Fixed Position IP Camera for Sports

[Josh Walford]

Hi all, i am currently looking for a fixed IP camera that will be used to provide a top down view of a bocha court. The only place that it can be mounted is roughly 4.2 Metres from the ground. I dont really need pan or tilt functions, just zoom. Does anyone know of a camer that will fit my needs ideally for as cheap as possible.

 

[Michelin Man]

Is this more for just live view only with no recording?

 

[Josh Walford]

Ideally both as it will be used in a school for assessment purposes. also if it makes any difference im located in the uk

 

[Michelin Man]

When you say zoom you mean an optical zoom? I guess you won't need much of a zoom if its 4.2m up.

 

[Josh Walford]

optical is preferable, it needs to be able to focus on the scoring area of a bocha court, ideally it would provide an image something like the one below.

 

[Michelin Man]

If it has to be a zoom you control that would make it a bit more difficult and expensive.

If you just want a camera that has a fixed focal length that would be easier. You would however have to determine what focal length you need, unless you get a vari-focal camera again more expensive than a fixed lens unit.

 

[fenderman]

What is your budget? Lots of varifocal cameras out there that will meet your needs.. Another option is to simply use a good quality video camera that can output to hdmi..

 

[Josh Walford]

is there an easy way to figure out the focal length i will need? The budget is as cheap as possibe, we would ideally prefer an ip camera due to security concerns as it is being used in a school and there are data protection issues if we used a camera that outputs the video feed

 

[Michelin Man]

There was a guide somewhere that showed you what kind of FOV (in degrees) you would get with certain lenses. However, it is more of a guide as different sensor sizes affects the FOV.

I'll try and dig it up.

What is your budget anyways?

 

[Josh Walford]

OK, thank you

It sounds odd but i dont know, ive tried to get a figure out of the relevant people but they keep coming back with the response as cheap as possible that will do the job, its an awkward position but where school and money is concerned no one wants to state things, sorry for being a pain

 

[Michelin Man]

There is a lens calculator in HikTools (you can download it from Hikvision). However, keep in mind it is specific for Hikvision cameras but can give you an idea for other cameras.

If this can be done with say a bullet camera or a dome you'd be looking at say US$85 - 95 for just the camera shipped from HK. You can get them locally for a decent amount more.

You can get models with inbuilt microSD card slots so you can record directly onto the card. To power the camera you would need a regulated 12v adapter or a POE injector/switch.

or you could just give the TOP-201 camera a try, probably the cheapest decent 720p camera you can get for like US$20/30.

 

[Josh Walford]

Thank you so much, my knowledge of IP cameras and security cameras in general is quite low.

 

[tomib]

Hi Everyone.
I am a beginner with IP cameras and i have a question I hope I can get an answer here.
So... is it possible to use my camera without router? I mean can I just use the main internet cable from the service provider? I would like to watch my house while I am away but if the router temporarily die nobody can restart it. Of course I do not want to use my PC during that time.
Thanks.

 

[zero-degrees]

Hi Everyone.
I am a beginner with IP cameras and i have a question I hope I can get an answer here.
So... is it possible to use my camera without router? I mean can I just use the main internet cable from the service provider? I would like to watch my house while I am away but if the router temporarily die nobody can restart it. Of course I do not want to use my PC during that time.
Thanks.

if you connect your camera directly to your modem yes - but then you will have no other devices online or an available connection at your home... Routers rarely need restarted... Buy a router

*also consider not hijacking a thread and going off topic in the future. Poke around the site, you'll find most answers to questions you don't even have yet.

 

[klasipca]

If you need wide angle and zoom you could take a look at mini PTZ with 3x zoom. Its angle is wider then 2.8mm Hikvision cameras. It's about $150