Amcrest or EmpireTech

F

firespread01

n3wb
Mar 17, 2025
22
3
California
Hello all, Thank you wittaj for the advice about not buying reolink.
After browsing a bit, I heard about dahua. Because of the restrictions I settled on Amcrest or Empiretech. I am wondering if anyone has personal experience with both, or has any threads/videos comparing them. Thank you.
Fire
 
Amcrest is made by Dahua, who also makes Empiretech.

So the "restriction" you worry about is still there....

Many here started with Amcrest (or Lorex that was also made by Dahua) and upgraded to Empiretech.

Most of us consider Amcrest (made by Dahua) to be the lower end consumer brand camera that uses cheaper materials and internals such as shoving higher MP on sensors designed for lower MP. They do offer a 1-800 number though, although most of us here know more than the rep on the other end simply going down a checklist sheet.

The EmpireTech cameras we recommend fall in the green category (good), whereas the Amcrest models tend to fall in the red (bad) and will perform poorly at night:

1742328245910.png

And the few times that Amcrest does provide the exact same Dahua model, it is usually 2-3 times the cost of the the camera offered by trusted member Empiretech here.

Empiretech (Andy) sells International Dahua cameras, most of the time without the logo. Depending on where you live, we get them 2-5 times cheaper than the cost of a camera with the Dahua logo on it because we don't have to pay authorized dealer markups.

I paint my cameras, so I don't care about the logo.

But if you are that over the top about the firmware saying Dahua instead of the generic IPC, then flash it with the international firmware. Many people do.

Andy is probably the biggest 3rd party reseller.

Dahua invites him several times a year to their HQ, including just in the past few weeks.

Dahua contributes to the lottery and sale Andy puts on that is coming up next week.

You can update the firmware on Andy's cameras and NVRs from the Dahua website, thus proving they are real Dahua. But you will find that the firmware we get from him is actually better and more recent than what is on the Dahua website because many members here provide feedback to Andy and then Dahua makes modifications to the firmware and sends back to him and then he sends out to his customers. These have been great improvements that Dahua doesn't even update their firmware and add to their website. So many of us are running a newer firmware than those that purchase Dahua cameras through professional installers. Smart IR on the 5442 series is one such improvement. Autotracking on the 49225 and 49425 PTZ is another. We got the next version of AI SMD 3.0 prior to anyone else as well. We got animal detection before anyone also.

Look at the threads here where members are actually testing firmware and improving it for Dahua - find a Dahua dealer with that type of relationship that Andy has with Dahua - I don't think you will find it. Look at the Dahua 4k camera on the 1/1.2" sensor as an example - Dahua provides cameras to Andy to sell before Dahua even made it available and look at all the improvements being made to the firmware from input from customers right here on this site. And the kicker is, we are not Dahua's target market - it is the professional installers...
 
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He owns it.
He’s a major authorized Dahua dealer.

Most of his cameras are Dahua with a different sticker, same camera.

Though he does supply his own updated firmware from time to time some of which Dahua adopts.
 
As I said, Amcrest tends to shove higher MP onto sensors designed for lower MP.

Here is a recent example someone posted with an 8MP on the 1/2.8" sensor (a typical combination for Amcrest) versus 8MP on the proper sized sensor (1/1.2" sensor) from Empiretech. Which one looks better to you:


1696541548403.png




1696541571013.png



Of more importance is that the top picture is default settings, so a horribly slow shutter of maybe 1/12 so any motion would be a blur. The 2nd picture is a 1/100 shutter and will get a clean capture. The faster the shutter speed, the more light that is needed. That bottom picture at 1/100 shutter is impressive. If the top camera was set to a 1/100 shutter it would be a very dark image.
 
As @bigredfish said, Andy is the owner of EmpireTech.

He has office space and a staff of employees, including in the USA, located in Pennsylvania.

His most popular models are in warehouses across the US. I usually get my orders in a day, sometimes two days.


1742330364349.png
 
From my experience Andy’s customer service is top notch.
Amcrest on the other hand replaced a brand new unit which was broken with a scuffed up refurb unit and when I called them out on it they said that was standard practice.
 
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I agree about Andy’s customer service. I bought 2 cameras from him the other week and had some problems getting them working (first cameras I have bought). Andy replied to my questions promptly and problem sorted. When I buy more gear I will definitely be going Empiretech.
 
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All Dahua cameras yes.
Most/many Amcrest
Other brands, kinda maybe sorta
 
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jcams said:
Dont flame me guys lol.. But my little sister only has $400 to spend on a 4 camera system. I know not to buy reolink lol. I was wondering if this amcrest 5mp setup is what you would go with if you only had $400? I honestly wish they would put these 1/2.7 sensors with a 2mp camera but i cant find it.
Thanks for the help!
Click to expand...


Buy 3 cams save for 4th. Better than spending 4 cams worth of money only to be disappointed and have to buy all 4 again.
 
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Im going to go with the 4 camera amcrest system for now as the money is limited. Its a 8 channel NVR.. it seems it is possible to add a Dahua camera to it in the future if she wants to get a better camera for the front driveway. Has anyone ever added a dahua camera to a Amcrest NVR?
 
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Another option is to buy the Amcrest cameras and then build a Blue Iris system from an old renewed PC.

My ex bought an NVR-in-a-box, and it sucked. She couldn't use it.

I walked our son through building her a BI system from a $200 PC, and it's much better, plus it will work with a much wider array of cameras, including the Lorex cameras that came with her box set.
 
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TheWaterbug said:
Another option is to buy the Amcrest cameras and then build a Blue Iris system from an old renewed PC.

My ex bought an NVR-in-a-box, and it sucked. She couldn't use it.

I walked our son through building her a BI system from a $200 PC, and it's much better, plus it will work with a much wider array of cameras, including the Lorex cameras that came with her box set.
Click to expand...
Yea i have BI and love it.. but in my sisters case the money is tight. If i was lucky enough to find an i7 pc for $200 and BI for $65 and decent solid copper cat5 $75 and a POE switch $50 we are already pretty much $400 with no cameras.
 
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jcams said:
Yea i have BI and love it.. but in my sisters case the money is tight. If i was lucky enough to find an i7 pc for $200 and BI for $65 and decent solid copper cat5 $75 and a POE switch $50 we are already pretty much $400 with no cameras.
Click to expand...

You will be her techie so get something you use - for 4 cameras find a 4th gen from a county auction for like $25 and go to town.

But if you go the amcrest NVR route, yes you can add any Dahua OEM to it, just keep in mind the NVR is a budget NVR and will likely require lower bitrates and maybe other compromises.
 
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