Security Camera ideas?

[jsabia85 0]

I am looking to get PoE cameras w/ NVR for my home. Anywhere from 4-6 cameras. Have been doing a lot of research and I am unsure of what brand to go with. For a while I have been researching Hikvision but I am reading a lot of complaints about them. They are Chinese made and hacked with english firmware etc and its hard to find a real hikvision manufactured camera, they are all knock-offs.

 

I recently came across Reolink and their products look really good. I do not need top of the line, just cameras that are built well and have good image quality.

 

Does anybody have any experience with reolink? Are they worth looking into?

 

In terms of technology, I am a systems engineer and have been networking for 15+ years. I am very technical so this shouldn't be an issue for me. I have been running cable, terminating Ethernet for a while now.

 

Also, for camera type, dome vs bullet? What do most prefer? I like the dome cameras but are they not as good as bullets?

[jrmymllr 0]

I am looking to get PoE cameras w/ NVR for my home. Anywhere from 4-6 cameras. Have been doing a lot of research and I am unsure of what brand to go with. For a while I have been researching Hikvision but I am reading a lot of complaints about them. They are Chinese made and hacked with english firmware etc and its hard to find a real hikvision manufactured camera, they are all knock-offs.

 

I recently came across Reolink and their products look really good. I do not need top of the line, just cameras that are built well and have good image quality.

 

Does anybody have any experience with reolink? Are they worth looking into?

 

In terms of technology, I am a systems engineer and have been networking for 15+ years. I am very technical so this shouldn't be an issue for me. I have been running cable, terminating Ethernet for a while now.

 

Also, for camera type, dome vs bullet? What do most prefer? I like the dome cameras but are they not as good as bullets?

 

Whoa, that one sentence needs a lot of clarification.

 

"They are Chinese made"

Yes, and so are almost all others. Get ready to open your wallet if you want to avoid that.

 

 

"and hacked with english firmware etc"

These are gray-market cameras. Same hardware, but reflashed for western markets. If you are ok with not upgrading firmware and limited to no warranty, they're fine. I have three and they work great and I saved a bundle. Some will disagree but worth the risk in my case.

 

 

"and its hard to find a real hikvision manufactured camera, they are all knock-offs."

No. Who told you this?

 

 

And as for Reolink, while their website doesn't give an address, they do give hours in UTC+8, which includes China. Guess where Reolink is likely also made.

[jsabia85 0]

 

Whoa, that one sentence needs a lot of clarification.

 

"They are Chinese made"

Yes, and so are almost all others. Get ready to open your wallet if you want to avoid that.

 

Sorry, I am completely aware that most of these cameras are Chinese made, what I mean was that I have been reading a lot online that these cameras have a lot of knock offs made in china.

 

"and hacked with english firmware etc"

These are gray-market cameras. Same hardware, but reflashed for western markets. If you are ok with not upgrading firmware and limited to no warranty, they're fine. I have three and they work great and I saved a bundle. Some will disagree but worth the risk in my case.

 

I prefer to have the ability to be able to upgrade the firmware

 

 

"and its hard to find a real hikvision manufactured camera, they are all knock-offs."

No. Who told you this?

 

Just from what I have read online.

 

 

And as for Reolink, while their website doesn't give an address, they do give hours in UTC+8, which includes China. Guess where Reolink is likely also made.

 

Yes, I know reolink is made in china. I am not opposed to chinese made cameras.

[jrmymllr 0]

 

Whoa, that one sentence needs a lot of clarification.

 

"They are Chinese made"

Yes, and so are almost all others. Get ready to open your wallet if you want to avoid that.

 

Sorry, I am completely aware that most of these cameras are Chinese made, what I mean was that I have been reading a lot online that these cameras have a lot of knock offs made in china.

 

"and hacked with english firmware etc"

These are gray-market cameras. Same hardware, but reflashed for western markets. If you are ok with not upgrading firmware and limited to no warranty, they're fine. I have three and they work great and I saved a bundle. Some will disagree but worth the risk in my case.

 

I prefer to have the ability to be able to upgrade the firmware

 

 

"and its hard to find a real hikvision manufactured camera, they are all knock-offs."

No. Who told you this?

 

Just from what I have read online.

 

 

And as for Reolink, while their website doesn't give an address, they do give hours in UTC+8, which includes China. Guess where Reolink is likely also made.

 

Yes, I know reolink is made in china. I am not opposed to chinese made cameras.

 

Reolink might be ok, but I haven't come across those on this forum. Hikvision and Dahua are common. If you are worried about Hikvision knock-offs, I think you're concern may be misplaced as I've never heard of this. See here:

 

viewtopic.php?f=53&t=46131

 

I don't know where you can buy authorized Hikvision, although I thought I read B&H Photo is a reseller. My philosophy on the firmware issue is if the camera streams video, I'm good. F/W upgrades are nice, but I'm not willing to pay that much more. However that's purely my opinion; the opposite argument is not wrong.