Choice of IP cameras

[Legolas84]

HI,
I am setting up a video surveillance system for the garden and terraces, with a total of 5 IP cameras (PoE). I'm new to the topic so I'm trying to learn something that will allow me to make good choices within my budget.
I was about to choose Reolink cameras, but reading you I already understood that it would be the first mistake, and perhaps not the only one. So I decided to register and ask you experts for advice.

I have a Synology DS423+ NAS (not exposed to the internet but accessible via VPN) and I would also like to use it for video surveillance with its Synology App.

I read that the cameras you consider the best are the DAHUA, but I have a limited budget of 120 euros per camera so I need some advice.

The features I would like are: 4K, input audio, recognition of people, cars, animals, recording only when it detects people, good color night vision considering that each camera will be accompanied by a LED light that will illuminate the area at night when it detects movement.

Possibly also a sound alarm that can be set when people are detected.

I also have an alarm already installed, Elkron brand

Thanks for your help!

PS
It's a pleasure to be part of this community

 

[Ri22o]

The features I would like are: 4K, input audio, recognition of people, cars, animals, recording only when it detects people, good color night vision considering that each camera will be accompanied by a LED light that will illuminate the area at night when it detects movement.

Possibly also a sound alarm that can be set when people are detected.

IB @wittaj

 

[mat200]

HI,
I am setting up a video surveillance system for the garden and terraces, with a total of 5 IP cameras (PoE). I'm new to the topic so I'm trying to learn something that will allow me to make good choices within my budget.
I was about to choose Reolink cameras, but reading you I already understood that it would be the first mistake, and perhaps not the only one. So I decided to register and ask you experts for advice.

I have a Synology DS423+ NAS (not exposed to the internet but accessible via VPN) and I would also like to use it for video surveillance with its Synology App.

I read that the cameras you consider the best are the DAHUA, but I have a limited budget of 120 euros per camera so I need some advice.

The features I would like are: 4K, input audio, recognition of people, cars, animals, recording only when it detects people, good color night vision considering that each camera will be accompanied by a LED light that will illuminate the area at night when it detects movement.

Possibly also a sound alarm that can be set when people are detected.

I also have an alarm already installed, Elkron brand

Thanks for your help!

PS
It's a pleasure to be part of this community

Welcome @Legolas84

1) "The features I would like are: 4K, input audio, recognition of people, cars, animals, recording only when it detects people, good color night vision considering that each camera will be accompanied by a LED light that will illuminate the area at night when it detects movement.

Possibly also a sound alarm that can be set when people are detected. "

2) " I'm new to the topic so I'm trying to learn something that will allow me to make good choices within my budget."

AI features are rapidly changing, so I would focus on getting the best image you can from the cameras in your budget - then passing the image to a PC to do AI image processing .. you can still get cameras that have some AI / alert features .. just remember cameras have rather limited compute functions and more capable cameras will cost you more.

Start with ONE good varifocal 4MP 1/1.8" Dahua OEM or Hikvision OEM camera and a small poe switch to help you learn.

Once you learn more, then buy the other cameras you want. This will save you money in the end .. trust me .. I have a box of junk cameras now when I bought based on other's recommendation of a "deal" / good camera.

 

[wittaj]

Welcome.

Don't chase MP. Chase sensor size and then focal length for the distance you want to IDENTIFY.

For an object that is 100 feet away, my 2MP varifocal camera will beat a 4K 2.8mm fixed lens on that image 100 feet away ALL NIGHT LONG.

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


Of importance is the MP/sensor ratio. Only buy cameras that have a MP/sensor ratio in the green. Many cheap cameras throw 4K on a sensor designed for 2MP and thus the 2MP is the better camera when comparing the two.

Further, motion activated lights are not a deterrent. There are enough videos here showing that perps do not flinch when a floodlight turns on. They avoid homes all lit up, so go with floodlights on all night.

Watch this video someone posted and how the floodlight comes on and they don't even flinch. But then the audio comes on and they don't know which way to run LOL.

https://ipcamtalk.com/attachments/whatsapp-video-2020-07-28-at-7-23-08-pm-mp4.73970/

Either keep the lights on all night or not at all to ensure the best chance of capture.

Here is usually what happens when a motion activated floodlight comes on - it just about completely blinds the camera right at the moment of optimal opportunity to get the picture. There are 3 deer in this picture and two of them are lost in the blinded white while the camera's exposure adjusts to the rapid change in available light:

Now some cameras do better than others when adjusting, but regardless there will be a momentary blindness of some sort. The question is will it be at the time of optimal capture or not.


You will find that most do not recommend recording on motion only. Situations can always happen that motion only recording will miss.

 

[mat200]

HI,
I am setting up a video surveillance system for the garden and terraces, with a total of 5 IP cameras (PoE). I'm new to the topic so I'm trying to learn something that will allow me to make good choices within my budget.
I was about to choose Reolink cameras, but reading you I already understood that it would be the first mistake, and perhaps not the only one. So I decided to register and ask you experts for advice.

I have a Synology DS423+ NAS (not exposed to the internet but accessible via VPN) and I would also like to use it for video surveillance with its Synology App.

I read that the cameras you consider the best are the DAHUA, but I have a limited budget of 120 euros per camera so I need some advice.

The features I would like are: 4K, input audio, recognition of people, cars, animals, recording only when it detects people, good color night vision considering that each camera will be accompanied by a LED light that will illuminate the area at night when it detects movement.

Possibly also a sound alarm that can be set when people are detected.

I also have an alarm already installed, Elkron brand

Thanks for your help!

PS
It's a pleasure to be part of this community

Note as you have synology Nas.. remember they charge per camera after 2 iirc .. so for most of us other options become more cost effective once you consider the capabilities vs price

 

[Legolas84]

Thank you all for your contributions.
I thought about it and decided to abandon Synology, I will only adopt Hikvision.

The areas to be video monitored at night will have a light always on. Recording will be continuous on Hikvision DS-7608NXI-K2/8P NVR with Wester Digital Purple 2TB.

Areas - Cameras:

1) Garden
Area1: Square with side of 6m (20 feet) - Hikvision DS-2CD2087G2-L
Area2: Rectangle 3m x 12m (10 x 40 feet) - Hikvision DS-2CD2087G2-L
Area3: Rectangle 6m x 11m (20 x 36 feet) - Hikvision DS-2CD2087G2-L

2) Terraces
Area1: Rectangle 5.70m x 4.85m (18,7 x 16 feet) - Hikvision DS-2CD2047G2H-LI
Area2: Rectangle 2,5m x 5,70m (8 x 18,7 feet) - Hikvision DS-2CD2047G2H-LI

These seem like good cameras to me based on your advice. Keep in mind that the goal I want to achieve is to be notified on my smartphone if a man enters these areas so that I can see what is happening and possibly manually activate the alarm even before the thief can start tampering with a door or window . And obviously notify the police.
If the thief gets close enough to the camera to be identifiable, even better, but this is not essential.

I have some questions:
1) Is Hikvision DS-7608NXI-K2/8P compatible with the cameras I have chosen? Will they be correctly powered via PoE? From what I've read I think so but I want to be sure
2) I imagine I also have to buy the joints for the cameras, but from the hikvision website I can't understand which ones are compatible with the cameras I chose... could you advise me?
3) The NVR will be connected to the home network where the Synology is also present. If a person is detected within the perimeter, am I able to copy the recordings of those moments onto the NAS as a backup?
4) I guess the Hikvision smartphone app connects directly to the NVR right? In this case, is it possible to configure it so that it is only accessible on the internal network and does not access the internet? I have a VPN server on the Synology that I use to connect to my internal network when I'm away, this significantly increases the security of the entire system.

Thank you all for any other advice you may want to give me. Keep in mind that I have already gone way over budget and I can't go any further.
Thank you!