Need Professional Grade 24/7 No Hassle Outdoor Camera

[StealthMicro]

I know lots of questions have been asked on here about Camera recommendations. We need a little more in depth help. We need a camera capable of outdoor 24/7 live streaming. Prefer something with 30FPS, 1080p minimum. The camera is for longer distance viewing think 300ft to 4500ft. The distance is a fixed view so does not need PTZ. We currently are using a Sunba 601-D20X and while the picture quality is okay we have nothing but issues with this camera. Yes we have worked with support on resetting the firmware, patches for known issues, tried all the settings etc. I am not bad mouthing Sunba in anyway but for our purpose it is just not professional enough for out needs. We have streaming issues were the camera has to be reset every 3-5 days. We use FFMPEG and have to reset that from time to time from different packet issues. We have tried lots of different streaming apps. OBS, StreamLabs OBS, BlueIris and finally FFMPEG.

We want a stable 24/7 capable camera. Looking for recommendations. The camera is on 24/7 and live streams to YouTube Live for now. It faces down a train track hence the 300ft-4500ft range. We won't obviously get night vision for this but a camera that does not focus all over the place because of low light would be nice. The Sunba camera is really bad about this. In its defense the camera also picks up highway traffic at night and the headlights probably cause lots of these issues.

We have been looking at the Dahua brands but you trade off so many things. Great MP vs Bad FPS for example. Because it is live streaming we really are looking for 30FPS, the best MP we can afford, Best resolution we can afford. We do not need PTZ.

So please if anyone has any solid camera recommendations please let us know. We look forward to your advice.

To see what we currently are showing for the live stream you can view it at this link Tehachapi Live Train Cam - YouTube

 

[fenderman]

I know lots of questions have been asked on here about Camera recommendations. We need a little more in depth help. We need a camera capable of outdoor 24/7 live streaming. Prefer something with 30FPS, 1080p minimum. The camera is for longer distance viewing think 300ft to 4500ft. The distance is a fixed view so does not need PTZ. We currently are using a Sunba 601-D20X and while the picture quality is okay we have nothing but issues with this camera. Yes we have worked with support on resetting the firmware, patches for known issues, tried all the settings etc. I am not bad mouthing Sunba in anyway but for our purpose it is just not professional enough for out needs. We have streaming issues were the camera has to be reset every 3-5 days. We use FFMPEG and have to reset that from time to time from different packet issues. We have tried lots of different streaming apps. OBS, StreamLabs OBS, BlueIris and finally FFMPEG.

We want a stable 24/7 capable camera. Looking for recommendations. The camera is on 24/7 and live streams to YouTube Live for now. It faces down a train track hence the 300ft-4500ft range. We won't obviously get night vision for this but a camera that does not focus all over the place because of low light would be nice. The Sunba camera is really bad about this. In its defense the camera also picks up highway traffic at night and the headlights probably cause lots of these issues.

We have been looking at the Dahua brands but you trade off so many things. Great MP vs Bad FPS for example. Because it is live streaming we really are looking for 30FPS, the best MP we can afford, Best resolution we can afford. We do not need PTZ.

So please if anyone has any solid camera recommendations please let us know. We look forward to your advice.

To see what we currently are showing for the live stream you can view it at this link Tehachapi Live Train Cam - YouTube

as you have seen sunba is crap...I have warned about sunba many times but folks are enticed by the low prices.
you are misinformed both dahua and about resolution in general.
your sunba was 2mp and dahua has lots of 2mp cameras that can do 30fps...they also have 4k cameras that can do 30fps...start doing your research
you claim to want professional grade but dont mention how much you want to spend...

 

[mat200]

..
To see what we currently are showing for the live stream you can view it at this link Tehachapi Live Train Cam - YouTube

Welcome Stealth,

The Dahua OEM cameras are well liked by members here, and the ones I picked up at 2mp do well at 30 fps.

Of course if you want 4K at 30 fps that will get pricier.

There are some really nice Dahua OEM PTZ cameras.

If on a budget I would look at the Dahua OEM starlight PTZ models w/20-25x zoom.

 

[Ronnie Bailey]

Good lord, I just watched a train go by, and it looked like it was 10 miles long......... I like your live stream.

Would be nice, if it could ZOOM in on the train as it goes by.......

 

[StealthMicro]

as you have seen sunba is crap...I have warned about sunba many times but folks are enticed by the low prices.
you are misinformed both dahua and about resolution in general.
your sunba was 2mp and dahua has lots of 2mp cameras that can do 30fps...they also have 4k cameras that can do 30fps...start doing your research
you claim to want professional grade but dont mention how much you want to spend...

Let me try to be a little clearer.

I was not stating that Dahua has no cameras with these qualities I was just stating that these parameters seem to go hand in hand.

Are we semi happy with the Sunba 2MP clarity then for the most part yes. Would it be great to have 4MP or more sure it would.

This stream is a live 24/7 stream. It is on the side of a mountain that faces train tracks. It also sees a highway so it has both daylight and almost pitch dark with the exception of an occasional train and lots of headlights coming from the highway. All of which the Sunba handles EXTREMELY poorly.

Ideal preferences in order of importance...
Excellent firmware that can handle streaming video via RTSP for months if not years without memory leaks, bugs, freezing, dropouts etc...
4K video streaming capability - 1080p minimum
4-8MP - 2MP minimum
Descent night time noise handling
Optical zoom in preference to digital zoom (probably dreaming here)
While motion (PTZ) is not a necessity would be a nice feature.

We live in a world of supply and demand which is most likely why there is not purpose built cameras for this situation rather cameras that are classified as "Security Cameras" in this market space.

I was not aware that when I used the work "Professional" that it required me to put a price tag on it but okay ill give it a shot.

This is a private camera used in a hobby environment. Although this is true, money will still be spent on the project. In fact there have already been donations received for this very project. As this is STILL a hobby project and not a company operated venture money still needs to be a primary consideration. So maybe rather than me using the work "Professional" I should use words like "Reliable", "Great Quality", dare I say "High End Consumer Grade" if the work "Professional" requires said price tag.

The owners of the current camera are "train enthusiasts" who considers this project important enough to spend time and resources on.

So now with the new direction or at the very least understanding of what is needed and a "how much" direction. Does anyone have specific make and model recommendations?

 

[StealthMicro]

Welcome Stealth,

The Dahua OEM cameras are well liked by members here, and the ones I picked up at 2mp do well at 30 fps.

Of course if you want 4K at 30 fps that will get pricier.

There are some really nice Dahua OEM PTZ cameras.

If on a budget I would look at the Dahua OEM starlight PTZ models w/20-25x zoom.

I have been looking into these as you suggested. The parameters are in the ball park. My real concern is reliability of the stream as well. Do you have any experience with these and live streaming? If so do you have any sense of how well they would hold up streaming for days or months or even years?

 

[StealthMicro]

Good lord, I just watched a train go by, and it looked like it was 10 miles long......... I like your live stream.

Would be nice, if it could ZOOM in on the train as it goes by.......

This area is pretty famous. 6 miles west is the Tehachapi Loop which is like it sounds. A loop where trains actually cross over themselves. These tracks see mile long trains quite often.

This is footage of the Tehachapi Loop by a 4K capable drone. Pretty impressive.

 

[Ronnie Bailey]

This area is pretty famous. 6 miles west is the Tehachapi Loop which is like it sounds. A loop where trains actually cross over themselves. These tracks see mile long trains quite often.

This is footage of the Tehachapi Loop by a 4K capable drone. Pretty impressive.

Amazing video....... thanks

 

[fenderman]

Still no budget mentioned... Complete waste of time

 

[Cheryl]

Still no budget mentioned... Complete waste of time

Let’s say around $2000.

 

[fenderman]

Let’s say around $2000.

if you are willing to bump it up a bit to 2800 see the axis ptz AXIS Q61 PTZ Network Camera Series | Axis Communications
otherwise see the dahua ptz reviews by user @jmcu as well as ultra series dahua https://www.dahuasecurity.com/products/allProducts/4572/5?tab=1151

 

[bp2008]

This would also be a very good camera if you pair it with a quality zoom lens (requires outdoor enclosure)
IPC-HF8835F

If you get a quality brand, Hikvision, Dahua, Axis, etc, the camera firmware should be very stable. Your software sending the stream to YouTube or wherever will still need to be robust though. Glitches do happen, especially on the internet side of things.

The one thing I warn about Dahua PTZs and varifocals is their autofocus sucks if there isn't something clear to lock on to (in the dark). This might be less of a problem on the expensive high end PTZs but it is an issue on the cheaper stuff.

 

[CaliGirl]

Dahua has been stable for us for 2years. 30x zoom day, night, snow, rain. Remote locale, ptz style. You say professional and then you say you are not funded and have a $350 camera currently. That is not professional. Professional is enterprise level and expect to pay far more than $350. 4k is total overkill for youtube and good night vision. What is the purpose of the camera and who are your users?

 

[looney2ns]

Daja vu!
Someone else has already been here asking about a cam for this location.