I'm looking for a multiple camera system, probably around 8. Looking for hardwired via Ethernet into an NVR. I was hoping it would be like analog cameras where it didn't matter if you mixed brands of cameras and DVRs. It seems like a lot of the camera and NVR brands have to be compatible. That being said I'm leading towards Amcrest since most of their stuff is ONVIF compatible but I'm looking for any recommendations anyone may have.

Tons of great info/discussion here -> https://ipcamtalk.com/

The cheap Commie cams that are decent are HikVision and Dahua and others they OEM.
Decent name brand cams are Axis, Panasonic, Bosch.
The real issue isn't the cam brand so much as taking in all of the other factors in setting up a decent system.
The VMS (video management software) > probably the most important of all of the specs.
The storage options.
Picking the correct lens for the camera scene intended.
Most important to know the distance, lighting and complexity (movement) of the scene to be recorded.
Then marrying all those factors and others together.

An industry site that I use is www.ipvm.com
There will be some limitation to the article unless you join or are under the free trial period.
However, there are some awesome free tools and camera selectors that are a wealth of information.

quote:

Originally posted by ryan81986:
......I'm leading towards Amcrest .......

A few years back, Amcrest was re-branded Dahua. Not sure if that's still true.

smschulz'z advice is good. I went with Hikvision, all POE. I went the Blue Iris route instead of an NVR, and never looked back. My system is more of a hobby grade system, but I'm 100% happy with it.

Good move going POE. security cameras on WiFi suck. Been there, did that, tossed it away, and went wired ethernet everywhere.

How does blue iris work?

quote:

Originally posted by ryan81986:
How does blue iris work?

It's just software that runs on your computer which has a ton of features for alerts, recording, etc. It's a very nice program for the money, but a bit too complex to do it justice in a single post. if you have an IP camera, you can download it and try it for 15 days.

HIK. Big bang for the buck with really strong reliability.

I have a hodgepodge of cameras using BlueIris
Foscam
Amcrest
Dahua
Nelly’s Security Doorbell (my guess is a Hikvision)
Dlink

They all work just fine.
Nelly’s has excellent English speaking customer support.

A Blue Iris/Camera thread
https://sigforum.com/eve/forums...935/m/3960029724/p/1

Sounds like Blue Iris is the way to go as far as expandability and compatibility. I'll have to head over to Microcenter and pick up a refurbished PC. What POE switch are you using?

Also do they still make the Dahua Starlight? I'm not finding anything currently in stock in the various online stores.

Wyze cameras are unbelievable for the price

$20 and They work as well as cameras several times the cost

I also have to get some analog to POE adapters. I have some really good older analog cameras from my old setup. Including an American Dynamics PTZ camera.

quote:

Originally posted by ryan81986:
Sounds like Blue Iris is the way to go as far as expandability and compatibility. I'll have to head over to Microcenter and pick up a refurbished PC. What POE switch are you using?

Also do they still make the Dahua Starlight? I'm not finding anything currently in stock in the various online stores.

Dahua IPC-HDW2431T-ZS-S2 4MP Stralight 5X Motorized Varifocal Lens Eyeball Network Camera Original English Version Upgradable https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07Y..._api_i_enYQDb3SJVDVB

I am using TP LINK and Netgear for my POE switches.

Where is the best place to purchase a decent quality 4 camera system for a DIY no experience install.

I have five Dahua 2MP Starlight cameras: Four outside and one inside. Eventually I plan to add one more outside cam and one, perhaps two inside. The inside cameras are more for peace of mind when we're away.

Andy, "empiretechandy," is a great source for Dahua IP cams. He ships directly from China, via DHL. I've received every camera I've ordered from him in two business days. (Blew my mind the first time it happened.) You'll want a PayPal account to do business with him. You can order from him via Amazon, but you'll pay a few bucks more.

When you're siting cameras you'll be faced with compromising between what's doable, or tolerable from an aesthetic standpoint, vs. performance. E.g.: The closer the camera is to head height, the better it will be for identifying faces. But a big ol' camera mounted smack in the middle of the front wall of your home won't add to the curb appeal and may not even be reachable with cable. So most people end up installing them in the soffits, where you can get a good bird's eye view, but mostly see the tops of heads. You do what you can do.

Nobody currently makes a truly good, dependable doorbell camera, which is unfortunate, because a doorbell camera is really about the most useful camera you could have at the door.

Varifocal and zoom cameras aren't particularly necessary. All four of my outside cameras are varifocals. I never vary them. Same for pan and tilt. None of my cameras are pan and tilt and I haven't found that to be an issue at all.

If you're putting a camera in a corner: Any horizontal field of view over 90° is simply going to show you wall. 3.6mm lenses usually yield a FoV of just shy of 90°.

As you go past a 90° FoV, the fisheye effect becomes increasingly prominent.

If you want the best low-light performance at an economical price point: Dahua 2MP Starlight cameras still rule the roost.

Turrets generally work best outdoors. Bullets tend to attract spider webs. Domes attract dirt and moisture, so are best left to indoor use only.

Taking those last seven paragraphs into consideration: Starting with a single varifocal, low-light, turret camera, such as a Dahua IPC-HDW5231R-ZE, and trying it in different locations is a good way to figure out what you want, and where. One trick is to stick a 2x4 in a bucket of stones so you can experiment with height, location and focal length (therefore FoV).

You don't need Cat6 cable for PoE cameras, but it's not much more expensive than Cat5E, so there's no reason not to.

When you're purchasing network cable and connectors, make sure the connectors are compatible with the cable. Solid and stranded cable use different connectors. Monoprice is a good source for both. They also have a good ratcheting crimper. I use a Klein LAN Scout Jr. to validate my connections.

I like NetGear network hardware. Others like others.

You'll definitely want your PoE switch(es) and NVR on UPS'. Power anomalies are not kind to either computers, network gear, or PoE cameras. I've had the best luck with APC UPS' over the years.

I'm using the Surveillance Station software that came with the Synology NAS I already had. It's tolerable, and that's about the best I can say for it. I cannot recommend it, but I have nothing better to recommend. (A lot of people like Blue Iris. But it runs only on MS-Windows. I don't like MS-Windows and I don't want to run a whole additional computer just for a surveillance system.)

Take what you read on ipcamtalk.com with a grain of salt. There's a lot of useful information there, but there's also a lot of dogma that runs anywhere from not entirely accurate to completely wrong. Whatever you do, do not contradict or argue with fenderman, the owner.

The Reddit Home Defense subreddit, https://www.reddit.com/r/homedefense is also a decent resource.

quote:

Nobody currently makes a truly good, dependable doorbell camera, which is unfortunate, because a doorbell camera is really about the most useful camera you could have at the door.

There are but they are really expensive aka Axis and others.

quote:

What POE switch are you using?

Most any will do.
I use DLink, Netgear and EnGenius only because I am a partner with them.
However, note if that all cams EXCEPT the fancy smancy PTZ need only the power from a POE.
PTZ and AP's with three radios need POE+ which is more power.
Also note that a POE switch has a "budget" or total amount of wattage it supports.
Make sure if to add up the consumption to make sure it is enough.
This is usually only an issue on multiple POE device installations.
Also the step up better smart switch will have some more control features as well as some built in diagnostics - cost more but not terribly more.

Don't forget to focus (no pun) on selecting the proper camera for the scene and it's lighting and complexity.
Do not assume pixel resolution is the only specification - far from true.
Also note that many of the newer cameras that support H265 compression will be far better on bandwidth and storage consumption.

Just think it all through and not get hung up on brand but better off in design and implementation.

quote:

Originally posted by wcb6092:
Where is the best place to purchase a decent quality 4 camera system for a DIY no experience install.

Arlo

quote:

Nobody currently makes a truly good, dependable doorbell camera, which is unfortunate, because a doorbell camera is really about the most useful camera you could have at the door.

Probably the best out there for the price.

https://www.nellyssecurity.com...o-doorbell-16gb.html

I have the earlier generation and it works well. Still working on a permanent install but that is due to a rotted front entry I have been battling to get replaced. Nothing to do with the camera.

quote:

Originally posted by Black92LX:

quote:

Originally posted by wcb6092:
Where is the best place to purchase a decent quality 4 camera system for a DIY no experience install.

Arlo

quote:

Nobody currently makes a truly good, dependable doorbell camera, which is unfortunate, because a doorbell camera is really about the most useful camera you could have at the door.

Probably the best out there for the price.

https://www.nellyssecurity.com...o-doorbell-16gb.html

I have the earlier generation and it works well. Still working on a permanent install but that is due to a rotted front entry I have been battling to get replaced. Nothing to do with the camera.

Thanks

quote:

Originally posted by wcb6092:

quote:

Originally posted by Black92LX:
[QUOTE]Originally posted by wcb6092:
Where is the best place to purchase a decent quality 4 camera system for a DIY no experience install.

Arlo


Thanks

I went with an Arlo system from my mother and grandparents house and they are super easy to set up and the video quality is great for the price.

Here is my Arlo review
https://sigforum.com/eve/forums...0601935/m/3920066154

Well I just picked up a refurb HP desktop with a WD purple 4TB HD. Now to get building.

Got Blue Iris running on the HP, siding has come off the house and ethernet is starting to be run. Picking up a used 24 port POE+ switch tomorrow.