Replacment for my wv-cp244

[Porch 0]

Hello to the forum,

 

Old time CCTV installer here. i used to install CCTV systems in restaurants as one of my many professions over the years. My main camera of choice was the Panasonic wv-cp244 with a good Computar 3.5-8mm lens. Out of the hundreds I installed, only 2 failed. But then 5 years ago, I moved professions and got mostly out of the CCTV biz.

 

Fast forward to today, a friend who owns an auto service shop calls me up and ask if I can work on their CCTV system.

What I discover is a 8 cam Qsee system from Costco. Some of the cams are near dead and some need a wider angle lens to get the coverage they need.

 

So I call up my old CCTV supplier and discover they are out of business. My beloved wv-cp244 is no longer made, and the market is flooded with cheap Chinese junk sold from fly-by-night websites. I don't know what is good anymore.

 

So I am looking for suggestions for a good box fixed cam with CS lens like the cp244. Money is tight for them, but I recall the Panasonic being ok in price. So something in the $150 range? What's good out there now?

 

Thanks for any help.

[jxk716 0]

Well, if it does not have to be box, I've used CNB's VBM 24VF and they have been great especially in low light. Also look at a suggestion from Rory on the forum: KT&C 700 TVL bullet cams. 123security has some good prices on both those. Both cams are well covered here. Also check out Rory's website for good examples of the kt&c cams.

[Porch 0]

Thanks for the tips.

 

How is the reliability of the dome cameras? I had quite a few installed of different manufacture and they never lasted long for me. I had a stock of them in the truck and would replace several a week. They tended to burn out and get lines in the picture before just going black. I gave up on them and just went with box cams unless I didn't have a choice do to location.

Has the life span improved? Can I expect 5 years?

[shockwave199 0]

What does you old supplier suggest?

 

Edit- oops- I see they are out of business. Sorry.

 

Do you mean true domes, or eyeball style domes?

[Porch 0]

I am not sure what you are referring too.

 

I put in a boat load of Everfocus indoor dome cams because they are easy to mount to the T-bar, and looked good. I had a 50% failure rate after 2 years.

I had some ProVideo outdoor dome anti-pry-off-the-wall cameras for $400, but they died too (or got stolen).

Any camera with a small black box inside with a lens hanging off it, I had die on me. When I pulled the dome off, the camera part was often very hot.

[jxk716 0]

Thanks for the tips.

 

How is the reliability of the dome cameras? I had quite a few installed of different manufacture and they never lasted long for me. I had a stock of them in the truck and would replace several a week. They tended to burn out and get lines in the picture before just going black. I gave up on them and just went with box cams unless I didn't have a choice do to location.

Has the life span improved? Can I expect 5 years?

 

These are CNB VBM 24VFs going on their 4th year and I have no complaints about them other than wishing they would switch to BW more easily. I am in the Northeast and subject to the full force of mother nature's 4 seasons. They keep on ticking. After these were installed I learned about the VCM model (with back box) and wished I knew about them. Then I had the chance to install the VCM and the back box made life a lot easier for accommodating wire connections, baluns etc. There has been no problems with water/moisture getting in.

[Soundy 1]

Don't be afraid of domes, Porch - the CNB models everyone else is talking about are outstanding quality. Vandal-resistant, come with a 2.8-10.5mm lens, IP66 rated enclosure, true-day/night, excellent low-light performance... overall they probably blow the doors off the CP244 (and yes, I have worked with many 244s in the past, as well as 224s, 214s, 414s, 484s, and a number of other Pansonics).

 

I just finished another job, in fact, using VCM-24VFs (the difference between that and the VBM is merely in the mounting options - the VBM is surface-mount only, the VCM can be flush or surface mounted), many of them outdoors in direct weather:

 

 

 

[Porch 0]

Thanks for the offers on the cp244. I already ordered a VCM-24VF. I will give it a shot and see how it looks. From the snapshots posted here, the quality looks great.