Hi! Could I have a hand choosing a new camera?
I'm a little overwhelmed by choice: brands and rebrands and firmwares, oh my! It's to fit above a doorway to monitor activity on the long straight path leading to that door, and not in a high-security area. My budget ceiling is $200/£150, but I'm hoping to pay $150/£120 or less.
Here are my criteria. I've done some research, but I'd like to get some experienced opinions.
MUST
SHOULD
WOULD BE NICE
NO NEED
MUST NOT
Are these too strict?
So far, I've found :
Any other brands I should look at?
Thanks!
I'm a little overwhelmed by choice: brands and rebrands and firmwares, oh my! It's to fit above a doorway to monitor activity on the long straight path leading to that door, and not in a high-security area. My budget ceiling is $200/£150, but I'm hoping to pay $150/£120 or less.
Here are my criteria. I've done some research, but I'd like to get some experienced opinions.
MUST
- At least 4MP.
- Low-profile. Needs to be mounted inconspicuously above a doorway. I can build into the soffits, but smaller the better. Dome-style would be best
- Good night vision, and proper night/day switching. Colour NV not necessary.
- API for me to fiddle with; will be interfacing directly with curl and RTSP instead of an built-in viewer or third-party viewer.
- Motion detection event that I can catch from other applications.
- Privacy masks.
- Manual day/night switch (if necessary).
- Weatherproof. Will be sheltered, but outdoors. IP55/IP56 or better.
- Ethernet preferable to WiFi, but not PoE since my current switch is not PoE capable.
- RTSP.
- Web interface, as opposed to app-only control.
SHOULD
- ONVIF. I guess? As long as it has an API and RTSP
- Small FOV, or at least, not huge FOV.
WOULD BE NICE
- Mount sideways or rotate camera for tall-but-narrow image?
NO NEED
- PTZ.
- Audio in/out.
- Local storage.
- Vandal-proof.
- Visible lights.
- Face recognition, or any other 'AI' gubbish.
MUST NOT
- PoE. Possibly negotiable; I'd buy a new switch if the camera was otherwise perfect.
Are these too strict?
So far, I've found :
- Tapo has both the C320WS and the TC65, but they appear to be app control only, with no API.
- Axis M-series are beyond my budget.
- Reolink cameras appear not to have RTSP or API? Which Cameras/NVRs/Home Hub Can be Accessed via Web Browsers
- Amcrest/Dahua has... quirks : hangs, broken video files, missing motion events. Also, only 3 options for non-PoE.
Any other brands I should look at?
Thanks!