BradsXmasLights
WiFi Interactive
I've had a few people ask about my current CCTV camera setup, which is the Hikvision gear from Alixpress/China.
Whirlpool forums have a massive thread about Hikvision & home cctv setups here: http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/forum-replies.cfm?t=2352121&p=107 This is extremely useful once you've read the 100's of pages
Most people there are recommending to buy from Aliexpress vendors, 'CCTV China' or 'E&M Security'. I have used both & it was a fast experience with DHL shipping, etc.
Although whatever you buy, I'd steer clear of the Swann stuff that's sold Retail here.
Cameras:
All the 'popular' Hikvision cameras are around the same price and use the same firmware (and camera hardware inside?). They are 3MP (2048 x 1536) & POE based, so a single CAT5 cable is required for power & data. They can be also be powered with a standard 12VDC supply. They can also record to an SD Card internally, however I'd be recording to an external DVR as playback is far easier in a multi camera setup then.
I personally think the $$$ PTZ (pan/tilt/zoom) 'remote controlled' cameras are a waste of time unless you are have have a dedicated camera/security officer operator.
I like these the best:
http://www.aliexpress.com/store/product/Original-hikvision-3megapixel-3mp-array-30m-IR-Network-Dome-DS-2CD2332-I-support-POE-free-shipping/638300_1396985171.html
+ Metal casing
+ single IR (visible, dim red glow when direclty looked at)
+ most powerful IR compared to the others I tested
+ 'Turrent' form-factor a avoids IR reflections that can occurr on the usual dome cameras if they get dirty due to reflections.
- The base is about the size of a CD - so it's not the smallest camera out there.
The "bullet" form-factor...
http://www.aliexpress.com/store/product/2013-Hikvision-Original-infrared-gun-waterproof-network-camera-DS-2CD2032-I-3MP-IR-ip-camera-support/638300_1397052584.html
+ Cheap
+ Concealed cable via mounting base (ALL cabling should be hidden so it can't be cut/pulled!) Not to mention how dodgy it looks
+ Formfactor really shows which direction the camera is pointing (which may be good as many people assume all 'domes' can spin round and look over fences, etc.)
- Negative IMO is they can be vandalized easier as the it's easy to grab hold of.
For a small camera...
http://www.aliexpress.com/store/product/waterproof-IR-IP-Camera-3-0MP-Mini-Dome-Network-DS-2CD2532F-IS-Hot-New-High-Quality/638300_1675650811.html
+ Much smaller
- IR slightly less powerful, image marginally more grainy (compared to the full-size dome I also have)
+ Less powerful IR is not really a bad thing close up anyway
+ Audio Recording (illegal in most cases)
+ Alarm[SIZE=78%] I/O connections, Wire doorbell to it etc & email a photo [/SIZE]
Lenses:
* You can usually specify a lens size when ordering. The wider the lenses the more you can see! However this comes at the cost of detail/clarrity for things that are further away from the camera. eg: a 2.8mm lens will give a nice wide-angle shot of your frontyard, but numberplates for example will effectively be so small they'll be hard/impossible to see.
* 4mm are a more tighter, but still side shot that has less of a fish-eye effect.
* Mounting the camera further way, (or higher up), then you'll want to increase the lens MM size to get a more zoom'd image.
* For open spaces, the wider lens work best IMO so you can see if someone is there.
* For narrow walkways/gates/side of your house, more zoomed in is better so you'll get a nice close up if you know the suspect has to walk past the camera.
* There's much more to this topic of lens & camera positioning.
Camera Settings / Image Quality
* The cameras have a web interface on them for configuring various settings like shutter speed.
* Usual photography rules apply here, slow shutter speed and the "nightvision" will look amazing! But anything moving will become blurry. For this reason I would take most sample images with a grain of salt.
* Also beware of mounting the camera up too high - you'll just be looking at the top of heads.
* Successfully getting the numbers plates of cars driving down your street is far easier said than done. A dedicated camera would usually be needed for this with enough zoom (and correct angle) to the street.
* Camera bitrate / MPEG compression settings are also fully adjustable. I found 8Mbit/max bitrate to be too laggy for live viewing. After tweaking settings 4mbit seems to be a lot better. (On this topic, my old analogue, real-time DVR was awesome in this respect as the live view was always instant!)
* They produce two streams, so your mobile (or live) viewing can be a lower resolution for faster viewing over the internet.
DVR "Recorder" info to follow...
Whirlpool forums have a massive thread about Hikvision & home cctv setups here: http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/forum-replies.cfm?t=2352121&p=107 This is extremely useful once you've read the 100's of pages
Most people there are recommending to buy from Aliexpress vendors, 'CCTV China' or 'E&M Security'. I have used both & it was a fast experience with DHL shipping, etc.Although whatever you buy, I'd steer clear of the Swann stuff that's sold Retail here.
Cameras:
All the 'popular' Hikvision cameras are around the same price and use the same firmware (and camera hardware inside?). They are 3MP (2048 x 1536) & POE based, so a single CAT5 cable is required for power & data. They can be also be powered with a standard 12VDC supply. They can also record to an SD Card internally, however I'd be recording to an external DVR as playback is far easier in a multi camera setup then.
I personally think the $$$ PTZ (pan/tilt/zoom) 'remote controlled' cameras are a waste of time unless you are have have a dedicated camera/security officer operator.
I like these the best:
http://www.aliexpress.com/store/product/Original-hikvision-3megapixel-3mp-array-30m-IR-Network-Dome-DS-2CD2332-I-support-POE-free-shipping/638300_1396985171.html
+ Metal casing
+ single IR (visible, dim red glow when direclty looked at)
+ most powerful IR compared to the others I tested
+ 'Turrent' form-factor a avoids IR reflections that can occurr on the usual dome cameras if they get dirty due to reflections.
- The base is about the size of a CD - so it's not the smallest camera out there.
The "bullet" form-factor...
http://www.aliexpress.com/store/product/2013-Hikvision-Original-infrared-gun-waterproof-network-camera-DS-2CD2032-I-3MP-IR-ip-camera-support/638300_1397052584.html
+ Cheap
+ Concealed cable via mounting base (ALL cabling should be hidden so it can't be cut/pulled!) Not to mention how dodgy it looks
+ Formfactor really shows which direction the camera is pointing (which may be good as many people assume all 'domes' can spin round and look over fences, etc.)
- Negative IMO is they can be vandalized easier as the it's easy to grab hold of.
For a small camera...
http://www.aliexpress.com/store/product/waterproof-IR-IP-Camera-3-0MP-Mini-Dome-Network-DS-2CD2532F-IS-Hot-New-High-Quality/638300_1675650811.html
+ Much smaller
- IR slightly less powerful, image marginally more grainy (compared to the full-size dome I also have)
+ Less powerful IR is not really a bad thing close up anyway
+ Audio Recording (illegal in most cases)
+ Alarm[SIZE=78%] I/O connections, Wire doorbell to it etc & email a photo
[/SIZE]Lenses:
* You can usually specify a lens size when ordering. The wider the lenses the more you can see! However this comes at the cost of detail/clarrity for things that are further away from the camera. eg: a 2.8mm lens will give a nice wide-angle shot of your frontyard, but numberplates for example will effectively be so small they'll be hard/impossible to see.
* 4mm are a more tighter, but still side shot that has less of a fish-eye effect.
* Mounting the camera further way, (or higher up), then you'll want to increase the lens MM size to get a more zoom'd image.
* For open spaces, the wider lens work best IMO so you can see if someone is there.
* For narrow walkways/gates/side of your house, more zoomed in is better so you'll get a nice close up if you know the suspect has to walk past the camera.
* There's much more to this topic of lens & camera positioning.
Camera Settings / Image Quality
* The cameras have a web interface on them for configuring various settings like shutter speed.
* Usual photography rules apply here, slow shutter speed and the "nightvision" will look amazing! But anything moving will become blurry. For this reason I would take most sample images with a grain of salt.
* Also beware of mounting the camera up too high - you'll just be looking at the top of heads.
* Successfully getting the numbers plates of cars driving down your street is far easier said than done. A dedicated camera would usually be needed for this with enough zoom (and correct angle) to the street.
* Camera bitrate / MPEG compression settings are also fully adjustable. I found 8Mbit/max bitrate to be too laggy for live viewing. After tweaking settings 4mbit seems to be a lot better. (On this topic, my old analogue, real-time DVR was awesome in this respect as the live view was always instant!)
* They produce two streams, so your mobile (or live) viewing can be a lower resolution for faster viewing over the internet.
DVR "Recorder" info to follow...
