Looking for a simple 1 cam setup - Samsung?

[RCGA]

I'm looking for a simple, one camera setup for my home. Basically all I want is a camera the points outside to the street (located inside from a window) that can record my cars and my front door. A camera with a wide angle (120*+) should be able to capture all that.

A couple other considerations I have:

• Ideally it would be PoE
• Ideally it would have onboard storage via an SD card
• Ideally it would have motion detection and some way to notify me if there is motion detected
• Needs to have night vision
• Good enough image quality

So basically I'm not looking for something overall complex. And no real interest in a multi cam setup at this point. I live in the east coast of Canada so our winters would pretty much destroy any exterior camera (lows get in the -30*C, lots of rain and freezing rain).

This is the one I've been looking at - the Samsung SmartCam Pro
http://www.costco.ca/Samsung-Indoor-SmartCam-HD-Pro-Wi-Fi-IP-Camera.product.100116280.html

The $200 price range is about as high as I'm willing to go.

Anything else I should be considering? Ideally something I can purchase within Canada, but am willing to import from China.

 

[Del Boy]

Inside from a window and have night vision? Unless you have really good street lighting (I mean like Piccadilly Circus or Times Square) then this isn't going to be easy.

Also 120 plus degree is a difficult requirement for the above.

That Samsung is probably good enough as a cheap baby monitor... except it isn't cheap.

What I would recommend is 2x DS-2CD2132F-IS 6mm cameras, covering approx 70 degrees each and mounted outdoors. Or 2x 4mm, one covering door, one covering cars.

 

[bp2008]

Night vision cameras see at night by shining infrared light out in front of them. Infrared is a form of light that the camera can see, but people can't see. The problem is if you put a night vision camera behind a window, then the infrared will reflect off the window and directly back into the camera and the camera will see nothing but its own reflection in the window. You will need to either use exterior lighting or an exterior camera. Or both.

The Samsung camera you linked is overpriced and nothing special. I'll give you three recommendations:

1. Hikvision DS-2CD2132F-IS with a 2.8mm lens. This is close to a 90 degree field of view, as opposed to about 45 degrees with a 6mm lens or 70 degrees with a 4mm lens.
2. Hikvision DS-2CD2532F-IS with a 2.8mm lens. Almost identical to the other Hikvision camera, except smaller and with weaker infrared. I was able to find a better price for it on amazon.ca otherwise I wouldn't mention it.
3. A Dahua 4MP camera. This one should be able to do all you want, but I do not know what kind of customs fees you may have to pay and it could take as little as a week or as long as a month to arrive. http://www.aliexpress.com/store/product/Dahua-4Mp-IPC-HDBW4421R-AS-IP-camera-network-camera-DH-IPC-HDBW4421R-AS-Support-POE-Micro/638300_32396199848.html

 

[digger11]

I live in the east coast of Canada so our winters would pretty much destroy any exterior camera (lows get in the -30*C, lots of rain and freezing rain).

Outdoor cameras are hardier than you might think. I have a Hikvision turret and an Empire IPC1-V that have gone through two winters in the Colorado Rockies without any issues. Winter temperatures below -20F (-29C) are quite common.

 

[Del Boy]

Yeah bp is right... I meant 4mm 70 degrees or 2x 6mm covering door and cars... whooooops.

And digger is right, these cameras can work well outside of specification.