Stuck, need help choosing cameras

[DigitalADHD]

I currently have 4 x 3mp cameras installed that are being replaced because they are not what I ordered. I know that MP count isn't the end all be all so I'm looking to replace them with good all-around cameras sub $250 if possible.


There is a lot of terminology that I am trying to read up on to learn, but knowing nothing is very overwhelming.


There are so many vendor options, then there are generics of the name brands, do i go with a 2.8, or a 4mm lens. Do i go 2mp with a better "sensor"?


I currently have domes are there any advantages to bullets over domes.


Can someone recommend a good quality, good picture all around camera under 250 if possible? Not looking to really spend a ton.


I know this is subjective, so please cut me a bit of slack as a newb.


Basically I want to cover my front yard from the two corners of the house, my back deck, and my back yard from the corner of my house.


I'd like good quality video, with good night vision. The max distance would be like 100 feet,


Thanks in advance!

 

[JFire]

Are you purchasing an NVR to go with the cameras or using an existing one? If you have one stick to that brand when getting new cameras.

What's wrong with the 3MP cameras you purchased?

The belle of the ball is currently anything dahua starlight. I believe their varifocal turret falls well under your $250 limit. It will also make guessing on what lens you want/need moot.

Most people here will tell you domes aren't suitable for outdoor use and have too many IR glare issues. I initially purchased domes for outdoor because i was more worried about someone smashing or turning the cameras.

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[DigitalADHD]

I am using the existing NVR, There is nothing wrong with the 3mp cameras per say, but i paid for 4mp, So they are being replaced and this had me looking at the specs, bitrates, lenses etc. The 4mp version of mine suport H.264+ which if i understand it is the same quslity higher compression, less network bandwidth.

I am not unhappy with my 3mp cameras, but i guess i just wish they looked better especially at night, again subjective.

Thank you for the feedback. I have heard about the dahua starlights, what distances are they good for?

 

[DigitalADHD]

I am looking for something with the quality of the dahua starlight, but with a wider closer FOV, does that make sense?

 

[aristobrat]

The most popular Starlight is the varifocal turret. Since you can zoom it in to get the perfect field-of-view for where you have it mounted, you don't have to sweat picking a fixed lens (2.7mm/4.0mm/6.00mm/etc). If you pick the wrong sized fixed lens, you'll either get a view that is too wide (which means you're losing detail), or a view that's too narrow (and isn't recording part of the sides).

If you want to see "what distances are they good for", dedicate an hour or so to playing around with this website:
Camera Calculator / Design Software

The top of the page may look overwhelming the first time you see it, but it's really not. To simulate the Starlight varifocal turret, set the Resolution to 1080p, and the Imager Size to 1/2.7". Then set the Focal Length anywhere between 2.7 and 12. Click "Add Camera" to add it to the map below. You should see the camera appear on the map. Click on the icon of the person and move it towards/away from the camera. You should see image results to the right. Since the varifocal can be zoomed in, you can go back up and change the focal length. As you make that bigger, it increases the resolution, but it decreases the width of the view.

It's a great tool for getting a feel for how images from a particular camera might look.

 

[DigitalADHD]

That is an interesting tool, thanks. I really like the DAHUA IPC-HDW5231R-Z but it looks like it is made of unobtainium..

 

[DigitalADHD]

It looks to me like 3mp shows more picture than the 4mp, is that wide angle 16:9? So confusing.

 

[JFire]

I am looking for something with the quality of the dahua starlight, but with a wider closer FOV, does that make sense?

I don't think close and wide is doable unless maybe one of the new panoramic can do that. A cheap way to go about is buy 1 varifocal and use that as a test camera to determine what lense you want in each spot.

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[DigitalADHD]

@JFire Good idea, thanks!

 

[Avareh]

It looks to me like 3mp shows more picture than the 4mp, is that wide angle 16:9? So confusing.

Talking about resolution and FOV:
Differences in Camera Resolutions

 

[DigitalADHD]

That's interesting, so the same would hold true for the 4mp, thats 16:9?

 

[DigitalADHD]

This helped answer that, so is 16:9 the way to go? HD security camera - 1MP 1.3MP 2MP 3MP 5MP 4K UHD resolution