Hi from Aus - looking for recommendations

[Cranzy]

Hi,

I have been slowly browsing around and reading forums about which cameras I should get.
Initially from reviews and suggestion I saw the Hikvision ds-2cd2385fwd-i was the camera to get, but more recent forum posts - it seems Duhua seems more recommended.

Here is a 3d Model of my house 3D Model
I am on a corner block, so no house on the right of mine, just a fence.
Also to note, there is a steetlight on the right side of the property, so always well lit and that area.

So I am thinking initially to get 3 cameras in the front (Garage, Front door, Right hand side) and 1 or 2 for the right hand side of property. Later on I would want to get one or 2 cameras for the backyard (which is dark during the evenings)

I have a spare i7 pc with 16gb Ram which I can use to run Blue Iris or similar software (would I still need NVR then?? )

Which setup/cameras would you recommend (also lens size)?

Here are some pictures as well:

Front of the house (taken from street)

Front (from the right hand side (street pole in picture)

Front (left hand side)

Here is a picture of the right hand side of the property, standing at the back looking down towards the street (fence on the left)

 

[mat200]

Welcome @Cranzy

Yes a lot of us have picked up Dahua OEM 2MP starlight models, and now members are reviewing some of the newer Dahua OEM 4MP starlight+ models. So definitely look at the various reviews.

Remember to determine what you think is your threats. In the USA we see a lot of package / mail thieves with the rise of online commerce / e-commerce. Also we see a lot of "door checkers" looking to steal from cars they find unlocked. So, for me I want to have those areas covered well and have any thief walk through at least 2 difference camera's FOVs.

 

[Cranzy]

Why are people going Duhua over hikvision. Or just a preference thing?

 

[pinko]

In Australia Hikvision Cameras are very popular on forums like Whirlpool.
IMO Australian pricing and availability has an influence on the Australian preference for Hikvision.
I did my research a few years ago and at that stage had no preference either way. I just knew it was down to Hikvision or Dahua.

I came here and read for weeks. There was no wiki then, but all the information was here. One of best discoveries was the super amazing Dahua supplier @EMPIRETECANDY (after this, my fate was sealed).

It's a great community here, and the depth of knowledge is exceptional. Either way, your on the right path to getting a great setup for your situation. No one here will let you buy garbage.

 

[looney2ns]

Welcome,
Study this closely on a real computer: Cliff Notes

 

[crw030]

Why are people going Duhua over hikvision. Or just a preference thing?

Speaking from when I first joined the forums, the Dahua cameras were well reviewed, and available from a trusted vendor. At the time it seemed like the Hikvision options might be more difficult to get support and a lot of gray market options with hacked firmwares.

Now that IPCT is selling and offering firmware support etc for Hikvisions I wouldn't sweat buying either on these forums. They appear to be very competitive with one another.