @TonyM has been demonstrating in his 139 mods here.

im going to start with the varifocal but if I find I’m keeping at a certain setting then I’ll just get a prime lens in that mm.

It will be a good way to figure out the distance I want the most.