Camera recommendations for Europe

luk8899

Young grasshopper
Mar 8, 2024
31
16
Poland
The typical "go to" cameras recommended on the forum are either completely unavailable in Europe or the prices are absolutely bonkers (yes, $2K for a Dahua IPC-HF7442F-Z-X that sells for $330 in US).

In fact if it's any camera with larger pixel sizes the prices start at $1500 and only go up from there, even for old 2M ones. So it makes no sense so buy them.

But having large sensor size is not the only way you can get better night time quality. Another method is having a large objective lens. It seems the only well priced cameras with large objective lenses are those hanging sphere cameras with huge optical zooms like 90x. They usually come with imx415 (so only 1/2.8 sensor) and cpus support 30fps at 4k, various so so ai features like human tracking, but the real reason why bought them are objective lenses up to 30mm and sometimes focusing infrared Illumination as well so you can use them for identify pretty well. The usual price is $200~$300, fast ptz, poe built in of course and two way audio. Usually hikvision firmware.

I've been testing two of them for quite a while and I'm about to buy 4 more. Tell me why I should buy something else please . I'm not posting any links because the usual sites are full of them.
 
  • Like
Reactions: mat200
The typical "go to" cameras recommended on the forum are either completely unavailable in Europe or the prices are absolutely bonkers (yes, $2K for a Dahua IPC-HF7442F-Z-X that sells for $330 in US).

In fact if it's any camera with larger pixel sizes the prices start at $1500 and only go up from there, even for old 2M ones. So it makes no sense so buy them.

But having large sensor size is not the only way you can get better night time quality. Another method is having a large objective lens. It seems the only well priced cameras with large objective lenses are those hanging sphere cameras with huge optical zooms like 90x. They usually come with imx415 (so only 1/2.8 sensor) and cpus support 30fps at 4k, various so so ai features like human tracking, but the real reason why bought them are objective lenses up to 30mm and sometimes focusing infrared Illumination as well so you can use them for identify pretty well. The usual price is $200~$300, fast ptz, poe built in of course and two way audio. Usually hikvision firmware.

I've been testing two of them for quite a while and I'm about to buy 4 more. Tell me why I should buy something else please . I'm not posting any links because the usual sites are full of them.

1. we never recommend 7442-X as go to camera.. it's camera for ANPR / Parking space management / heavy Video Meta Data / or any other PRO AI use...

2. price of cams from official Dahua channels in EU / Poland are inflated 3x to give up to 70% rebate for installers.. Plus import duty, 23% VAT and commission for Dahua Poland and resellers ..

3. the base recommended models on the forums are different variants of WizMind-S 5442-S3 (54IR in Andy shop) (lots of AI, only IR, fixed lens or varifocal 1-3x zoom ZE/ZHE or tele 3-9x zoom varifocal Z4E) and TIOC-PRO WizMind 3449H-AS-PV-PRO (Color4M in Andy Shop) (only IVS, dual light IR + white, white can be activated by humans/cars, speaker/siren, only fixed lens)...

4. you can order all those cams at prices from EmpireTech | Security Protection | Security Cameras & NVRs contacting by DM with Andy (@EMPIRETECANDY)... 2-3 weeks delivery time using tax free way or 1 week using normal way.. done multiple times for smaller and bigger order - zero problems..
 
Last edited:
The typical "go to" cameras recommended on the forum are either completely unavailable in Europe or the prices are absolutely bonkers (yes, $2K for a Dahua IPC-HF7442F-Z-X that sells for $330 in US).

In fact if it's any camera with larger pixel sizes the prices start at $1500 and only go up from there, even for old 2M ones. So it makes no sense so buy them.

But having large sensor size is not the only way you can get better night time quality. Another method is having a large objective lens. It seems the only well priced cameras with large objective lenses are those hanging sphere cameras with huge optical zooms like 90x. They usually come with imx415 (so only 1/2.8 sensor) and cpus support 30fps at 4k, various so so ai features like human tracking, but the real reason why bought them are objective lenses up to 30mm and sometimes focusing infrared Illumination as well so you can use them for identify pretty well. The usual price is $200~$300, fast ptz, poe built in of course and two way audio. Usually hikvision firmware.

I've been testing two of them for quite a while and I'm about to buy 4 more. Tell me why I should buy something else please . I'm not posting any links because the usual sites are full of them.

Hi @luk8899

Many of us on this forum have purchased our Dahua OEM cameras from Andy, EmpireTech and do recommend him.

DO see what he can offer, and hopefully the VAT / Tariffs / Taxes are within reason for you in Poland. ( do let us know )

I know in the USA things have gotten crazy on Tariffs.
 
  • Like
Reactions: CCTVCam
2-3 weeks delivery time using tax free way or 1 week using normal way.. done multiple times for smaller and bigger order - zero problems..
Didn't know he had 2 different shipping methodes.
All things from him came delivered in about a week to The Netherlands with often a ~€10 import cost (from the shipping company; via a letter through the post about a week later)
 
  • Like
Reactions: mat200
Didn't know he had 2 different shipping methodes.
All things from him came delivered in about a week to The Netherlands with often a ~€10 import cost (from the shipping company; via a letter through the post about a week later)

how long ago was that?
in past small value packages (up to declared 30-40 Euro) was tax free..

now in EU, shipments up to 150Euro can use simple method - you or sender must pay VAT (20-25% depending of country) for them...
for shipment above 150Euro You must do full customs - which usually ends with import duty + VAT + fee for courier/customs company...
 
  • Like
Reactions: mat200
how long ago was that?
in past small value packages (up to declared 30-40 Euro) was tax free..

now in EU, shipments up to 150Euro can use simple method - you or sender must pay VAT (20-25% depending of country) for them...
for shipment above 150Euro You must do full customs - which usually ends with import duty + VAT + fee for courier/customs company...
To be fair; I haven't bought anything from Andy lately, it's all camera's I won with the lotteries. ;)
Including his last lottery.

I don't think I have any paperwork of these import costs still around, but I can check tomorrow.
 
  • Like
Reactions: mat200
Thanks for your replies. I'll get in touch with Andy once I research these cameras a bit more but I expect shipping costs to be a bit of a show stopper, especially if I wanted to get just one or two initially (for 5+ I imagine shipping on a per camera basis is not that bad).

Then over here you're charged VAT not just on the product. Which is the same if I bought anything locally, but on shipping as well. So let's say $200 of shipping becomes $270 by the time VAT and handling charge is added.

Last time I checked I think it was last year. Perhaps this has changed (hopefully for the better not worse).

Surprisingly to many the actual tarrifs are very reasonable (1% or 2%, I recently paid 2.7% - on a fiber fusion welder from China, about $10 and then ups charged me $20 for submitting the paperwork I had to fill, and they submitted it with an error that doubled my VAT charge so now I'll be sending papers back and forth for weeks before I get it sorted). However, talking about VAT as it was a tariff is incorrect, because if I go to a local shop I pay the same VAT.
 
Thanks for your replies. I'll get in touch with Andy once I research these cameras a bit more but I expect shipping costs to be a bit of a show stopper, especially if I wanted to get just one or two initially (for 5+ I imagine shipping on a per camera basis is not that bad).

Then over here you're charged VAT not just on the product. Which is the same if I bought anything locally, but on shipping as well. So let's say $200 of shipping becomes $270 by the time VAT and handling charge is added.

Last time I checked I think it was last year. Perhaps this has changed (hopefully for the better not worse).

Surprisingly to many the actual tarrifs are very reasonable (1% or 2%, I recently paid 2.7% - on a fiber fusion welder from China, about $10 and then ups charged me $20 for submitting the paperwork I had to fill, and they submitted it with an error that doubled my VAT charge so now I'll be sending papers back and forth for weeks before I get it sorted). However, talking about VAT as it was a tariff is incorrect, because if I go to a local shop I pay the same VAT.

I never paid for shipping ordering from Andy to Poland or Portugal...
As I told - Andy can send cams tax free - only problems this method require 2-3 weeks and tracking is only for last part in Europe (they looks like shipment from EU)..
 
  • Like
Reactions: looney2ns