Hello,
I'm looking for advice on competitively priced outdoor IP cameras with good night vision, good optical quality and ability to grab frames remotely via HTTP/RSTP.
I currently have 3 Reolink RLC410W cameras. At present they cost £60 each (I paid a bit more a couple of years ago). The optical quality is ok (for a 90 deg FOV), but night time performance is quite poor. I'm trying to detect the presence of cats day and night. Performance during the day is fine but image blur at night is considerable.
What I like about Reolink:
- competitively priced cameras
- no subscription fees
- on board microSD slot (no need for a separate recorder)
- wireless (dual 2.4 + 5 GHz WiFi)
But there are issues:
- spiders form webs across the central ring that protrudes from the glass window
- SpiderEx doesn't work
- I might try gluing a glass window (£5 per window) over the ring to eliminate the ring as a possible anchor for webs (but they could still anchor onto the outer case)
- there's a bundle of cables that emerge from the camera: power, ethernet (I don't use), and a reset button, making installation tricky
- I've mounted a camera 8 m so the cables run into the loft but it's way too high
- more recently I discovered that I can buy a junction box and power extension lead for ~£40 (per camera)
- nighttime captures if moving objects are quite blurry
To (possibly) solve the spider and mounting issues I'd be looking at ~£135 in accessories for all 3 cameras.
I'm at a cross roads - do I spend £135 (on top of what I've already spent on the cameras) to improve on what I already have or take my losses and buy new cameras?
I'm impressed by the nighttime performance of the Hikvision ColorVu cameras. Unfortunately they seem to come as wired IP cameras only. Could I use a wireless adapter(s) in the loft and route the cameras to the loft? I've never done this before and don't know how successful this might be, what issues to expect, or whether there are better ways around it. Any advice on that?
I can see that the Hikvision 2347 models will set me back ~£200. But that doesn't include power supplies, junction boxes (if required) or the wired-to-wireless converter(s). The 2346 models are around the £140 region but their colour lux levels are an order of magnitude higher (0.003) than the 2347 (0.0005).
I found this useful comparison of the 2347 and Reolink's B800 but I've not found any videos comparing the 2346 and 2347 to see whether the extra £60 are worth it. I wonder if anyone might have advice or experiences to share on that?
Are there any other cameras by any manufacturer that offer a price point closer to the £100 region with good night time vision, no subscription fees, no flat surfaces for spider webs, HTTP/RSTP, and ideally WiFi, or do I need to accept that level of cost for that level of nighttime performance?
Thanks!
I'm looking for advice on competitively priced outdoor IP cameras with good night vision, good optical quality and ability to grab frames remotely via HTTP/RSTP.
I currently have 3 Reolink RLC410W cameras. At present they cost £60 each (I paid a bit more a couple of years ago). The optical quality is ok (for a 90 deg FOV), but night time performance is quite poor. I'm trying to detect the presence of cats day and night. Performance during the day is fine but image blur at night is considerable.
What I like about Reolink:
- competitively priced cameras
- no subscription fees
- on board microSD slot (no need for a separate recorder)
- wireless (dual 2.4 + 5 GHz WiFi)
But there are issues:
- spiders form webs across the central ring that protrudes from the glass window
- SpiderEx doesn't work
- I might try gluing a glass window (£5 per window) over the ring to eliminate the ring as a possible anchor for webs (but they could still anchor onto the outer case)
- there's a bundle of cables that emerge from the camera: power, ethernet (I don't use), and a reset button, making installation tricky
- I've mounted a camera 8 m so the cables run into the loft but it's way too high
- more recently I discovered that I can buy a junction box and power extension lead for ~£40 (per camera)
- nighttime captures if moving objects are quite blurry
To (possibly) solve the spider and mounting issues I'd be looking at ~£135 in accessories for all 3 cameras.
I'm at a cross roads - do I spend £135 (on top of what I've already spent on the cameras) to improve on what I already have or take my losses and buy new cameras?
I'm impressed by the nighttime performance of the Hikvision ColorVu cameras. Unfortunately they seem to come as wired IP cameras only. Could I use a wireless adapter(s) in the loft and route the cameras to the loft? I've never done this before and don't know how successful this might be, what issues to expect, or whether there are better ways around it. Any advice on that?
I can see that the Hikvision 2347 models will set me back ~£200. But that doesn't include power supplies, junction boxes (if required) or the wired-to-wireless converter(s). The 2346 models are around the £140 region but their colour lux levels are an order of magnitude higher (0.003) than the 2347 (0.0005).
I found this useful comparison of the 2347 and Reolink's B800 but I've not found any videos comparing the 2346 and 2347 to see whether the extra £60 are worth it. I wonder if anyone might have advice or experiences to share on that?
Are there any other cameras by any manufacturer that offer a price point closer to the £100 region with good night time vision, no subscription fees, no flat surfaces for spider webs, HTTP/RSTP, and ideally WiFi, or do I need to accept that level of cost for that level of nighttime performance?
Thanks!
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