Absolute noob looking for camera recommendations

C

conald petersen

n3wb
Jun 5, 2023
6
2
Australia
Looking to have most likely a 4 camera setup installed at my Mothers house after a spate of recent burglaries in her area. Living in Australia and finding most installers are using Dahua cameras. However from browsing on here a little I'm completely lost when it comes to what is the ideal sensor size. I have had 2 quotes now and both installers from different companies have recommended the following Dahua model: DH-IPC-HDW2531EM-AS-S2 says it has a 1/2.7” CMOS image sensor. From reading here I gather that's not ideal?

Being in Australia potentially not all options are available here, did seem odd that 2 different companies both recommend the same camera, perhaps it's due to excess stock or availability.

Are these cameras any good? Or would I better off with something else? I'd rather not go the 4K top of the range super expensive models.

It's important they function well at night, she's in quite a dark area of a group of townhouses. She's also wanting to have some sort of sensor light installed, I'm unsure if this would affect the camera quality, both installers said it's fine but reading here someone mentioned it can blind the cameras for a few seconds and potentially ruin what could be a solid id.

Any help would be much appreciated, thanks!
 
Hi fellow sufferer...
At first, it seems absolutely perplexing.
As you mention townhouse, the distance from camera to observed person may matter, especially if it is not much. Most of the good "large sensor" cams do require a certain distance to the object they are recording. So if you do not have the distance, you need not consider those models. We talk about like ~4m here for the 1/1.2". Whereas cameras with smaller sensors don't have the issue, the one you refer to works at 1.6m or less (model dependence).
So in order to give you any suggestions, people here will need to know your situation. A drawing may help.
But as a rule of thumb, the 1/1.8" cameras do offer various models with equal min. distance but better night performance than the one you list.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: conald petersen
Perimeter said:
Hi fellow sufferer...
So in order to give you any suggestions, people here will need to know your situation. A drawing may help.
Click to expand...

Thanks for your reply, I've done my best(it looks awful) at drawing approx locations and directions of where both installers seemed to think were the best locations. The 2 at the front of the property, especially the one that looks to cover the front and side fence entry points would need to cover a distance of 15-20m. The one at the garage maybe up to 10m. The ones out the back are covering a smaller area, maybe around 5-7m. I was a little surprised neither installer recommended anything to cover the sideway which has 2 windows, but I'm sure I could just ask for an additional one there.
house1.png
 
  • Like
Reactions: mat200
What is your/your mothers concern? Are you worried someone will attempt to gain entry into the residence? is there a car that is regularly parked in the driveway, or does she stick to parking in the garage?

I would focus my efforts on getting cameras at ID heights at the entry points first (2-2.5m high). If she determines she needs more coverage later, then add in those areas. If she parks in the drive I would have a FOV to cover the vehicle and also not leave any keys or garage door openers inside of it.

I would place one at the left of the front door in the alcove for ID at the door. (2.8mm)
I would place another looking down the pathway to cover the approach. (varifocal).
The entry from the terrace should be lower and I would place it on the other side of the door, nearer the kitchen (2.8mm).
The front of the garage placement looks reasonable depending on focal length. (varifocal)
To maximize coverage from the bedroom corner, I would possibly use a 3.6mm and move it to the internal corner to cover the entire area and both windows.
Along the left side of the bedrooms I would have a varifocal on the outside corner looking forward. (To do this properly you would also want one on the front corner looking backward.)

Here are my thoughts. Immediate recommendations in red, future suggestions in blue. Obviously you could add way more than I have suggested.

Obviously a good system is an investment and can help you get your things back. Spending a little extra now to have a good functioning system might pay off when it comes time to get back thousands of dollars in valuables, but spending less now might put you in a position to be spending that extra later anyways to fill the gaps AND also be out the money lost in the theft.

1685967812181.png

Take a look at my thread to see how important install height and focal length are to getting good ID captures.

"I want 2.8mm cameras everywhere to see everything..." - This is why you need specific FOVs with purposeful focal lengths.

I have gained a lot of knowledge since I signed up and wanted to share my experience and examples of improvements and changes for others who are coming from a "I want 2.8mm cameras everywhere to see everything" system mentality. My ongoing "build/looking for advice" thread can be found here...
ipcamtalk.com ipcamtalk.com
 
  • Like
Reactions: mat200 and conald petersen
conald petersen said:
Are these cameras any good? Or would I better off with something else? I'd rather not go the 4K top of the range super expensive models.
Click to expand...

If you are looking for the sweet spot, you will likely find it in the 5442 series. The sensor size is above average. 4MP is considered a good pixel density for the sensor. You can get these cameras in all flavors, IR, full color, varifocal, bullet, turret and dome iirc.
 
  • Like
Reactions: conald petersen and CanCuba
I'd also recommend lighting as I'm a big fan. lol

If your property and perimeter isn't well lit, you'll have a hard time getting clothing descriptions. Often clothing appears a different colour under IR than it does under visible light.

I have a thread here where I show what proper, perhaps excessive illumination, can do.

I may have underestimated the LED lights I purchased....

I picked up a couple 200W LED lights to properly illuminate the streets, I'm on a corner lot, and they may be overkill. 18,500 lumens of 5000K light. We hooked one up quickly last night to see just how bright they are and it blew us away. This is the Color4K/X. Initially, it's a bit darker...
ipcamtalk.com ipcamtalk.com

Illuminating from the house outwards also makes it harder for people to observe the details of the house at night. There's also a small deterrence factor as thieves tend to look for softer targets. If a property is well lit, they may move on to someplace else.
 
  • Like
Reactions: conald petersen
Perimeter said:
If you are looking for the sweet spot, you will likely find it in the 5442 series. The sensor size is above average.
Click to expand...

I’ll look into those, being in Australia we often have a limited range and/or supply, compared to overseas. Is there any other cameras recommended that are similar to the 5442, just in case I can’t get a hold of them?

Also how do people fill in the gaps to avoid spiders and wasps etc crawling straight into the roof space?
 
I summed it up here:

2023 Dahua Best Buy Choices

I am still in the process to pick cameras. But despite Dahua having such a huge portfolio of models, only a few of them seem to be really worth considering because they offer excellent performance due to lens and sensor size at an acceptable price point. So I list the models that currently seem...
ipcamtalk.com ipcamtalk.com
 
  • Like
Reactions: CanCuba and conald petersen
Perimeter said:
I summed it up here:

2023 Dahua Best Buy Choices

I am still in the process to pick cameras. But despite Dahua having such a huge portfolio of models, only a few of them seem to be really worth considering because they offer excellent performance due to lens and sensor size at an acceptable price point. So I list the models that currently seem...
ipcamtalk.com ipcamtalk.com
Click to expand...

Thanks very much. Do you(or anyone) have any ideas on how to fill in the gaps on the cameras, to avoid spiders and wasps etc crawling straight into the roof space?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom