What is your budget $$ per camera and how many cameras are you looking at installing? Do you require a NVR unit as well for recording or will you use a VMS software on a PC to do the recording?

I’ve been looking into this a wee bit for my rural property. I’m not sure good and affordable are achievable in this area - will be interested to see what suggestions are to be had.

billgates:

 

What is your budget $$ per camera and how many cameras are you looking at installing? Do you require a NVR unit as well for recording or will you use a VMS software on a PC to do the recording?

 

^^ This. I would add remote access requirements, and your willingness to stuff around getting them set up right (non trivial IME).

Personally I am a fan of Amcrest cameras from Amazon. Good quality cameras with decent (legit) English firmware. But there is quite a bit more to it than just brand. There are a few other threads on here me commenting about Amcrest cameras.

mdf:

 

Personally I am a fan of Amcrest cameras from Amazon. Good quality cameras with decent (legit) English firmware. But there is quite a bit more to it than just brand. There are a few other threads on here me commenting about Amcrest cameras.

 

I'm also a fan of Amcrest, I think they're just rebadged Dahua hardware. The other brand that commonly pops up as good value is Reolink.

HikVision or HiLook - PB Tech sell them, and you will get the legit NZ version, not hacked Chinese version.

So kinda getting sick of the hassle of trying to get the cheap and cheerful Wyze cameras working adequately, especially the outdoor model which is so slow to start recording upon detecting motion most of the recording doesn't even contain the moving object! (and no number plate if it's a car.) Any proper fix will need a wired solution, so I'm thinking that getting Ethernet laid in the ceiling and using PoE cameras is probably an easier/cheaper option than getting power points in the roofspace and these wired to the outside. I'm looking to use Surveillance Station on my NAS; while I know I'd need to pay licences for cameras over the initial two, I'm only looking at three at this point; plus I believe it's a one-off charge.

I've read through a number of GZ threads, including this one; The Amcrest cameras sold on Amazon seem excellent value for money and I'm most interested in going with these but would appreciate some advice.  

Question 1: There's a big jump in price between the 5MB (2592 x 1944) and 8MB (3840 x 2160) models: for non-super-critical use for home security, is that increase in resolution worth paying nearly twice as much? (eg NZ $79 vs $158). My guess is that even the 5MB models will be a significant step up on the Wyze cameras (from a lens quality perspective let alone the resolution), but just want to be sure they'll be adequate.

Question 2: Looking at suitable mounting places where I want the camera, in two places there's no suitable soffit, so am I best to go for the bullet camera type, and if so does the Ethernet cable need to come from behind the camera (eg, from behind the bracket) or can I run it down part of the outside wall? 

Question 3: In one location I'll be able to go with a dome camera: Do I need to worry about getting the model with a 'vandal dome' (eg ) vs one without if this is to be mounted well above a height that anyone can reach?

Any further ideas and advice would be appreciated, especially from those who have direct experience with Amcrest cameras (eg @mdf).

Thanks heaps.

Thanks, MDF, for the quick response. 

Good to know that side cabling is an option and, like you, I may need to go with that and waterproofing of the cable connector etc. That may also mean not needing such a substantial hole in the wall/soffit that the included template provides for (to allow for that ethernet connector to pass through).

TBH, I'd rather go with all dome cameras simply due to their lower profile compared to the bullet type, but wasn't sure how flexible they were in terms of mounting orientation. Have you mounted any of yours on a wall (ie, a vertical surface) as opposed to a soffit or other horizontal surface? And, if so, is there enough movement allowed with the camera mount to orientate and angle the camera to capture the desired area? (I'd hate to buy them only to find out it wasn't feasible to capture what I needed to.)

Thanks again.

the thing i have seen with dome cameras is that if the dome becomes dirty it can affect the infrared LED's and you can get some serious white flares on your output image, turrets dont have the same issues.

im also looking for a 4-8 camera setup for my house.

I got an amcrest 4k turret  one from amazon. You can put an SD card in it to record with or hook it up to a central system. The only issue is spiders.

Thanks for the further info.

I wonder if the lack of a dome may mean one less layer of plastic to get dirty/discoloured so I'm thinking that given my location (inland) and that the other model also comes with a mic that I may go for the domeless version. Any risks associated with this do you think?

Oh, I've also found there's a wall mount for this non-dome camera; while branded Dahua and it doesn't specifically mention compatibility with Amcrest I found the reference to it on the Amcrest website - any value in using these (especially given the cost is around $40 each), or do you reckon it'll work just as well mounting it vertically?

As for going with the 5MB models or forking out twice the price for the 4K versions - is it worth all that extra cash? My sense is where does it stop... a bit more for colour night mode, a bit more for a built-in espresso machine...

Cheers and thanks.