Be glad you didn't make the Reolink mistake and they're not the only one with problems. Most of the consumer level cameras all suffer from the same problems that Reolink has.
Compiled by mat200 -
Intro I’m excited to be doing another Worlds First Review. this time as I mentioned in the full color thread, I’ve been testing the new Dahua full color 4K camera. This was provided courtesy of @EMPIRETECANDY for a fair, honest, no holds barred, unbiased review. I’ll attempt to answer any and...
ipcamtalk.com
A collection of various consumer grade failures -
Love these posts on Nextdoor type apps LOL. This thread will be used for members to post the poor quality consumer grade type camera images that we see people post to the Nextdoor type apps. Can anyone make out this person that went thru their cars LOL.... And this thread is where members...
ipcamtalk.com
Most of us here use Dahua or Hikvision cameras. They're prosumer grade cameras that can be adjusted to provide the best video possible under the worst conditions. Cameras normally need to work well at night and that's where Reolink, and the others, fail pretty badly.
To go with the focal length, mounting height is very important. It's best to keep cameras below eight feet above ground to make sure you get a useable identification shot. Mounted higher results in top of head shots which are useless.
A good source for cameras is Andy, a forum member, who is a Dahua/Hikvision OEM dealer. His cameras are International version which means their firmware can be upgraded safely when improvements come along. His relationship with Dahua in particular is very good and he works with members here and Dahua engineers to improve the firmware, eliminate bugs. Often, we get firmware updates that never make it to the Dahua site that improve camera performance significantly. His pricing is excellent and he supports what he sells. Keep in mind that both Dahua and Hikvision do not sell directly to the end user and will not provide support to you directly.
Andy
IPCT Thread
Dahua products
ipcamtalk.com
Andy's Store
King Security/EmpireTech Store
Email
Andy Wang
kingsecurity2014@163.com
The three basic rules of video surveillance cameras-
Rule #1 - Cameras multiply like rabbits.
Rule #2 - Cameras are more addictive than drugs.
Rule #3 - You never have enough cameras.
Quick guide -
The smaller the lux number the better the low light performance. 0.002 is better than 0.02
The smaller the "F" of the lens the better the low light performance. F1.4 is better than F1.8
The larger the sensor the better the low light performance. 1/1.8" is better (bigger) than 1/2.7"
The higher the megapixels for the same size sensor the worse the low light performance. A 4MP camera with a 1/1.8" sensor will perform better than a 8MP camera with that same 1/1.8" sensor.
Disclaimer - These sizes are the sizes advertised by manufacturers and may not actually reflect the real physical sensor size -
720P - 1/3" = .333"
2MP - 1/2.8" = .357" (think a .38 caliber bullet)
4MP - 1/1.8" = .555" (bigger than a .50 caliber bullet or ball)
8MP - 1/1.2" = .833" (bigger than a 20mm chain gun round)
