Looking for a good Hikvison PTZ camera in $500 range

[nimnim]

Recently our neighborhood was hit by some vandals, they driven around with BB gun or something and shot at parked car's windows. 120+ cars was hit in 2 days. As I have two fixed bullet cameras on the front wall of my house a police office stopped by and asked to check the recordings. We looked but because that happened at night not much details could be seen on the video...

Please recommend a PTZ camera that could reliably spot a car plate number during a night time. I am attaching what I've got with my current cameras FYI.

 

[Phil]

If you want to capture number plates you need an ANPR/LPR camera (not a PTZ):
Hikvision DS-2CD4A26FWD-IZS\/P | 2MP Darkfighter IR Array Bullet Network Camera

 

[nimnim]

Thank you for the suggestion. I'll research this one.

I don't think I really need to automatically capture all the plate numbers in to a database with time stamp, etc. It would be an overkill. But instead a camera that I can either program to zoom in to a certain area (or switch between 2-3 areas) and just record the scene with good enough resolution to (ideally) recognize the plate numbers or provide more information then I can get now with my bullet cameras. Or like I once did with Axis PTZ cameras I used to have - to automatically track moving objects and zoom on them.

Something like DS-2DE4A425IW-DE or DS-2DE4225IW-DE may be? I am concerned about glare and ability to recognize the plate numbers during the night time.

Look at these videos (

and

). Criminals used that car to damage hundreds of the car in our area. But you can't see much, almost nothing...

If not PTZ - what would be best solution to the problem in under $500-1000 range?

 

[Phil]

I'm afraid that if you do not use a dedicated ANPR/LPR camera you will always experience that glare issue.