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DarkYendor

n3wb
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Hi,
Just joined after reading through all the info on here. Very comfortable with computers and networking, just don't know much about CCTV cameras.
Just looking for a couple of CCTV cameras for my house. Already have a Ring Pro, but need to be able to view more than just my door.
-Yendor
 

aristobrat

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Welcome. If you haven't already, check out the Wiki > IP Cam Cliff Notes section, it has a lot of info from various threads compiled into one spot.
 

DarkYendor

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Welcome. If you haven't already, check out the Wiki > IP Cam Cliff Notes section, it has a lot of info from various threads compiled into one spot.
Thanks Aristobrat. I’ve had a look through that wiki.

Locally, all the cameras I’ve found for sale seem to by Hikvision/Dahua 6MP-8MP models. But I know from regular digital cameras, that as you increase the resolution you decrease the light that lands on each pixel, and night vision is a pretty important factor for CCTV.

So looking around, the Starlight cameras seem to be the favourite? The 4MP eyeball-style turrets look good. I would like a cari-focal model, but it seems like that isn’t an option?
 

aristobrat

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So looking around, the Starlight cameras seem to be the favourite? The 4MP eyeball-style turrets look good. I would like a cari-focal model, but it seems like that isn’t an option?
IMO Starlights are the favorite around here in good part because there's an awesome forum vendor (Andy, @EMPIRETECANDY) that makes ordering the OEM Dahua models so easy and generally less expensive than Hikvision (and branded Dahua). Hikvision usually has equivalent Dark Fighter models (same sensors, etc) so if you find a deal on one of those, that'd probably be a safe choice as well.

The Pro AI series that Dahua came out with a few months ago have some 4MP Starlight+ models that have been getting really good owner reviews here, low-light image quality seems to be better than the 2MP Starlights. That series also has some 5MP Starlight models, but I haven't seen them reviewed. They look to have similar low-light performance as the 2MP Starlights that have been so popular over the last few years.

A week or so ago Dahua came out with a Lite AI series that has a 4MP Starlight (not Starlight+) turret that's varifocal. That's the first new varifocal turret that I've seen in awhile from Dahua. It's using a smaller sensor (1/3") compared to the size of the 4MP Starlight+ (1/1.8"), so I'm not sure if that's why they were able to do it with this series. I haven't see Hikvision do a varifocal turret yet with these smaller 1/1.8" sensors, so maybe the size is an issue.
 

SouthernYankee

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:welcome:

-----------------------------------
Read study plan ... before spending money
-----------------------------------
My standard welcome to the forum message.

Please read the IP Cam Talk Cliff Notes and other items in the IP Cam Talk Wiki. The wiki is in the blue bar at the top of the page.

Read How to Secure Your Network (Don't Get Hacked!) in the wiki also.

Quick start
1) If you do not have a wired monitored alarm system, get that first
2) Use Dahua starlight cameras or Hikvision darkfighter cameras or ICPT Night eye cameras (Store | IP Cam Talk) if you need good low light cameras.
3) use a VPN to access home network (openVPN)
4) Do not use wifi cameras.
5) Do not use cloud storage
6) Do Not use uPNP, P2P, QR, do not open ports,
7) More megapixel is not necessarily better.
8) Avoid chinese hacked cameras (most ebay, amazon, aliexpress cameras(not all, but most))
9) Do not use reolink, ring, nest cameras (they are junk), no cloud cameras
10) If possible use a turret camera , bullet collect spiders, dome collect dirt and reflect light (IR)
11) Use only solid copper, AWG 23 or 24 ethernet wire. , no CCA (Copper Clad Aluminum)
12) use a test mount to verify the camera mount location. My test rig: rev.2
13) (Looney2ns)If you want to be able to ID faces, don't mount cams higher than 8ft. You want to know who did it, not just what happened.
14) Use a router that has openVPN built in (Most ASUS, Some NetGear....)
15) camera placement use the calculator... IPVM Camera Calculator V3

Cameras to look at
IPC-HDW2231R-ZS Review-Dahua IPC-HDW2231RP-ZS Starlight Camera-Varifocal
IPC-HDW5231-ZE Review-Dahua Starlight IPC-HDW5231R-ZE 800 meter capable ePOE
IPC-HFW4239T-ASE IPC-HFW4239T-ASE
IPC-T5442TM-AS Review IPC-T5442TM-AS-LED (Full Color, Starlight+)
IPCT-HDW5431RE-I Review - IP Cam Talk 4 MP IR Fixed Turret Network Camera
DS-2CD2325FWD-I
IPC-T5442TM-AS Review-OEM 4mp AI Cam IPC-T5442TM-AS Starlight+ - 4MP starlight+

Other dahua 4MP starlight Dahua 4MP Starlight Lineup

My preferred indoor cameras
DS-2CD2442FWD-IW
IPC-K35A Review-Dahua IPC-K35A 3mp Cube Camera

If interested in Blue Iris and other setup items see the following post

Read,study,plan before spending money ..... plan plan plan
Test do not guess

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
if you are interested in Dahua cameras, a forum member sells dahua and ships world wide. You can read some of the members recommendations on his service. He also provides cameras to other forum member for evaluation and reviews.
you can email him for a quote, or purchase from his Aliexpress store or his Amazon store.

Andy
@EMPIRETECANDY
kingsecurity2014@163.com
Andy's ipcamtalk vendor forum: EmpireTech Andy
Andy's AliExpress store: Empire Technology Co., Ltd - Small Orders Online Store, Hot Selling and more on Aliexpress.com | Alibaba Group
Andy's Amazon store: EmpireTech-Andy @ Amazon.com:

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
As an Amazon Associate IPCamTalk earns from qualifying purchases.

DarkYendor

n3wb
Joined
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Messages
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Location
Australia
IMO Starlights are the favorite around here in good part because there's an awesome forum vendor (Andy, @EMPIRETECANDY) that makes ordering the OEM Dahua models so easy and generally less expensive than Hikvision (and branded Dahua). Hikvision usually has equivalent Dark Fighter models (same sensors, etc) so if you find a deal on one of those, that'd probably be a safe choice as well.

The Pro AI series that Dahua came out with a few months ago have some 4MP Starlight+ models that have been getting really good owner reviews here, low-light image quality seems to be better than the 2MP Starlights. That series also has some 5MP Starlight models, but I haven't seen them reviewed. They look to have similar low-light performance as the 2MP Starlights that have been so popular over the last few years.

A week or so ago Dahua came out with a Lite AI series that has a 4MP Starlight (not Starlight+) turret that's varifocal. That's the first new varifocal turret that I've seen in awhile from Dahua. It's using a smaller sensor (1/3") compared to the size of the 4MP Starlight+ (1/1.8"), so I'm not sure if that's why they were able to do it with this series. I haven't see Hikvision do a varifocal turret yet with these smaller 1/1.8" sensors, so maybe the size is an issue.
Thanks for the info. I'm going to have to buy online to get much choice, so AliExpress is an option if the seller is trusted.

So there's the DH-IPC-HDW5442TM-AS cameras, 4MP with the 1/1.8" sensor and 3 different fixed focal lengths.
Then there's the DH-IPC-HDW2431TP-ZS-S2 cameras, 4MP with the 1/3" sensor, varifocal from 2.7~13.5mm.

I can't find an reviews on the varifocal version, i guess that's not unexpected if they're new, but I'm not keen to buy something completely untested for my first camera.

:welcome:

-----------------------------------
Read study plan ... before spending money
-----------------------------------
My standard welcome to the forum message.

Please read the IP Cam Talk Cliff Notes and other items in the IP Cam Talk Wiki. The wiki is in the blue bar at the top of the page.

Read How to Secure Your Network (Don't Get Hacked!) in the wiki also.

Quick start
1) If you do not have a wired monitored alarm system, get that first
2) Use Dahua starlight cameras or Hikvision darkfighter cameras or ICPT Night eye cameras (Store | IP Cam Talk) if you need good low light cameras.
3) use a VPN to access home network (openVPN)
4) Do not use wifi cameras.
5) Do not use cloud storage
6) Do Not use uPNP, P2P, QR, do not open ports,
7) More megapixel is not necessarily better.
8) Avoid chinese hacked cameras (most ebay, amazon, aliexpress cameras(not all, but most))
9) Do not use reolink, ring, nest cameras (they are junk), no cloud cameras
10) If possible use a turret camera , bullet collect spiders, dome collect dirt and reflect light (IR)
11) Use only solid copper, AWG 23 or 24 ethernet wire. , no CCA (Copper Clad Aluminum)
12) use a test mount to verify the camera mount location. My test rig: rev.2
13) (Looney2ns)If you want to be able to ID faces, don't mount cams higher than 8ft. You want to know who did it, not just what happened.
14) Use a router that has openVPN built in (Most ASUS, Some NetGear....)
15) camera placement use the calculator... IPVM Camera Calculator V3
Thanks for point 15 - I think I can cover everything with 1 wide camera (113 deg) and two tighter ones (56 deg). I think I'm alright on the rest of them.
 
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