Looking for decent price/performance camera for external IR ilumination.

[Allseeingeye]

My problem is that i live rural and far north, there's literally no ambient light, and during winter it's pitch black 2/3 of the day. My current old Annke N800s are doing decently only because of external IR ilumination with internal IR disabled (with internal IR on, all i see is iluminated insect or snow flakes right in front of the camera, depending on season).

I need to add a few more cameras and i thought i should test something more modern with a bigger sensor, but my problem is that almost all seem to be Night Color cameras now, and they are a no-go if they filter out IR.

What are my options? The Annke NC800 has a 1/1.2 sensor and is prices at about €215 and that's probably around the maximum i was willing to pay to test some new tech, it's probably what i would buy but i can't figure out if it would work with my IR ilumination or not.

Basically my requirements:
PoE
4k for decent daytime clarity/detail
Option to disable any internal ilumination.
Night mode compatible with external IR ilumination.

I guess when all above is met, it's just to find the biggest sensor i can get for ~€200 and see what i can get. I need your help, what i found is either night time color or double the price. What are my options, is there anything on the market for me?

 

[EMPIRETECANDY]

Not really need the 4k
Use the IPC-T5442TM-AS s3 would be great. Lots of talking here

 

[EMPIRETECANDY]

Amazon.de

Just refer to this link

 

[EMPIRETECANDY]

Use with external IR have to be IR cams, led illumination cams will not work with them.

 

[Allseeingeye]

I need a bullet model, forgot to mention that. For low light i definitely don't need 4k, but i think i want that for the daytime video.

 

[Allseeingeye]

Right now i'm looking at the Annke I91BL

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005006357906244.html

. Its 4k, supports IR, has a 1/1.8 sensor and is cheaper.

 

[Allseeingeye]

I ordered one Annke I91BL to test if I think it's worth double the cost of my current C800s, that still do the job decently. I will probably need one or two more so I'm not against trying something else that looks decent in this price range if anyone have recommendations.

 

[Teken]

I ordered one Annke I91BL to test if I think it's worth double the cost of my current C800s, that still do the job decently. I will probably need one or two more so I'm not against trying something else that looks decent in this price range if anyone have recommendations.

You just wasted a lot of money for the wrong lens / image sensor ratio. WDR is only 120 vs 130-140.

4MP 1/1.8”, 8MP 1/1.2” are the correct size. If you see a reasonably priced 2MP using a 1/1.8 ~ 1/1.2” grab it!

 

[wittaj]

You want cameras with MP/sensors in GREEN.



Most here will say that 4MP is the sweet spot for these types of cameras.

See this thread for the commonly recommended cameras (along with Amazon links) based on distance to IDENTIFY that represent the overall best value in terms of price and performance day and night.

The Importance of Focal Length over MP in camera selection

 

[Allseeingeye]

You just wasted a lot of money for the wrong lens / image sensor ratio. WDR is only 120 vs 130-140.

4MP 1/1.8”, 8MP 1/1.2” are the correct size. If you see a reasonably priced 2MP using a 1/1.8 ~ 1/1.2” grab it!

I was looking for a 1/1.2" 8MP but could not find an IR one at a decent price. I know this is not the best combo for nighttime, but it's better then my current 8MP on 1/2.4". Thanks for pointing out the WDR though that i totally missed Quite a big range.. What camera would you buy instead?

 

[Allseeingeye]

You want cameras with MP/sensors in GREEN.

View attachment 198722

Most here will say that 4MP is the sweet spot for these types of cameras.

See this thread for the commonly recommended cameras (along with Amazon links) based on distance to IDENTIFY that represent the overall best value in terms of price and performance day and night.

The Importance of Focal Length over MP in camera selection

Thank you!
Great thread and write up. I'm mostly interested in an overview camera, i want to detect and observe. To recognize or identify the FOV would be to limited for my usage and budget, My current C800 are doing this decently right now, they have a wide FOV and the small sensor size is somewhat compensated for by my external IR illumination. With that in mind, all images can always get better...