Should IP cameras be replaced preventatively due to old age? Upgrading a few cameras vs all.

[Safetyfirst]

Hi all,

I have a relative with DS-2CD2332-I around their property. I don't know exactly how old they are but I know it has been at least 5 years since the install. They have issues with cars being broken into and the front of the house to the sidewalk is about 40 ft and it is not very bright in their area even after adding some 150-watt bulbs to the front of their home. They were interested in upgrading their front cameras to see the cars better as the existing one at night performs poorly for that distance. I explained they may need to upgrade their NVR and they asked if they would need to replace all their existing cameras around the rest of the house. They have a blind spot on the front of the property due to a tree and only one front-facing camera but I saw the DS-2CD2T87G2P-LSU/SL listed at B&H. They park on the street so the cars would be in different spots usually in front of the house.

My question is do IP cameras have an assumed life ie 3 -5 years and should they be upgraded preventatively?

 

[fenderman]

Hi all,

I have a relative with DS-2CD2332-I around their property. I don't know exactly how old they are but I know it has been at least 5 years since the install. They have issues with cars being broken into and the front of the house to the sidewalk is about 40 ft and it is not very bright in their area even after adding some 150-watt bulbs to the front of their home. They were interested in upgrading their front cameras to see the cars better as the existing one at night performs poorly for that distance. I explained they may need to upgrade their NVR and they asked if they would need to replace all their existing cameras around the rest of the house. They have a blind spot on the front of the property due to a tree and only one front-facing camera but I saw the DS-2CD2T87G2P-LSU/SL listed at B&H. They park on the street so the cars would be in different spots usually in front of the house.

My question is do IP cameras have an assumed life ie 3 -5 years and should they be upgraded preventatively?

Not to prevent failure but certainly due to much improved optics in newer cameras (you must find the good low light cameras). The 2332 was released around 2014 making it almost 9 years old. They are old tech and the performance difference on the new low light cams is significant both day and night. The 180 camera you cite has two 1/1.8 4mp sensors and is very good at night.

 

[wittaj]

Most here will update before the camera goes bad, so we replace an existing one with a newer model and then move the older camera to a new location that is less critical.

Even if they had brand new 2.8mm focal length cameras, they still will not IDENTIFY at 40 feet out...

See this thread on the importance of optical length over MP and selecting the correct camera for the distance one wants to be able to IDENTIFY with:

The Importance of Focal Length over MP in camera selection

At the urging of several folks here, I created a thread to show the importance of focal length and how focal length can be more important than megapixels (MP). I mentioned some of this in the post regarding The Hookup’s latest video demonstrating different cameras, including one sold from a...

ipcamtalk.com

 

[bp2008]

There's no expiration date on IP cameras. Assuming they don't suffer from overheating or water intrusion, they can last well over a decade, long past the point where they are obsolete. Just like the 2332 cameras were pretty great when they are new, but now 8 years later, the newer stuff runs circles around them in low light.

DS-2CD2T87G2P-LSU/SL is equivalent to this ANNKE I91BH which is just $220 USD on Newegg until Nov 30th. I installed one last week and I'm very happy with it. But it is mainly an overview camera, because at longer distances like 40+ feet it will be hard to recognize people. To get detail captures, you need much more optical zoom. The Importance of Focal Length over MP in camera selection

 

[bradner]

I'd replace cameras early only to upgrade their optics. Then my old cameras get given to my friends that have Costco systems.