He guys. Friend at work is having trouble with neighbors. She bought a camera from a local store but it takes batteries and they do not last long at all. they are looking for a decent camera that will plug in to an outlet for power and have good night vision and good distance. Please post your recommendations so I can check them out. This is just one camera that can be monitored from phone pc or wherever. Thanks

Foscam seems to be the standard for cheap and relatively reliable wifi or network cameras. If she only needs 1 camera software like vitamin d would be good to use. Field of view is the biggest issue with security cameras

What's her budget?  How long of range does she need to see?  Motion tracking or no?  Does it need HD Image quality?

 

This one seems pretty good - it's a very basic camera.  If you need more options, the prices start to go up.

http://www.amazon.com/D-Link-Wireless-Surveillance-mydlink-Enabled-DCS-932L/dp/B004P8K24W/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

I'm currently testing the Foscam FI9831W. Wireless or wired, with 1280x960p. The setup was pretty flaky, wireless authentication didn't always work, and their documentation is terrible. I did get it running properly after firmware upgrade and a LOT of Goggling to find out the quirks. It also has a SD card to locally store alarm video on until you can look at it. (This can be both good and bad. The camera could be stolen.) This camera has noticeably better resolution than the earlier models I have.

 

Today my main criteria for a camera is resolution and field of view. A video is no good at all if you can't recognize the faces, and in some cases license plates (which is much tougher). I won't be buying anything less than full HD as above, regardless of manufacturer.

 

I'm waiting on delivery of a GW Security GW2040IP. On paper this should be a big step up, and it has a varifocal lens. Read the specs on Amazon. If this thread is still running when it shows up I'll give a brief review.

 

There's a lot of issues in selecting cameras. Inside or outside? Wired or wireless? AC power or POE (Power Over Ethernet). Day, night or both? Remote control or not? And then of course there's collecting and retaining video in the event it's needed.

 

You and/or your friend should have a conversation with someone conversant on these topics. Probably too much for a thread. Just be sure you understand the intended purpose, and then tailor your purchase to fit.

If the neighbor knows nothing about IP addressed and port routing the only choice is a plug and play like a drop cam

 

Or dumb it down even further and use an iPhone or iPad as the camera and download the Icam software. (Don't know if it's night vision though)

They have the netgear arlo which from what I b an see has good picture quality but it does not plug in and the batteries don't last for shit. They need to see day and night to a range of about 25 lf. So a camera in the 200 dollar range but can be plugged in would be ideal. Like I said the arlo works well but batteries die almost every other day. Thanks

I've done a lot of business with these guys.  Neat stuff, tech support is top notch. 

 

http://www.supercircuits.com/

Remember this: you get what you pay for, especially with surveillance cameras. I used to install them. If the end user isn't tech savvy then expect a lot of questions. CNB makes good inexpensive cameras. I've had nothing but good experiences with located in NYC. Not affiliated in any way.

There is a big thread on this here somewhere. But I've been running Foscams of all types for years and for the price, you can't beat them. Just stay away from their dome cameras, or any brand dome camera with leds inside. Dunno what rocket scientist decided to put nv leds inside the dome, but they should be fired. They do have a decent outdoor fixed cam that works well. Again, for the price, they have an internal web server, motion, etc. IMHO, you really don't need their HD version cams. A bit over doing it for the price. I run about 8 Foscams linked to one of my severs, that when I enable them, dump via ftp any images. They also have available from 3rd parties, smart phone software. When I go away for any amount of time, I use Blue Iris software rather than the internal web server. Very robust for the price. Good if you have multiple cams. All in all, while they have quirks at times, after using them for awhile, you get to love them for what they are for the price.

 

 

 

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If you want night vision, you really need to get an IR illuminator.

 

Most cams come with some IR LEDs and they work ok, but here is an example of the difference.  I also upgrade the camera.  I'm still in the 960H/1000TVL analog world, but for my needs, it's fine.

 

Recently my cheapo ebay DVR failed so I bought a GW Security 960H DVR and the images are better, the frame rate is better, the searching ability is better.  I've become a fan of GW security and actually bought one of their starlight cams just to see how  it looks.  It won't be here until later this week.

 

Believe it or not, my outdoor fixed Foscam has pretty good NV. I have it mounted over my yard watching my shed and bike shelter. (No pics handy)... It's mounted outside my 2nd floor window and my shed and shelter are about 35ft away and I can see them pretty easily.

 

Take it or leave it, for the price, they are decent. BUT, make sure you get one from a certified Foscam dealer. Their company told me there are many clones and they will not help you with them if you get screwed.

 

 

 

 

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Mg mentioned Super Circuits. Yes, they are a great company to deal with. I use their bullet cams and they last forever. Years ago, built my survelliance van with them Good stuff...

 

 

 

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