Recommendations for a PTZ, optical zoom dome style camera?

[DBBK]

Looking to replace a current camera I have but with the amount of IP cameras out there I'm kind of stuck knowing what's actually good or not.

Originally I was just going to buy a 5MP non-brand camera but after reading here, I guess the sensors on most of them are not that great?

Must haves:
Dome style
PTZ
Optical Zoom

How much i'd like to spend:
£80
$105
€95

Any help at all would be hugely appreciated

 

[The Automation Guy]

We still need more information about your needs/situation to give the best answer.

That being said, the cheapest "good" PTZ camera is probably the Dahua SD49225XA when purchased directly from Empire Andy. This is because his firmware still includes a very good auto-tracking function that is missing from the OEM Dahua firmware.

Review: Review - Dahua SD49225XA-HNR 2MP 25x Starlight + IR PTZ AI Camera with Deep IVS & SMD Plus

Now that is a real PTZ camera and it is pretty large in size. But with the 25x optical zoom lens, you have enough detail to "Identify" people 200' or more from the camera - even though the camera is only 1080p. However, it only has a 1/2.8 sensor size (which is pretty small) so the fact that it's only 1080p resolution helps it perform well at night. If the resolution was any higher, it would suffer in low/no light situations. All of this helps keep the cost low compared to the higher resolution cameras with larger sensors. Andy sells this camera for $399 new in his Amazon store and if you reach out to him directly, you can probably get it for less.

I just bought one yesterday and I am waiting with great anticipation for it to be delivered!