buellwinkle

That is awesome, love the colors. Set the camera to day and back to nigh mode a few times, sometimes that unsticks it. Never had this problem with Hikvision, but can happen even on expensive cameras.

Not as intuitive as you think because these cameras are on the Swann NVR's own internal PoE switch (the cameras plug directly into the NVR, not to your network and not accessible outside the NVR). I don't have an NVR but have used the Dahua and Hikvision ones and someone said if you plug one of the camera PoE ports on the NVR to your router (not the NVR port, that has to go to your router also), you can set the cameras in the NVR to have addresses that are valid on your subnet, then you can access them separately with other software, like using an app on a tablet or a mini Android PC. But some Android apps may be able to take individual camera feeds via the NVR, never tried that.

Mobotix come from the factory with a random fixed IP and it's on a label on the camera. If download mxcontrolcenter you can add cameras, it displays the cameras it finds, even if it's not in your subnet and you can change it there to your subnet, maybe 192.168.1..... Usually they are in the 10. subnet. Then connect via a browser using the IP address you chose and the userid is admin, the default pw is meinsm.

Yes, you can have events written to an FTP server.

In theory, yes. They appear to be about 26 gauge when I took the camera apart but felt soft so good chance they are stranded, if it is, make sure you get a jack that's compatible with stranded wire.

You probably already know this, but make sure the lens has an IR coating like the factory lens, most do not.

Yes, he was referring to the indoor ones used outdoors. I've never tried it but for $20, seemed feasible, but he's probably done it and had issues, so maybe not such a good idea. $70 is not too bad, that's below ADI wholesale prices. Just remember you need a 12V power source to power the detector but simple to wire, 2 wires go to 12V, 2 come from the camera. In the camera, instead of video motion detection, you use alarm triggers. The Optex has 40x50' coverage, probably more than enough for most people. Also, don't know what NVR solution you use, but make sure it supports camera motion/alarm detection like Exacq, Milestone and not something like BlueIris as that won't work. Just trying to remember, you do have a camera with alarm inputs right, like the Hikvision ds-2cd2732 or 2632 (not the mini bullets/domes most people discuss on this forum).

Yes, with the Trendnet, you have 7.5W camera if you have 4 cameras (30/4). But that's at the switch, in reality, the spec is about a 16% maximum loss from switch to camera, meaning 6.3W is what every camera is guaranteed, but the Hikvision specs say the cameras consumes 7W with IR on but may work if your cables are short enough. I had 3 Trendnet switches, 2-3 cameras each because of problems I had when I put 4 cameras on them. Lucky I got rid of them on eBay for $25 each, LOL. We still have one powering 2 Mobotix cameras but they only need 4.5W because they don't have IR LEDs, been running since 2009, no problems. Now I grew to 8 cameras and I reached the max the ZyXel 16 port switch can do at 100Mbps, so that could be the next hurdle you reach. Honestly, with 3MP cameras, I hit that limit with 6 cameras. So looking at the next level up PoE switch from ZyXel with a gigabit uplink. I have a source for them at a very low price. If interested, let me know but I'll have more info in a week or so if it's real or not.

You have Milestone and you want to write the data to a NAS as in using CIFS (windows mount), why would there be a license on the NAS? We use Netgear ReadyNAS with cameras, no license fee.

Since you are in that region, you should also look at the more established players from Taiwan, ACTi, Geovision, Messoa, Vivotek. Maybe not as inexpensive, but probably better service, support and many include free NVR software that may offset the price differential.

John, Wouldn't multiple-exposures at different settings, sort of what photographers call HDR, be affected by moving objects and cause trails or ghosting? They way I look it is this, I'm a photographer and in newer versions of Photoshop, I can make a Shadows/Highlights adjustment that brings out detail in dark shadows, and overblown areas. It's not perfect, but I would equate that to "digital WDR" or "basic WDR" where the frame is enhanced through an algorithm. Then I've used cameras with "Dynamic Capture" or "Advanced WDR" and while they are better, it's not dramatically better, at least to me. I guess in a perfect world, a camera would have at least 3 sensors, each one calibrated by maybe an F-stop apart and the camera would use the results from the 3 sensors to make one perfect picture for WDR and to reduce noise, etc.

PoE typically refers to the 802.3af standard, 48VDC but you are running off a battery, so you likely want to keep everything 12VDC so you don't have conversion losses. The camera you mention can run off 802.3af PoE which is 48VDC OR it can run off 12VDC, but not both at the same time. There are non-802.3af PoE cameras, the only one I know is Ubiquiti that uses 24VDC for it's cameras and sells 24VDC PoE switches for that purpose, but that's really an oddity and just about everything that refers to PoE in the surveillance camera business is referring to 802.3af or 48VDC. Now yes, they sell PoE splitters (not to be confused with injectors) that are 5VDC or 12VDC and their purpose is to run non-PoE cameras like a Foscam that have 5VDC or 12VDC power supplies. These splitters have a 12VDC power supply on one side, and 12VDC plug on the other. Just follow the teachings of Georg Ohm and you'll be OK.

Optex and Bosch are two brands mentioned here. Make sure it's outdoor rated. They come as hard wired to 12V and battery operated, but cost more. http://www.optexamerica.com/security-products/lx-402 http://products.boschsecurity.us/en/TAMS/products/bxp/SKU262656013936028799990277259-CATM94e42974ba808ed700e2d4978c3cc557 Here's my thoughts, because these outdoor units may be pricey. You can get the equivalent indoor versions for $20-30, so if you can put it under an eave, maybe seal as much as you can with some silicone but leave a gap at the bottom for any moisture to escape, you may be able to save some money.

Never seen anyone produce a fisheye with IR LEDs, but that's why I asked if you had lights on all the time. It's too hard for me to review an indoor fisheye camera as it's best suited for a business like a jewelry store with some form of lights on all the time. Dahua and Hikvision would be the least expensive way to go for IR bullets/domes. But what I don't understand is you mentioned an Axis camera that costs $3,500, one without IR LEDs, how did you go from that to cameras costing under $200?

I never really understood how analog cameras work, one reason I only use ip cameras, but isn't there a maximum auto shutter duration option where you can set it to 1/30th or 1/60th of a second? What's happening is the shutter is staying open too long and anything moving looks like a blur. The alternative is to post a sign asking people to stop and look into the camera and hold perfectly still.

We have cameras with built-in PIR motion detectors like Mobotix but I'm saying get the next model up Hikvision, they run about $259 with the varifocal lens, the ds-2cd2732 or ds-2cd2632f and they have alarm inputs. Then you can wire in an PIR motion detector that detects infrared heat signatures of objects that pass it, so way more accurate than video motion detection.

ACTi NVR 3.0 is very good (pro is old, obsolete) and uses very little CPU. It's free for the first 16 ACTi cameras but they charge for non-ACTi cameras. I use Milestone XProtect, better for me because I have a Mac for traveling and web client works with Mac but used ACTi NVR for years. For Hikvision, avoid the lower end dome as it's 2-axis, the ds-2cd2732 is much better and 3-axis. For ACTi, I use their E32, 3MP bullet, works well for me, I have a D72 dome but because of contrast issues, wish I gotten an E72 for WDR. but works well otherwise.

I like the Axis Q60, but no IR illuminators, so will the lights be on all the time. Hikvision and Dahua make excellent 1080P speed domes with staged IR illuminators. Actually replaced a Q6035-e with a Dahua because the customer did not like the Q60. If the lights are on all the time, ACTi will have an ultra wide angle lens (101 degrees) in about two weeks with 10MP of resolution for pretty cheap, the E97, I know one place that will sell them for $260 each. So put one at each corner, get simultanous coverage from 4 angles (not something you can do with PTZ) and it's cheaper than the least expensive PTZ. Keep in mind, if you put the speed dome on patrol, it stops at each presets, so the amount of time at each camera divided by the number of presets. Also, check the warranty, many speed domes limit the warranty if you have the camera on continuous patrol because it wears out the motors.

Best low priced deal for non-Chinese cameras is the Messoa bundle with NVR, four 720P cameras, 1TB hard drive and switch for $849. The cameras alone sell for about $300 each. Cheaper than that is analog and cheap analog from China at that.

I used rg6 once to tie up my brother, and it did hold him better than rg59? These are network cameras, they use Ethernet cable like Cat5.

Just a personal preference, set it sort of like a contrast setting to overcome very contrary situations like being able to see in shadows better, better able to see in overblown light situations. From what I've seen from most manufacturers is there's a trade off between using WDR and noise at night.

Most people use standard PoE but for 12V, I would limited to very small runs, a few meters at most.

You can, but you won't have 12V at the other end, even with regular PoE, 15.4W is really 12.9W at the camera 100m away, but that's 48VDC, a lot different with 12VDC. But it's easy to figure it out, Cat 5 is typically 25 gauge, you know the voltage you start out with (12VDC), you know the distance, and you know the amps needed. Plug them into a voltage drop calculator and see what you have. Gives you the power loss in volts, the percentage and how many volts you have at the end. http://www.calculator.net/voltage-drop-calculator.html Plug in 48VDC, 25 gauge, 100m, .22 amps (10.7w for the camera), you'll see the voltage drop is nominal, down to 43V. Not so much with 12VDC and 1.4A (8.5w to power the camera), the best the calculator can handle is 40m (above that it says it's zero), you would have very little left.

Different than a reseller, Lorex, Swann, Derytech/HK Series, Q-See are OEM's. What happens is they place a large order with the manufacturer with their specs, so similar looking cameras from one OEM may not be the same as OEM from another or the actual manufacturers version. So why do this you may ask. In return for not having a lower price, the manufacturers sells them to OEM where they take full responsibility for support, warranty, inventory, marketing and sales. I feel with OEM there's a small risk in that they may not fully understand or even have access to the manufacturers firmware. So if there's a bug, it may take longer or maybe never get firmware upgrades. Also, one company like Swann may get products from multiple manufacturers. Then beside OEM, you have domestic and imported versions of the camera. For example, you can buy Hikvision cameras and Hikvision USA cameras, different companies, different warranties, different price, same cameras. Careful when you compare prices, because you may see two vendors selling Hikvision and unless they specifically say Hikvision USA, it's likely the China Edition, not that it's bad, just need to know what you are getting. Typically, from what I've seen, Hikvision USA cameras cost about 25-35% more than Hikvision cameras. Dahua's own brand was not even officially available until very recently in the U.S., typically they only use OEM's and there are so many, can't begin to tell you all of them. It is confusing, maybe it's the way in China, keep everyone confused, LOL.

I just listed one of mine on eBay, the Dahua ipc-hfw3300c, has audio, 3MP, varifocal. Just search for the model number on eBay if interested. Was cleaning house, amazing what I find in lying around, LOL.