CameraGuy5

We would rather implement a solution using solely network cameras, since the facility already has ethernet drops in several ideal areas.

I discussed the matter with the owner, and he agreed that an IP66 megapixel PTZ camera would be out of our price range. With 2 megapixels and ePTZ, I think we may be able to get similar coverage, since the 2 megapixels would have a very wide viewing area, and ePTZ would be sufficiently versatile. I noticed that Vivotek offers some very nice dome cameras with ePTZ and 2 megapixel resolution. I'd like to stay with one manufacturer, because the prices for manufacturer-independent NVR software is very expensive (for example, exacqVision is $1200 for an 8 camera license - something I'd rather not pay for, since I can get Vivotek's software for free). And I realize there are benefits to buying manufacturer-independent NVR software, but I've reviewed Vivotek's line, and they seem to meet all our current and future needs. They also allow Firefox to be used for external web viewing, which is a huge plus. However, if anyone else knows of a manufacturer that makes 2-4 megapixel dome cameras with ePTZ and offers free NVR software (that can be accessed over the web with Firefox or Chrome), I'd be very interested.

Yes, we have decided to go the PoE route. We're heavily leaning towards Vivotek as well. They have excellent fixed cameras for the loading docks. The only thing I'm concerned about is the video quality on the PZ8111/PZ8121. Does anyone know how qualitative "D1" resolution is? How does it look on a 1024x768 monitor? Anyone have images/demos? Edit: I have just reviewed some D1 footage and images and have found them very lacking in quality... Unfortunately, Vivotek does not offer a PTZ camera with a resolution above D1. Does anyone have recommendations for a dome PTZ camera with at least a 1.3 megapixel resolution?

Well, thanks, but we already have a spare server on which to host our surveillance platform. And, of course, the wireless cameras will be connected to the 802.11b/g/n access points. If anything changes though, I will definitely keep i3 in mind.

Thanks for the input garyswine, but none of i3's cameras are wireless. I really need at least some (preferably all) of the cameras to be wireless.

Hi all, I just found this forum in my search for some decent cameras, and it seems like this is the perfect place to find some info on what I need. I'm designing an 8 camera system for a loading dock (4 cameras) and a manufacturing floor (4 cameras). The loading dock has 4 doors, upon which 4 cameras will be focusing. The manufacturing floor is large, and split into two rooms. There will be three cameras in the main production area, and one supervising an auxillary area. All the cameras need to be at least IP66 rated, as incoming shipments are washed down in the loading dock, and consumables are produced in the manufacturing areas. Thus, no breakable glass lenses or easily shattered plastic can be used. If possible, I would prefer all the cameras to be wireless IP cameras. PoE is an option if necessary, but the entire facility has 802.11b/g/n WLAN throughout. None of the cameras will be working in low-light conditions, and none will need audio support (although either feature is fine; I just don't need them). Anyway, for the loading dock, all I require are 4 fixed cameras. These will be monitoring workers/shipments for insurance and return purposes. They don't need to have any fancy features, although a high resolution and zoom would both be pluses. These will be mounted 20-25 feet from the docks, on the ceiling. For the manufacturing areas, quality PTZ cameras are needed. We need to be able to see any problems that arise on the floor. We'll probably be using dome cameras for this area, since they will be positioned directly over food. A good zoom, resolution, and output are necessary. These will be anywhere from 20 feet to 40 feet from their monitored production applicances. As for recording/monitoring systems, we are going with a software NVR solution going on a powerful server with a good amount of storage (3.4Ghz 4-core processor; 2Tb of storage). The software must support at least 8 cameras of course, although 16 is an ideal minimum, just in case we need to add a couple more. Also, we need the entire interface to be accessible from the internet (and please, not with just Internet Explorer). I realize that the options for these types of cameras in wireless are limited, but I believe that there are definitely some fixed cameras available. For the PTZs, so far it seems like PoE is the preferred network method... I did find some nice cameras in the PZ series (specfically, PZ71X2 and PZ81X1) from Vivotek (see them here: http://vivotek.com/products/network_cameras.php), along with some IP66 domes (WB-82WT-US and WB-82WS-US; they're here: http://vivotek.com/products/accessories.php) to fit them. However, I'm not sure of their reputation in the industry. Is Vivotek reliable...? The fixed cameras would probably be easier to cable, and they do have some nice fixed ones on their site - and their NVR software is functional and free. However, I am definitely open to other ideas. We're looking to spend anywhere from $4-7k on this. Thanks in advance!