Are Unify cameras good?

I

Ihadablackdog

n3wb
May 2, 2021
24
7
UK
Hi,

This is my first post.

In general, are Ubiquiti UniFi cameras a good brand, or to be avoided?

At the moment I don’t know which models (which I understand is the most important detail) so just wondering what the opinions are of the brand in general.

We use their access points at work but other than that I have no experience with the brand.
 
They're overpriced for what you get. And they're propriatery in a sense that to use the onboard motion and AI features, you have to use the Unifi Video hardware.

Source: had 3x G3 bullets. Started switching to Dahuas and BlueIris. BlueIris is unfortunately quite a pain to use and requires Windows, but it does have a lot of features and customizability. The UI3 developed by a forum member makes it much more bearable, though not all features are implemented in it. You end up having to use Remote Desktop to make adjustments.

For Dahuas, you will need to put them on their own restricted VLAN (drop traffic to internet on the FW or null route it), and the setup is quite a pain compared to the UI cams.
But once they're set up they're solid.
Make sure to buy from a reputable seller like @EMPIRETECANDY.

UI/Setup: Unifi
Design/Installation: Tie
Hardware/Optics: Dahua
Features: Dahua
Compatibility: Dahua
 
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EyeOfSauron said:
They're overpriced for what you get. And they're propriatery in a sense that to use the onboard motion and AI features, you have to use the Unifi Video hardware.
.....
BlueIris is unfortunately quite a pain to use and requires Windows, but it does have a lot of features and customizability.
......
For Dahuas, ..... the setup is quite a pain compared to the UI cams.
Click to expand...

I'm sure the setup is harder than the Unifi system (which I haven't used, but better be damn near plug and play), but I wouldn't say that either BI or Dahua cameras are hard to set up. Heck, with the current BI versions and ONVIF enables cameras (which Dahua are), the camera set up in BI is nearly plug and play. Of course then you have to make a few decisions regarding your recording options (record 24/7 or only on trigger, or both, etc), but it isn't hard to set up.

Ihadablackdog said:
Hi,

This is my first post.

In general, are Ubiquiti UniFi cameras a good brand, or to be avoided?

At the moment I don’t know which models (which I understand is the most important detail) so just wondering what the opinions are of the brand in general.

We use their access points at work but other than that I have no experience with the brand.
Click to expand...

While I have never used them personally, I would say that Unifi cameras are a complete waste of money. I've seen video reviews where the Unify cameras have had motion blurring DURING THE DAY! They certainly cannot compete with the image quality of something like the Dahua 5442 series cameras which are less than 1/2 the cost of the G4 cameras for their variable focal length cameras and 1/3 the cost for a fixed focal length camera.

I compare the Unifi system to Apple. Apple has done an incredible job at creating a cohesive environment with beautiful GUIs that suck people in. But they over charge and under deliver on most features compared to alternatives out there. However, once people get sucked into the environment, they don't want to leave it for something else because they have bought into the larger experience rather than looking at the value and effectiveness of each individual product. Unifi works the same way. Their camera system is far from ideal and is very expensive for what it offers, but people are willing to pay for it because it ties into their larger Unifi environment. I doubt anyone would ever consider buying a Unifi camera system unless they already have Unifi products.
 
Last edited:
wittaj said:
But many of us find Blue Iris easy to use and easier than an NVR...
Click to expand...

Don't want to start an argument here :). For sure it's easier than some Chinese NVR.
But once you have used a modern, responsive WebUI there is no comparison. UI3 fills many gaps but is limited by the lack of modern API from BI.
Things like not re-encoding the web stream. Quick scrubbing through a timeline. Well-designed and functional mobile apps, easy access without exposing ports etc, interface working well across all major platforms.

BI is more flexible and powerful in every way, but the UI side of things, and should I say, modern development practices are lacking.
 
The Automation Guy said:
I'm sure the setup is harder than the Unifi system (which I haven't used, but better be damn near plug and play), but I wouldn't say that either BI or Dahua cameras are hard to set up.
Click to expand...

I think a camera that doesn't come with DHCP enabled out of factory is ridiculous. Sure, it's easy enough to work around this, but hard set IP address? WHY?
Once you get deeper into some UI settings it gets kind of weird sometimes. Luckily there are forums to ask for help :).
My personal annoyance, my 5442 UI doesn't even show what camera model you're connected to. Not sure if others are the same.

The Automation Guy said:
I compare the Unifi system to Apple. Apple has done an incredible job at creating a cohesive environment with beautiful GUIs that suck people in.
Click to expand...

Oh how nice it would be if Ubiquiti had the quality and support of Apple :). Their business practices are part of the reason why I abandoned ship. Lots of untested updates that cause problems and sometimes even bricking.
 
EyeOfSauron said:
I think a camera that doesn't come with DHCP enabled out of factory is ridiculous. Sure, it's easy enough to work around this, but hard set IP address? WHY?
Click to expand...

I'll give you that. It is certainly a pain to change my laptop network settings and connect the camera directly to it simply to change the camera to DHCP. If I was installing these regularly, I would probably create a VLAN with that network address range just so that I could hook the cameras up to a network and change them without much effort. Luckily you only have to do it once!
 
POE NVR is nearly Plug in and play, For BI if you have some basic computer skills also very good, lol.
If you prefer AI function, use a AI NVR is bit good.
 
Ihadablackdog said:
Hi,

This is my first post.

In general, are Ubiquiti UniFi cameras a good brand, or to be avoided?

At the moment I don’t know which models (which I understand is the most important detail) so just wondering what the opinions are of the brand in general.

We use their access points at work but other than that I have no experience with the brand.
Click to expand...

the bigger cameras came with a bit high price tag, but from my perspective it´s still ok. combined with the 4bay nvr, you would get a simple setup for up to 50 cameras, central configuration and firmware management like you have with your accesspoints. they have the best mobile app on the market.

we had a lot unifi video setups, some of them where migrated to unifi protect => could not complain so far.


on the other side, the cameras a quite useles in "standalone" mode. no substreams, no motion detection, no storage options => don´t buy it if you ever plan to use a different nvr solution.
 
motion detection etc runs on the camera, but ONLY if it is logged on to a controller (protect nvr).
 
The Automation Guy said:
I compare the Unifi system to Apple. Apple has done an incredible job at creating a cohesive environment with beautiful GUIs that suck people in. But they over charge and under deliver on most features compared to alternatives out there. However, once people get sucked into the environment, they don't want to leave it for something else because they have bought into the larger experience rather than looking at the value and effectiveness of each individual product. Unifi works the same way. Their camera system is far from ideal and is very expensive for what it offers, but people are willing to pay for it because it ties into their larger Unifi environment. I doubt anyone would ever consider buying a Unifi camera system unless they already have Unifi products.
Click to expand...

I, unfortunately, still didn't fall off the apple fanboy train, as I'm writing this on an 11yo MacBook pro, whilst having 3 high-end, relatively new development/gaming rigs eating dust here..
However, the comparison may prove to me that I am looking for 'the apple' amongst the security systems, any advice?

Looking for something between the 1k - 1,5k, don't mind spending a day setting it up but still don't like to have to attend it weekly.
 
The bottom line is that no one can tell you "what you need". A price is also meaningless. Low pricing results in low, poor, system performance. Have a look in the Wiki in the blue bar at the top of the page. Pay attention to the Cliff Notes in particular and read this stuff on a real PC, not a phone or tablet. Then think about what you are trying to accomplish with your system. From there check reviews of cameras, NVRs and PCs being used for Blue Iris. After all that you will have a better idea what you need, what it actually takes to accomplish your needs and what the total cost might be. Also, keep in mind that AI in surveillance systems, the real world, is not what Hollywood depicts.
 
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So true, and that's why I'm thinking I might need 'the apple' ;) I've spent the biggest part of my day reading about camera's and nvr's and everything, but just like developing your own website/software, there have been smarter and more patient people around already solving most problems/situations that I'm now facing too.
 
I’ll never understand how it is a subpar product is able to capture a small percentage of the market. While offering subpar video quality at neck breaking prices?!?

It’s right up there with the Apple fan boys who will gladly depart with thousands of dollars on technology that is a day late and dollar short.

As the other member noted if you see a multi hundred dollar camera offer no basic specifications on lens, aperture, focal length, LUX?!?

What are you getting for that crazy price?? The only reason anyone doesn’t list out the technical specifications is because they are shady as hell or too embarrassed to say!

As others noted people buy into it because they have existing hardware in place and enjoy the somewhat tight integration, P&P, and clean UI / UX.

It’s not because they have any first hand knowledge of better products on the market! Their only reference are products named after stupid words of animals and humans: Arlo, Blink, Nest, Drop Cam.

The fact they continue to use 1990 technology in 2021 just amazes me yet people gobble it up like it’s going out of style!

H.264? ONVIF? 1080P? IP Rating? RTSP?
 
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simple fact, they don´t target anybody who really understand or care about these facts. they provide some facts about the lenes, and for the old g3 series they even provided the sensor vendors (Sony IMX290,..).

what the offer is a simple to use package with all needed hardware from one vendor, good rma service, super simple remote access, quite good motion/ai detection and an mobile apps what makes the typical customer really happy. about the price => 70$ for a simple g3 flex is quite ok, good enough for simple setups.
 
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EyeOfSauron said:
I think a camera that doesn't come with DHCP enabled out of factory is ridiculous. Sure, it's easy enough to work around this, but hard set IP address? WHY?
Click to expand...
IMO because in the professional market (for which these cameras were designed) you can't assume that DHCP services are going to be available on the network segment the cameras are being installed on.

Hik/Dahau do make a few consumer-grade models that ship from the factory DHCP-enabled. But along the same lines of "making it easier for the average consumer", they also remove the web UI and make you do all configuration through a god-awful smartphone app that doesn't let you get to 1/2 of the normal camera settings.
 
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