alpine0000

I got another Panasonic 484 dome a few days ago, and just installed it this afternoon. I installed it under the eave of my roof, just like the pictures of my first install on the deck in post #1 of this thread. Exact same method. Here is a quick screenshot at dusk tonight. It almost has the fisheye-effect with the lens zoomed all the way out, as you can tell from looking at the top of the image. That lamp post next to my truck turns on when it gets dark. I am interested to see how it affects the picture at night time with that bright light right in the center of the scene. It is def not the ideal situation, but we will see what happens... I have two more channels left on my DVR. I have a decent box camera that I want to hook up on channel 7 (just not sure where I want to install the camera yet), and I am thinking of putting a roof-top Panasonic PTZ camera on channel 8 for funsies

i have a G4 dvr and love it.

I'm assuming you mean direct to a HDD on your pc, as opposed to plugging in an external USB HDD to the camera? If so, then yea, you'll want to go with an IP camera. You'll most likely also need some management software if it doesnt come with the camera. There are a lot of nice IP cameras out there to choose from Just be prepared to spend some $ and not have great low-light performance with most of them. If you want the night-time performance, I suggest buying a Day/Night camera with a decent lens, and adding an IR illuminator to the scene.

You can do both of those with Analog cameras, too. OK-- but you are just talking about the "when will the cameras record" part (i assume when you say "kicks in", you mean when motion is sensed? thats the easy part. you can set that up after everything is installed)... I was referring to "where" will they record to, and how long do you want to retain the footage for? (in otherwords, the size of your hard drive, and the quality/compression that it records in). For example, will you get a DVR, NVR, camera that records to SD card, or just record straight to your computers HDD? This is something that you should figure out before you start buying CCTV hardware. You should weigh the benefits and drawbacks of each technology (IP vs Analog), and decide which is right for you. Price and image resolution are usually the two biggest players when comparing the two. Although, there are many other notable differences.

Sure it will! But when you go back to watch the recorded video, you will be watching it in whatever quality the DVR records it in. So if you have a cheap DVR, it may not look as good as it *could* look with a better DVR. Meh, you may be fine, but I cant guarantee that. Instead, I would just find an enclosure with a heater that is rated for your application 4-9mm is pretty much the default standard spec for lenses. It is a good all-around lens that fits most applications. However, it is impossible to tell you whether or not it will work "well" for you unless we know how far away the camera will be from the area you want to watch, and also how wide you want your field of view. Do you want a general overview of everything just to be able to tell if there are cars in the lot? If so, that should work, unless your camera is mounted far away. However, if you want the lens to be zoomed in on the entrance enough to capture license plates, and/or your camera is mounted farther away from the action, then you may want a longer lens... Say somewhere between 10-25mm? It just all depends on what you want to see, how close the camera is, and how zoomed in youd like to be. I dont think you need to look so much at the box cameras rating as you do at the enclosures rating. The box camera wont be rated for a very low temperature -- thats what the heated enclosure is for. Here is the box camera I would get: http://catalog2.panasonic.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ModelDetail?displayTab=O&storeId=11201&catalogId=13051&itemId=365995&catGroupId=14458&surfModel=WV-CP504 It is an amazing camera, but you also pay for it, too. ($400-500 depending on where you buy it. You also need to buy the lens seperately) You could find decent box cameras for half that price though, if that is out of your budget. I got this camera for ~$250 last year, and the image quality is impressive: http://surveillanceonline.com/pdfs/surveillance/cameras/IPX-520-DN.pdf Whatever you do, I would make sure that your camera has WDR and an IR cut filter.

Well, that is something that only you can answer. However, when choosing a system based just on the price of the cameras, you should also consider the 'total system cost'. For example, if you were to buy a Mobotix M12 camera, it would be a more pricey camera than if you were to go with an Analog one, but if thats the only camera you need, you wouldnt really have to buy anything else, such as a DVR, because the camera stores the images locally on an SD card. You also wouldnt have to buy an enclosure with heater/blower, or a power supply because it uses power over ethernet (assuming your router is PoE capable). If you were to buy an analog camera, you would def have to think about the extra things you would purchase. Also, hooking it up directly to your PC would not be nearly as easy as an IP camera would. And usually you would use a DVR for recording in that situation, which would be added cost. Those are the type of variables that you should take into consideration. I guess you first need to ask yourself a few questions: 1) Do you want to record the footage, or just be able to watch it live 2) If you want to record the footage, how many days back would you like to be able to store. 3) Do you ever plan on adding more cameras? 4) what is your budget? 5) Do you want to be able to view the footage over the internet from a remote location? 6) Is it necessary to get facial recognition when looking back at recorded video, or is this just a fun system for watching wildlife and stuff? IP cameras are going to take over the industry in the near future. Right now they are pricey and could use some improvements on low-light performance, but that is sure to change in the next 5 years. That said, they have amazing day-time images that get me excited every time I see them!

If youre going to hook the camera up directly to your PC, and want to use CAT5/6 cable, then you will want to go with an IP camera to make things easy. Since you are new to cctv, here are some very "general" statements about IP cameras as a whole. They dont necessarily apply to *every* camera, but as a whole, these are good generalizations that may affect your decision when choosing a camera: -IP cameras are usually more expensive than Analog cameras -IP cameras usually have a much better picture than Analog cameras if there is plenty of lighting -IP cameras usually dont perform as well in very low-light as most Analog box-cameras

sounds like you answered your own question

Wind chill is the apparent temperature felt on exposed skin due to wind. It has no affect on inanimate objects other than to help get them to the actual ambient temperature faster. Wind chill is basically how cold it FEELS to humans, not how cold it actually is. Specifically, the wind chill factor: -Calculates wind speed at an average height of five feet (typical height of an adult human face) -Is based on a human face model -Uses a consistent standard for skin tissue resistance -Assumes no impact from the sun No it cant. At least not because of windchill. If its -35, and with windchill it feels like -40, the temperature is still -35. It doesn't change the temperature whatsoever. Especially for a camera in an enclosure. Yes, it is. Although the image would still appear to have the same dimensions as a 720x480, you'd just lose every other vertical line, so your image would not be as high quality. I think any decent box camera in an enclosure with a heater/blower will work just fine. Get a day/night camera with a good lens if you want quality night shots. You could also choose to add a seperate IR illuminator if you wish. Check out some panasonic, pelco, bosch, sanyo, etc Day/Night box cameras. Choose the one that fits your budget and application the best, then throw it in your choice of enclosure with a heater/blower. If a brand name is too expensive, there are also some decent inexpensive box cameras that would work well too.

Whatever happened to this plan from last year?

I just googled the model number you provided and got ONE RESULT -- and it was THIS THREAD.

Typically, on less-expensive cameras, you can take whatever they advertise the IR distance as and cut it in half.

Had my DVR in my bedroom and my gf could not sleep. It doesnt sound *that* loud when its in your audio rack or a back basement room somewhere and you are wiring it up. But move that same DVR to your bedroom when its totally silent at 1am and you will not be a happy camper.

STOP IT! haha. You are really tempting me to buy one of these just to mess around with, but I'm too afraid, though... because I know I'll end up liking it and then buying like 5 more! must... resist... for... a... little... bit... longer...

Great picture there wireguys. I cant wait to upgrade to IP and use megapixel cams in a few years How does the night-time image look on that megapixel? Is it decent?

I didnt mean to offend, but it seems like there are a handful of people who come here and offer bad advice (usually inexperienced people trying to push their opinions that coincide with the products they happen to sell), and unfortunately, they are usually people from china/hong kong/etc that are just trying to sell their cheap, knock-off, no-name cameras and they are not even paid advertisers on the site. And it's a shame that the people that you give this advice to are new to CCTV and dont know any better. I guess there is technically nothing wrong with that (its not illegal), except that members like you bring nothing to the forum -- neither a good product or good advice. Unfortunately (and i could be wrong, so sorry), it seems like you fit this stereotype. LMAO

Yea, i agree. The Panasonic domes are pricey. I bought them from the classified section here for a huge discount, so they were worth it for me. I am going to wait a few more years to upgrade to IP. In my opinion, there are too many different standards and I think the prices will drop a lot and the low-light performance will dramatically improve in the next few years. So I am going to sit on the sidelines and wait for 2-3 years before making the move, even though I admit that the picture is just amazing on those cameras ...Just my opinion though.

hmm. if i am correct, your DVR records in D1, so even if you were watching recorded video and getting crappy quality, im guessing that its not the DVR. perhaps the cameras you are using are the weakest link here? to be sure, check your setting on the DVR and make sure that you are recording (and previewing) in the highest quality available on the DVR. if so, then it looks like the image quality problem is coming from the cameras.

Agree. But my customer wants to stick w/domes for discrete look. The surroundings would be well-lit with no windows that why I am looking at these cams. Somewhat basic but produce image quality that's close to the panny 485 domes??? 484 domes Yea, I think either of those domes will be fine for your application.

LOL WAT???? You obviously dont dabble much in the field, and are just trying to sell the low-quality cameras on your website.

Heat issues, mainly... Especially if your ceiling happens to be an attic.

Even though the general consensus is that a box cam is better than dome cameras, I think either of those domes will be OK for your application if you will have a well-lit area around the cash register, and no bright windows in view of the camera. Otherwise, if you have a bright window in view of the camera, or if your lighting conditions around the cash register are inconsistent, I would go with a WDR box camera and choose a lens accordingly. I think you could get one for about the same price as these domes, and generally the picture will be better across a wider range of conditions.

i recommend this: http://www.shoreviewsecurityusa.com/Intellicam_JS_8RTA_D1_8_Channel_Enterprise_Class_D_p/sv8rtad1.htm It's a little more than your $1,000 budget, but well worth it if you can swing it. Otherwise, if you dont need the D1, you can choose a model that is less expensive and closer to your budget. I have last years model of that DVR, and I love it I just added another 1tb in drive space this past weekend. Mike (shoreview) usually has one set up online that he will give you temporary access to if you want to check out a live demo. Check out this link to get access: http://www.shoreviewsecurityusa.com/Articles.asp?ID=132 Here is a screenshot of mine using the web login interface

thanks rory actually, i want to have the whole front door step in the picture so i can see if i have packages. i can probably compromise and move it a bit to get a small portion of the driveway in that picture, but instead i am just going to install another dome that will cover the entire driveway/mailbox area on channel 6. i already ran the wire for it, now i am just waiting on the camera Now i just need to figure out what to do with channel 7 and channel 8. i have 3 box cameras sitting in my tool box doing nothing... hmm

haha, i knew somebody would ask! im not going to go into details, but my bed is not in the field of view. it is on something else.