Looking for an affordable outdoor PoE PTZ camera, optical zoom a plus

[BlackLantern]

Looking for an affordable (<$200) outdoor PoE PTZ camera. I will normally have this pointing at my back gate for security reasons, but when the kids are in the pool, I'd like to be able to pivot to them to watch while I'm working (just to keep me sane during the workday, not as a replacement to my wife who is lifeguarding). Optical zoom would be nice but I know that alone can add a ton of cost.

There are a ton cheaper PTZ camera's on amazon but I'd like to go with a reputable brand with decent firmware support. I've been happy with Amcrest over the years but wondering what other brands people like.

 

[biggen]

i have this one but operating inside: Amazon.com: Loryta SD1A404XB-GNR 4M 4X Starlight IR PTZ AI Network Camera PoE Face Detection English Version: Home Improvement

Its rated for outdoor though and would work.

I also have this one:

https://www.amazon.com/Loryta-SD222...&qid=1622155539&sprefix=Loryt,aps,328&sr=8-13

That one is mounted on my house under and eave and been in operation for 3 years. I’m happy with both of them.

 

[BlackLantern]

Thanks for the suggestions. Pros/cons for each?

 

[holiday]

they are really similar, one (SD1A) has IR light built in while the other (SD22204) doesnt.

why not just have 2 fixed camera one looking at the gate and one looking at the pool full time.

 

[biggen]

Thanks for the suggestions. Pros/cons for each?

My vote would be for the 22204. Both have the same sensor size but the 22204 is a 2MP while the SD1A is a 4MP. That essentially means that night time performance will suffer a bit with the 4MP camera vs the 2MP camera since you are having to resolve twice as many pixels on the 4MP cam but using the same sensor as the 2MP camera.

Neither is good at nighttime performance as the 5442s but if it’s daytime performance you need than it doesn’t matter anyway. The 22204 looks a bit more like a normal turret as well. I'd get that one over the 4MP one.