Need a cheap and dirty IP Cam for my back deck that is lit 24/7

thomaswde

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Essentially I only need about 15x8ft coverage for my smallish backdeck. Probably wide angle given the distance. I keep 2 LED porch lights on 24/7 so IR will get lots of help. This is a really low importance spot IMO, I'd just like it covered. What's the cheapest thing I can stick up that sucks the least? Was thinking about maybe an HDW4233 or 4231? Opinions? I'm doing all Starlight cams everywhere that counts but I'd still like to see this little corner. Thanks!
 

JFire

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Go with the non starlight turret then.

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thomaswde

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Escam grom China? AliExpress
Go with the non starlight turret then.

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Thanks for the great suggestions. The HDW4231EM-AS is what I'm putting up for back yard and the left side of my house, Nayr's review and playing around with my varifocal gas me convinced that a 3-4mm would be ideal in both spots. For the back deck though it seems a little overkill just because I almost don't even need a cam on it and it's always well lit so starlight isn't needed. I'm with ya though, those starlights are so good it's hard not to just put one everywhere.
 

nayr

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they work even better in well lit places, so sharp.. I have em everywhere, why not.. if you have starlights already they tend to make everything else look like shit FYI :p
 

Denali804

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Does your back deck have a door that leads into the house? If so, you should want a nice quality camera there. Lots of backdoors kicked in while people are at work.
 

thomaswde

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they work even better in well lit places, so sharp.. I have em everywhere, why not.. if you have starlights already they tend to make everything else look like shit FYI :p
Does your back deck have a door that leads into the house? If so, you should want a nice quality camera there. Lots of backdoors kicked in while people are at work.
I have to agree with all points!
I have a Starlight Varifocal up already so the spoiling is setting in nicely ;) I'll probably end up putting a 3.6mm starlight fixed like Nayr suggested up there. That's what I'm doing in my back yard and both sides, adding another verifocal up over driveway so I can get a nice 6-7mm zoom in on the drive.
@Denali804 Man couldn't agree more. I'll already have a Starlight covering all angles, including the back, plus I live at the end of a cul-de-sac in the country so there's nothing but thick woods behind my home for about 1/2 a mile. I still gotta look out for pesky hiker-burglars though ;) I just want this camera for a close up, direct view of just the deck, probably should go ahead and "Starlight" it too though, no sense in putting one "shitty" cam in a setup of nothing but starlights, haha.
 

looney2ns

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So, the other question would be "Do you feel Lucky?".
Put up a cheapy and possibly have ongoing problems with it, or put up @nayr suggestion, and be done. :)
 

thomaswde

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@looney2ns Yeah, I'll probably just put a Starlight there but do it last. The 3.6mm fixed would be fine. Thanks
 

bp2008

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The only thing that annoys me about these Starlight cameras is their tendency to make some surfaces look like a smudgy two-tone oil painting. I've seen several camera models do this throughout the years but never any of mine until the starlights.

Actually, this is mostly the effect of the "Sharpness" setting.

Sharpness 50:


Sharpness 0:
 
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