Need a decent outdoor camera

[MrGibbage]

I want to get a camera to watch over my driveway. It is so hard to buy cameras nowadays. There is so much variation in price, and you don't always get what you pay for. And many reseller sites don't include actual images or streams from the actual camera for review and comparison. What I want to avoid is buying a camera that just doesn't have decent images. So many times I watch the evening news and someone had video of some crime in progress and you can't make out a single detail in the image. I don't want to be that guy. So, just what does it take to get a decent video at night? Any chance it can be done for less than, oh, $250? Any recommendations? I don't care if it is an IP cam or regular. Most DVRs that I see have web servers built into them so I can still watch the video online. I think overall I would like to get a camera and dvr for less than $500. I have seen many systems (some including multiple cameras, but for now I just want one) for less than $500, but I really suspect the quality of the images may not be all that great.

Looking for some expert advice here. Thanks

 

[russban]

Are you interested in dome or bullet style cameras? Are you interested in cameras with IR or with very low light capability?

 

[MrGibbage]

Probably bullet, but I guess it really doesn't matter. I'm going to install it under the eaves on my house. IR vs low light... I hadn't thought of it that much. I guess I thought I HAD to go IR to see in the dark. What's the advantage of going non-IR?

 

[Del91574]

Depends on the distance from what you're trying to see is and what sort of contrast you're looking at. IR cameras tend to look like you're viewing in a "spotlight" and arent bad, but they have a lot of things to consider when you're planning, such as how IR reflective the scene is, detail you're looking for, distance, etc.

I'm more partial to the Speco Intensifiers for a midrange camera that works well, has a good warranty and you can get nice resolution during the day and full color at night. I'll post a screenshot that one of my clients sent me, and remember, these are nighttime pictures.

 

[Del91574]

I can post a larger, but this is representive of a small 5 camera install, rural with no lights, except for some small walkway lights and nothing else. There is a single neighbor a few hundred feet away that causes a flare on the front camera, but you'll get the idea. All except the front camera are about 30' in the air.

 

[MrGibbage]

My driveway is probably 35-40 feet long (two cars can park single file). The camera will be mounted in the eaves of a two story house. I look forward to seeing the screenshot.

 

[BraveSirRobbin]

I'm more partial to the Speco Intensifiers for a midrange camera that works well, has a good warranty and you can get nice resolution during the day and full color at night.

In real time the Speco isn't bad, but the intensifier technology tends to severely blur an image on a screen capture!

 

[MrGibbage]

BSR, so you have any screen captures & video captures to show this? Or do you have any other recommendations?

 

[BraveSirRobbin]

BSR, so you have any screen captures & video captures to show this? Or do you have any other recommendations?

I really don't like to recommend cameras as I've found members tend to be very personally objective with their results. What is good for one would not even be considered for another.

I've tried cameras from Speco, Hawk-I, and others and have not found any to meet my requirements of facial recognition at night. Their different technologies included an IR cut off lens removed at night, intensifier, and starbright technologies.

A Cocooner here recommended looking into the Mobotix line and I may consider that (start at four digits, but some even include a DVR).

The main problem I have with the $350 level of camera (and that is the minimum amount for a decent one IMO) is they need to have settings for gain, noise reduction, etc... separate for night time and daytime. I've found on most cameras that you may be able to set it up for nighttime, but then the day image is mis-adjusted, and vice versa.

You may also want to browse THIS thread.

Again, these are all my opinions!

 

[Del91574]

Like they all say, you get what you pay for, and honestly, until you get into megapixel IP cams, true facial recognition and the stretch of being able to zoom in on sections of the picture, etc. aren't going to happen for a sub $1000 camera, IMHO.

The intensifiers, while not perfect, offer one hell of a picture in day and night, with no IR's which cause a whole other set of issues at times (glow, insects, etc.) with minimal cons.

The screen caps I posted are actual from the DVR recording, and the biggest issue I see is people don't set the IPS and quality correct in conjunction with a realistic sized HD, but the "smear" factor is something most people can live with compared to a B/W image at night and the contrast that exists between the background and the object to be viewed at the focal point, combined that the majority of residential installations have too few cameras installed with the overall FOV set too wide on the cameras to allow appropriate detail and clarity on the view.

 

[BraveSirRobbin]

If the $300-$400 camera manufacturers would just LISTEN to what I said (and continue to say) their cameas would not be all that bad and would be adequate for my needs EXCEPT for the intensifier Speco ones.

Below is an image of my $300 plus new Speco camera. You decide if it's worth the money...

 

[MrGibbage]

Is that all the bigger the image is? 377x313? Or did you scale it down before posting it? I really hope that the image is bigger than that. I guess the image quality doesn't suck. But it isn't perfect either. For instance, I can't tell what that is on the ground to the right of the individual. A dog maybe? A bucket? It would be nicer if the suspect/perp/victim/owner was looking at the camera so we can get a feel for how good the facial recognition is.

 

[BraveSirRobbin]

Is that all the bigger the image is? 377x313? Or did you scale it down before posting it? I really hope that the image is bigger than that. I guess the image quality doesn't suck. But it isn't perfect either. For instance, I can't tell what that is on the ground to the right of the individual. A dog maybe? A bucket? It would be nicer if the suspect/perp/victim/owner was looking at the camera so we can get a feel for how good the facial recognition is.

That is the size I'm using with this WebCamXP for now... The point I'm making is the face is a total ghost (that is me walking my Collie).

 

[Del91574]

I can't comment on the image because, compared to a camera at more than 3 times the cost, it sure is far from bad, but I'd look into the settings on the camera and the enviromment they're installed in, because it looks like, compared to where I've spec'd them and installed them, you have a lot more ambient light and what looks like urban light pollution sort of things going on causing the shutter and AGC circuits to go wonky. Looks like your camera is a varifocal and you're around 3-3.8mm based on the distortion in the image? Is this analog or megapixel IP?

It's like everything, there's no silver bullet for all locations and installs, but the site also dictates the camera's success, and honestly, I don't know if a $1000 Axis or Mobitex would solve what you're looking to do. Even the $6000-10000 ones we put in for the highway at the tolls for license plate recog. with facial still have pictures similar, with a day-2's worth of adjusting and testing to make sure they capture everything up to 60MPH.

 

[programmergeek]

I recomend going to the cctv forum. But for a quick answer in that price range forget IP. I would do a vandel proof dome. I don't like the bullets like sugested above, to easy fro someone to through a rock and repoint them. They can also see where they are pointed. I know This sounds silly but check out costco, they have a small dvr set up with 4 camera that is not to bad for the price. The key is to point one so you get a good face shot, we usally do this by covering a door not the whole room for example, you can have another covering the whole area if you wish. If yo uwant a specific recomendation look at the cnb 24vf that is the hot camera right now and is in the 150 range. Great in low light and unlessyou have no light it should be fine. If you need an IR emmiter you will need to buy a seprate one but that is the right way to do it don't get the IR built into the camera it causes issues like spiders love it and alwas sting webs on them. Besides if you are going under the eves that would be to far for the IR anyhow. Good luck.