Outdoor IP Camera Choices
- Thread starter Sacedog
- Start date
thewireguy
Active Member
The only outdoor camera that Axis produces that does not require an outdoor housing is 225FD. It is POE but the heater/blower needs 12d/24ac so you will have to run a 16/2. It is also vandal-resistant but it is not cheap at $1099.00. 1lux color/ .2 B/W.
What are you goals with this system? Depending on your needs and wants you might not need any NVR softwere. So you might pay more for the IP cameras but you will not have to buy a DVR for the analog camares I know Axis products quite well so I will answer any questions I can.
What are you goals with this system? Depending on your needs and wants you might not need any NVR softwere. So you might pay more for the IP cameras but you will not have to buy a DVR for the analog camares I know Axis products quite well so I will answer any questions I can.
Sacedog
Active Member
My goals are
- to have cameras at the entry/exit locations, driveway, and the backyard
- to be able to easily monitor those locations live, remotely, and via playback
- the have the cameras as discrete as possible
- to use cameras that are connected via Cat5 (so that I might easily change them with another technology later)
thewireguy
Active Member
IP cameras are going to give you the best image quality (which is the whole point of a camera system) but I don't know of any small outdoor IP cameras. You look a company called Mobotix the D22m but can't speaker for them because I have never used there product. If you want your setup to be discrete I think you want to go with analog camera and a video server like the Axis 241q...... that setup will give you the discrete cameras and the features of the IP cameras.
check out Vivotek FD6111 or FD6112
check out Vivotek FD6111 or FD6112
upstatemike
Senior Member
You don't consider the Panasonic BB-HCM331A a small enough outdoor IP camera?
I don't agree with that.
Basically in existence at this time there are a handful of decent IP cams for outdoor use. One is an Axis, they all cost very similar (~$1k), some of the others are full on megapixel. All require a full on box and housing which kills the small factor. Most IP cameras have quality very similar to the $20 digital keychain cameras I bought for my daughters, I don't know why they want $500-900 for them.
I do agree with that!
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Maybe BSR has taken some notes or something, I have gathered that he has. Maybe he should post a snapshot through his setup. I'm thinking it will own the Axis comparables when bang:buck is factored. I know through his employment they have a real need for IP based cameras, no home user really does. It comes into play when you want resolution beyond what the NTSC standard covers (megapixel).
Keep in mind most bad things happen in the cover of night, almost any cam will work well inside a well lighted office building.
BTW you won't need an Axis streamer if you have a decent DVR, the DVR will do a better higher quality job and IMO it's a required piece anyway.
upstatemike
Senior Member
Everybody seems to assume CMOS or some other solid state camera, but what about using a good old fashioned nuvicon analog camera with an IR illuminator? I seem to recall decent resolution with those. (Of course that blows away the small size requirement.)
I do it all the time cause it flat out works.
If you buy the right part number you can use an illuminator if needed (most cameras have no real use for an illuminator).
~If~ Sacedog had PMed this to me originally thats very close to what I would have reccomended.
You can easily mount one on a wall bracket and it blends in very well, the right part# and it's smokin. So I wouldn't say it blows away the small size requirement but it does the IP based requirement. However as mentioned with a good DVR it's a non-issue really.
upstatemike
Senior Member
I know the DVR thing is popular but remember not all camera systems are used for security. I use mine for general observation (approaching visitors, who is at the door, is there a package on the porch, what cars are in the driveway/garage, etc.) For me the pan/tilt so I can view a larger area, plus the microphone, plus the weatherized case (so I don't have to buy an all weather enclosure), plus the ability to view from any PC in the house, plus under $500 per unit, made the Panasonic the best bang for buck for my application.
thewireguy
Active Member
I don't think your talking about pro IP cameras from Axis, Bosch, Sony, Mobotix, IQinvision, Stardot.
here is a pic from a Stardot NetCam XL 3MP • 1024x768 • 8-48mm Motorized Zoom Lens $1099.00
Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada
here is a pic from a Axis 211 @640x480 (doll is rotating) $599.00
Show me an analog camera that has a pic as good as that.
I must disagree here. The Axis video server is going to give you a better pic and more options then a DVR.
The first example has jack crap to do with this discussion, I mentioned it several times in this thread that megapixel is the only thing currently worthwhile about IP. Of course you are also talking about a $2k+ camera that few residential customers would even consider.
In the second example... Swap the doll of a fan thats on, I dunno about you but my customers want to capture moving objects. You'll see the analogs jump way up, add in the dark and IP is almost totally out.
I really couldn't care less how a camera performs in a completely staged setting, you show me a customer that wants to capture a closeup of a doll in a well lit room.
Stuff moves and adverse lighting happens... Axis looks great in the demos, still a WVCP484 will do that quality 24 hours a day and capture plates off moving vehicles. Fan doesn't need to move fast just some movement, you'll see how they have slowed the shutter to provide some kind of dim light performance. The downfall is the blur.
In the second example... Swap the doll of a fan thats on, I dunno about you but my customers want to capture moving objects. You'll see the analogs jump way up, add in the dark and IP is almost totally out.
I really couldn't care less how a camera performs in a completely staged setting, you show me a customer that wants to capture a closeup of a doll in a well lit room.
Stuff moves and adverse lighting happens... Axis looks great in the demos, still a WVCP484 will do that quality 24 hours a day and capture plates off moving vehicles. Fan doesn't need to move fast just some movement, you'll see how they have slowed the shutter to provide some kind of dim light performance. The downfall is the blur.
thewireguy
Active Member
The doll is rotating in that pic and there is no image blur. I wish I could send the video. I know that Stardot is 3mp cam I just wanted to show the image quality and the price of that 3mp camera is only $1099.00.
The Stardot seems interesting, I will check into them.
However I seriously doubt it's $1k for
POE injector/switch
Megapixel zoom lens
Camera
Housing with quality glass
All that stuff is required, and should be caclulated into the realistic cost to your customer.
By contrast BSR I would guess has maybe $600 in his setup complete and thats 2 cams and both probably still work better then the SC at night.
However I seriously doubt it's $1k for
POE injector/switch
Megapixel zoom lens
Camera
Housing with quality glass
All that stuff is required, and should be caclulated into the realistic cost to your customer.
By contrast BSR I would guess has maybe $600 in his setup complete and thats 2 cams and both probably still work better then the SC at night.
thewireguy
Active Member
here is a link to the Stardot. The price is $1099.00 but that doesn't include a outdoor housing that's extra $200.00. Still $1299.00 is not bad for a 3mp outdoor camera.
http://www.stardot.com/netcamxl/order_form.html
BraveSirRobbin
Moderator
As I stated above, I don't use Axis cameras at home but instead Axis video servers. Main reason I obtained them at a very good price and I wanted to use more conventional bullet low light cameras that were available for outdoor use.
In my case it worked out great as I already had a couple bullet cameras I wanted to keep using and obtained three more (thus the cost of the overall system was kept to a minimum).
I do use Axis cameras at work (both servers and cameras), but unfortuneatly can't post images they are now taking on a public forum (FYI, can't PM them either) :huh:. I did have the latest greatest Axis pan/tilt/zoom on the roof of my house viewing the Las Vegas strip once though and let users in our chat group view it...
If this opportunity arises again, I'll let everyone know. 
