Suggestions for a tiny, waterproof POE varifocal cam

[nbstl68]

So, I'm again playing with the idea of a mailbox cam.
I want something small as I just plan to point it out a hole from inside the mailbox for recording traffic and walking passerbys.
Something that could see license plates upon visual inspection of the video is a goal, not going to try the automated LPR stuff, just happy to make out a plate on visual inspection if needed.

I'd like: Tiny, waterproof, POE powered, varifocal (for zooming in on a smaller area standing a chance at seeing plates at all), No IR. Something that

I want to make it as discrete as possible out of the smallest hole necessary. I may add an external 940 nmIR somewhere if there happens to be such a camera like above that is also sensative to 940...I think you have to have a camera with a specific sensor or chip to see 940 from what I can tell....or if not, I'll just skip it and only worry about day images.

I keep reading the ridiculously long thread on the TOP-201 Super Mini and have seen some similar that have a zoom but none waterproof or with all the above requirements.

Anything like that out there or other suggestions?



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[nayr]

there are some models of the TOP-201 camera that come with Varifocal lenses and PoE, not sure why you need waterproof if the body is inside with the lens outside.. the lens are inherently waterproof and they are tiny as you'll get for a decent price.

 

[nbstl68]

Lenses are really waterproof? ..had no idea...solves that issue. Thx
I threw out the Top201 as an example..you had any experience with them?
Any other tiny cam meeting my specs you would recommend?

Think I'd get any usable night images with an external 940nm IR or would I just be wasting my time there?




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[nayr]

ive got a 720p poe one, nothing too special but it provides me with a RTSP stream and I use it to keep an eye indoors and its never recorded.. for the money and size its good enough, had to use a windows VM to set it up.

the lens is just glass and plastic, nothing to worry about.. its the electronics inside the box you need to keep dry.. you can swap out the lenses very easy if you need, you'll need a lens w/out a IR filter if you want to use an IR spotlight at night, but with 940nm your mostly wasting your time.. guess what 850nm will look like on a mailbox? a red reflector that wont look least bit out of place.

 

[nbstl68]

For cars driving by, I get the reflector thing, but in my neighborhood I have a lot of people out walking at night often who would just see the strange red glow...kids who would probably mess with it and a few stodgy old retired folk who would love another excuse to write the board and complain about their privacy being violated or something.


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[nbstl68]

windows VM to set it up huh?
I had not thought that far out on it....Yeah, I have an Imac (or a cheap crap Windows laptop that barely runs Win10 if needed) so would probably need to do something similar?
I have never used a VM though....Don't I need VM software and a Windows install for that?!

No other way to set up these little cams via a separate software or web interface?...guess they don't have their own interface built in like real cams?

 

[nayr]

Free VM Software: https://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Downloads
Free Windows VM Images direct from the horses mouth: https://developer.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-edge/tools/vms/mac/

They require an ActiveX plugin for WebUI, many do.. more than you'd think.

 

[nbstl68]

Sweet.
Thanks
Now to go find the "least unreliable" TOP-201 type camera...