Need Recommendation for Cameras

[mbh]

Okay, so I see you put the one on here that I originally was going to use. If I run it with the ethernet like I planned, will it still mess up my system?

 

[wittaj]

No not if you run it as POE via either dual NIC or VLAN, but the impression your post gave was you were looking for wifi for the WAF LOL

 

[mbh]

Oh no thank you, I thought we were saying the same things but kept missing each other!

 

[wittaj]

One thing to add that @wittaj may not have mentioned here that he's mentioned elsewhere is that he likes things closer. The more experience I get with this, it's some of the best advice on this forum. What I've found is that if I think I need a 2.8mm camera, I'm much happier with a 6mm camera. What that means for me is that most of my cameras are varifocal. The benefit is that you can move them and zoom into areas, which you can't do with a fixed lens camera.
Also, one of the recommendations on this site is to get a varifocal camera and place it temporarily where you plan to mount a camera and see the results at different focal lengths. That is great advice! But, be sure that you can identify in the areas you are covering before you buy a fixed camera.
I'm not sure if either of the above were mentioned, we're fixing dinner and I don't have time to read through...But, wanted to post those two points.

So very true!

While the 2.8 and other wide angles serve a purpose for DETECT and OBSERVE, I am a big believer in if you want IDENTIFY, you have to make the object as large as possible (like things closer).

Even more so at night. During the day you can probably get by with some digital zoom, but at night the quality drops off quickly.

 

[mbh]

For and indoor camera, what focal length would you suggest?

 

[wittaj]

Oh no thank you, I thought we were saying the same things but kept missing each other!

yeah it seemed like we had a miscommunication, but glad it is figure out now!

Those little Amcrest are lil beasts LOL. I have several and many people have them to. A great little value for inside. Mine is upside down on the ceiling.

It stinks we have to use an adapter to make it wired, but still cheaper than the next alternative.

And many of them have autotracking as well!

 

[mbh]

Okay perfect, I will be moving forward with them! Thank you for your help

 

[wittaj]

For and indoor camera, what focal length would you suggest?

We benefit indoors from the white walls bouncing the IR all over the place and making it brighter than when outside.

Because of that and the typically smaller areas, a 2.8 or 3.6 is generally sufficient.

The exception would be if you were trying to get a shot of a door down a long hallway and were more than 20 feet away, you would want a varifocal to zoom in to the door.

 

[mbh]

Hello all, I purchased all the cameras @Ri22o suggested from Andy last night! just Confirming I should try to put these at around 8 ft high?

 

[Ri22o]

Hello all, I purchased all the cameras @Ri22o suggested from Andy last night! just Confirming I should try to put these at around 8 ft high?

Short answer, yes.