[info thread] Searching "the" best IP Camera Module

[GentlePumpkin]

I'd like to ask you to tell your experience with IP Camera modules from Aliexpress, Banggood and Co.

I would like to collect all useful information and - with your aid - continously update this post with important things to look for, sources to buy and realistic sample images. Everything written in orange means: please help me make this article better!

But first of all what I discovered during the last year:
In general these cams are a bit trickier to set up (they p.e. may be configured with a different subnet) but work just fine once they are setup up.

Why

• modular: so you can individually select the sensor, the optics (fish eye 180°, wide angle 90° or 50x motorized zoom, and so on), the ir lights (shape, number of leds, 850nm or invisible 940nm), add a microphone etc
• compact: with a footprint of 3,8x3,8cm they fit into many custom housing and a variety of pre-made housing
• cheap: p.e. for 15 USD you get a working Full HD camera!

Criteria/Information

• Good low light sensor:

- 2MP -> IMX290 or IMX291 (cheaper&lower performance -> IMX307)​

- 5MP -> IMX178 (can anybody provide experience with this sensor?)​

• true WDR (optional but always recommended)
• usable interface: html5 video would be incredible, Flash video support would already be great. And stability is important, which is yet another criteria that you cannot check before buying.

Meanwhile, many come with a software that only works with Internet Explorer and a plugin, isn't overly reliable and looks like this:​

​

I've also seen cameras with the following interfaces.​

Can you recommend any of these or other interfaces? ​

​

• Many of these cams actually have a alarm input connector, but are unable to hand this information over to Blue Iris via PullPointSubscription (which renders the alarm in feature useless).
• available IR rings oftentimes include a light sensor to automatically switch between day and night. Without an external light sensor, the modules oftentimes have the problem that they change between day and night mode many time during twilight.
  
  
• Would anybody add some information on the different chips like Hisilicon 3516a/d/e 3518? Their importance for the resulting image seemingly is quite underestimated.

Tested cameras:

Image	Sensor	Resolution	Price	Details	URL
	IMX291 (good low light)	1920x1080@20fps	25USD	- tested & reliable very good low light when shutter time is not set too long (otherwise blurry images) digital WDR alarm i/o is not accessible with onvif - interface only supports IE: - works great fine with this 940nm IR board	US $25.2 |Sony IMX291+3516E H.265 StarLight 1080P 1920*1080 IP Camera Module Board Low illumination 38*38mm Onvif CMS XMEYE P2P Cloud|Surveillance Cameras| | - AliExpress
	IMX307 (average sensor)	1920x1080@15fps	18USD	- tested & reliable digital WDR alarm i/o is not accessible with onvif interface only supports IE:	US $16.55 |IPC (1080P) 1/2.8

Interesting candidates:

Image	Sensor	Resolution	Price	Details	URL
	IMX178	2592x1944@10fps	90-130USD	- good low light sensor - interface according to offer:	p.e. US $88.55 |5MP SONY IMX178 Hi3516D Audio Security PCB Board Camera Module|board camera module|camera module|sony imx178 - AliExpress

Stores:
Just to mention a few I already tested or heared of - no affiliation of course

HLong Asia	I bought from them, fast delivery, products as described large assortment very limited information in article description	HLong Asia - HASECU Store - Amazing prodcuts with exclusive discounts on AliExpress Discover the wide range of Детали и аксессуары для раций,Аксессуары для планшетов,DVD from AliExpress Top Seller HLong Asia - HASECU Store.Enjoy ✓Free Shipping Worldwide! ✓Limited Time Sale ✓Easy Return. www.aliexpress.com
VOLDRELI Economical Security	I bought from then, fast delivery, product as described, weak support recommended by other forum members article description often includes image samples	VOLDRELI Economical Security Store - Amazing prodcuts with exclusive discounts on AliExpress Discover the wide range of Walkie Talkie Parts & Accessories,Tablet Accessories,DVDs from AliExpress Top Seller VOLDRELI Economical Security Store.Enjoy ✓Free Shipping Worldwide! ✓Limited Time Sale ✓Easy Return. www.aliexpress.com
Marviosafer	recommended by forum member detailed article descriptions, often with interface screenshots	Marviosafer Store - Amazing prodcuts with exclusive discounts on AliExpress Discover the wide range of Walkie Talkie Parts & Accessories,Tablet Accessories,DVDs from AliExpress Top Seller Marviosafer Store.Enjoy ✓Free Shipping Worldwide! ✓Limited Time Sale ✓Easy Return. www.aliexpress.com

And now it's your turn:
I would love to hear your experience, tips and everything related to these small module cams!
- sensors
- models
- housings
- etc



your
GentlePumpkin

 

[polaris]

For modules you can look at manufacturer websites:

• Hangzhou Xiongmai Technology Co.,LTD.-PRODUCTS or Hangzhou Xiongmai Technology Co.,LTD.-PRODUCTS
• Product_|TOPSEE|IP Camera Module|HD IP Camera Module|NVR|DVR|HDCCTV|IPC|Network Camera Module|Network Video Server|Video Decoder
• Product

Your best shot at buying those is from taobao (with some 3rd party middleman "taobao agent" service), sometimes you can find them on aliexpress.

Mainstream choice for those extreme DIYers is usually modules with IMX307 for 2MP and IMX335 for 5MP.

I don't know if there's much info in English about this stuff, you might want to translate a thread in this russian forum Новинки китайского видеонаблюдения.

By browsing taobao you can find many housings and other parts. You will need to translate everything (Google Chrome helps). I was interested in this for some time, but in the end decided that it is quite a chore to assemble everything and just got some DS-2CD3T86FWDV2-I3S cameras from taobao.

Stuff I have bought previously:

Housings: 外壳-金海安防超市-淘宝网
Network and JST cables: 线材专区-深圳博盾电子科技-淘宝网
POE board: 隔离型POE供电模组 网络摄像机内置DC12V供电模块 千兆隔离防雷-淘宝网

For lenses you can get those full-color-at-night those F0.95 or F1.0 lenses and "white light" LED board if you want. Standard stuff uses F1.2-F1.6 lenses with IR lights.

Usually you need housing, module, lens with IR cut filter, IR (or LED) board with IRs (or LEDs), JST cables to connect module to IR board, network cable, POE board (optional)

You can also get 8025R-UL board to DIY a cheap NVR. Just be sure to buy one with cables (NVRs usually have non-standard HDD power cable).

My suggestion if you really want to start this as a hobby - buy any cheap chinese camera, disassemble it and try find all the parts to build you own in taobao. You will learn a lot.

 

[Jomsha]

What about Hi3516D + Imx335 ?
Any experience?

 

[HakimJacob]

Hi....I have no close to home involvement in the cloud administrations gave by camera creators/advertisers, in spite of the fact that tales I've perused would provide me opportunity to stop and think. By and by I like BlueIris and I'm quite OK with it. Others have best of luck with a NVR from a legitimate mfg like Dahua or Hikvision. IPCamTalk is a very decent gathering with bunches of extraordinary exhortation, and furthermore a lot of commotion. There are a couple of genuine characters there that sporadically make an individual looking for assist need with shouting. [Let me put it along these lines, fendermann makes jgreco sound like a sweetheart.] With BlueIris, it's anything but difficult to set whatever port number you'd like for http/https access. Set a static IP on your Win10 have and forward the port, and you have a live stream(s), with a lot of drill-down choices.

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