Logitech 750e

[Barristan 0]

I am considering purchasing one of these cameras for monitoring my driveway at night. Would there be a better option? I would like to keep it under $400-$500. Thanks

[Kawboy12R 0]

Those have a pretty wide lens. Decent ID for close up shots but only good for recognition (if you already know them) at much of a distance, although the wide FOV will show you what's going on in a large area. How far do you park your car from where you will put the camera? Is it always in the same spot? That makes a big difference in which camera and lens length you can use.

[Barristan 0]

It's probably no more than 50' away. My house is a small ranch and my driveway is about 2 car lengths. I would like to be able to cover to the street. I intend on mounting it in an eave overhang in line with the driveway.

[Kawboy12R 0]

I wouldn't use one for that job- way too far away. Every video I see of them has very soft focus and it's not easy getting a clear crisp facial shot up even up fairly close in the daytime. Go to Youtube, search Logitech 750e, and watch the videos (both day and night) and pay attention to the faces. Make sure you crank the Youtube resolution up high too. I'd recommend something with a varifocal lens that goes to at LEAST 8mm. At 50' 8mm will give you a moderate zoom with a reasonable FOV and a closer shot to give at least a chance for ID at night. If you want better face shots you'll want more zoom (probably 12mm) and extra lights over the built-in camera IR.

 

A varifocal cam with good night vision in your budget would be this Dahua or its 2mp little brother. The 3mp gives more detail but limits your recording options a bit. Dahuas NVRs (if you wanted to go the standalone NVR route) only support their cameras up to 2mp, and I've heard some issues with BlueIris and the 3mp for some reason. Dahua's free computer software works fine with it or you might want to try a free demo of NVR+.

 

I've been itching to see video of this cam- http://www.gadspot.com/p-445-gs9405e.aspx

 

Good features, good price, and I've read good things about Gadspot and seen good videos of their analog stuff. I asked their tech support and they said that it works with BlueIris, so there's a cheap software alternative if their free software doesn't appeal to you.

 

This thread shows one guy's results with an Aote. I'd probably take a Dahua first, although the price is much better on that Aote (albeit with fixed lens rather than varifocal). For instance, check the aliexpress url- it says 5 megapixel while the ad description says 3. Typical when buying stuff direct from China. Aliexpress is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get.

 

There are other choices in the $400 range but it'll probably take quite a bit of looking to find one that beats the Dahua at night for close to that kind of money. Higher-end name brands in the same ballpark at night are probably double or triple the money of an EBay or Aliexpress Dahua, although that's not necessarily a bad thing. Better support, better software options, and possibly better reliability come with the extra cost.

 

You might even be able to get away with one of the 1.3mp Dahua HFW-2100 minibullets with a special-order 8mm fixed lens from the factory. Should be available from a few sources for under $200 shipped. You can get a pair from Costco (QSee branded) with 6mm lenses for $300. Wait a bit and the 3200S minibullets will be out and you'll get a 2mp fixed lens cam for about the same price.