2025: Best Cameras + Setup Guide | S+ Tier, A Tier, B Tier, etc.

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n3wb
Nov 1, 2024
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Hello everyone, I'm trying to get a new list compiled together of the current best offerings, ranging from S+ tier (where money is no object and the image quality is good enough to see a bee fart) all the way down to more budget-friendly options. From my perusing, I haven't seen any list updated beyond 2022. Furthermore, I already have my software/NVR solution dialed in, so I don't require any recommendations on that—just purely camera based suggestions for each corresponding scenario and or category.



Also, just as importantly, can anyone provide video footage of their recommended cameras?


What are the best night/lowlight cameras, while simultaneously being capable of identifying vehicle license plates extremely consistently?


What are the best cameras for IDENTIFYING and what are the best cameras for COVERAGE?


What is the best bang for the buck camera?



What is the best budget-friendly camera?



What are the best options for SSD's, HDD's, etc.? Most trouble-free network switches, most dependable cameras, etc.



S+ Tier: Money is no object, visual fidelity and clarity is second to none, the absolute best of the best, no matter the cost.



A Tier: Probably the tier that matches the best quality/performance to price ratio.



B Tier: An obvious step down from both S+ and A tier, but more than makes up for it with cost.



C Tier: Very budget-friendly, cost is far more important than performance.



Thank you for any and all inputs, as I'm currently in the process of overhauling my own personal surveillance system, and I'm looking at any and all options. I will be doing both business and personal installments, so I'm looking primarily for "money is no object" options, but I also want this to be an updated guide for anyone who may be in the same position as me.



Highlights of importance for me personally:

-Vehicle License Plate Reading/Recognition

-Low Light Performance

-The ability to put together some of the best cameras on the market for each individual categories

-Outstanding visual fidelity/clarity

-Best SSD's/HDD options

P.S: I'm not a bot, no but seriously, I'm not a bot lmao (cue this is exactly what a bot would say, hahaha).
 
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That is a big ask!

Low light and LPR don't necessarily go together. One camera can't do both well.

You would have to set the camera up specifically to read plates. You need the proper camera with OPTICAL zoom for the distance you are covering and the angle to get plates.

Keep in mind that this is a camera dedicated to plates and not an overview camera also. It is as much an art as it is a science. You will need two cameras. For LPR we need to OPTICALLY zoom in tight to make the plate as large as possible. For most of us, all you see is the not much more than a vehicle in the entire frame. Now maybe in the right location during the day it might be able to see some other things, but not at night.

At night, we have to run a very fast shutter speed (1/2,000) and in B/W with IR and the image will be black. All you will see are head/tail lights and the plate. Some people can get away with color if they have enough street lights, but most of us cannot. Here is a representative sample of plates I get at night of vehicles traveling about 45MPH at 175 feet from my 2MP 5241-Z12E camera (that is all that is needed for plates):

1675078711764.png



See the LPR subforum for more details.

If you care about night performance, you will want a MP/sensor ratio in green:

1735275010389.png



While this thread is dated, if you look at the updated date in the post you will see it is updated as newer cameras become available that make sense to recommend (and kind of takes over where the wiki leaves off). This thread is used as the go to for the NOOB here outlining the commonly recommended cameras (along with Amazon links) based on distance to IDENTIFY that represent the overall best value/best bang for the buck in terms of price and performance day and night.

The Importance of Focal Length over MP in camera selection


If you want a cost is no object then go with Axis.


The sad thing is, the $100-$200ish cameras we recommend versus an Arlo $200ish cam or a Ring $200ish cam are no comparison in video quality. We are not exactly proposing Top Shelf cameras that costs 5-6 times other cameras - we are recommending cameras comparable in price to consumer favorites Ring and Arlo. Sure you can buy cheaper cameras, but when they shove 8MP on a sensor designed for 2MP, you will get poor results at night.

For most of us, the perps are out at night and that is when we want good video.


If you want a budget, then go with a consumer grade system. I hear Wyze are pretty cheap.


Just keep in mind that NONE of the better grade systems are true plug-n-play either. At a minimum you need to manually set shutter speeds.

If you want true plug-n-play simplicity, then justs continue to go with one of the consumer brands - Ring, Arlo, Reolink, Nest, Blink, etc. They are true plug-n-play because those cameras all run on default/auto settings with very little, to no ability to change camera parameters. Just recognize nighttime motion quality will be poor.

Simply download their app and scan the camera QR code and you are up and running, with a better app experience also.

But their plug-n-play simplicity comes at a cost of nighttime performance and ability to customize stuff, but obviously many do not seem to care about that as those systems are popular and those consumer grade systems are a perfect fit for those that want simplicity and not having to learn how to use an NVR or other type of VMS system.
 
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