Suggestions for indoor wifi cameras with Blue Iris for occasional use when traveling

I

istreich

Young grasshopper
Mar 23, 2015
38
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I have a number of good outdoor permanently mounted POE cameras connected to my Blue Iris system. However, when we travel, I like to use some cameras in various locations of the house to keep an eye on the place and have eyes in case of a problem.
To do this, I have used a few older Foscam Wifi cameras but some are not working well anymore.
I am looking for a recommendation for Wifi, non mountable (left on a counter or table), PTZ (at least Pan/Tilt) IP cameras working well with Blue Iris and affordable. Ideally, good night performance and decent resolution but really focusing on affordability as only used a few weeks a year and in addition to outdoor install.
Thanks a lot

Note: Don't want any proprietary camera not accessible via Blue Iris and/or requiring a subscription.
 
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IMO the Wyze V3 cams work great for this. Roughly $30-$40 bucks. Pretty small form factor.
Both the still and the Pan\Tilt V3 have better color night view and better IR night vision than the prev gen.I have a similar setup w Diahua outdoor cams + BI but inside I've been very happy with the clarity, night vision and consistent connection of these wifi cams I just place on a shelf or in a hallway to keep an eye on the cats while we are away. I use a 256GB microSD card in them and leave them record 24/7 and you can go back and review all the footage from within the app. They have a free and a cheap cloud plan option if you want motion capture to the cloud or to view your cameras via their web view on a computer or AI alerts, (that work for face\pet\car triggers just ok but not great), but it isn't really necessary if just using them to check in and RV earlier footage. The V3 Pan\Tilt does a decent job auto-tracking a person or pet too.
 
Thanks actran. You are correct that this is my preference to only access one system, especially when traveling. I have been using the amcrest and they seem tough to beat for the price... Still interested in other suggestions if any
 
I have a few Axis P3433 that were upgraded to newer cams, a couple Amcrest IP-841, as well as a couple Dahua IPC-K42A that I picked up from Andy for indoor use. They all work well for this purpose. I have BI set up to automatically record these cameras when everyone in the home is outside of the geofence, but I'm using external automation for this.
 
actran said:
@nbstl68 The OP asked for camera recommendations that will work with BI5. Does Wyze V3 cams work with BI5?
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Oh, Sorry, somehow missed that even though it was in the title!
Wyze does not work with BI out of the box.

They used to have a firmware replacement they provided which allowed it to work, (added RTSP \ ONVIF compatibility?), but not familiar with it, how much trouble it would be or if the firmware replacement option is still available.
Yeah, other than that, they are great little cameras. For my temp \ vacation cat monitoring use case they work well as-is OOTB w a micro SD card & the free but limited cloud service for motion alert capture.

I had a Foscam, (now Amcrest), which worked great for years using Ethernet or Wifi...even after being dropped over a balcony into the basement twice! (The 2nd time the P\T motor control got a little wonky, haha.). So that should be a good option. They were just a bit too bulky for me vs the smaller\cheaper Wyze options.
 
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jelf4352 said:
Why the 2mp over 4mp? Is it because break ins occur mostly at night with lights off so day time we don’t care that much about?
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The 4MP has about the same size sensor (1/3") as the 2MP (1/2.9") so it will have poorer low light performance than the 2MP.
I've got 2 of the IP2M-841's in service as non-critical garage and dog watchers for about 3 years now, streaming to Blue Iris.

They're hard to beat for the money!
 
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actran said:
I have this amcrest with my BI5: ***This amcrest has been recommended in other threads.

The 2MP version is better than 4MP one if you care about night images, given both cameras have similar size lens.
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I also have this 2MP Amcrest IP2M-841B-V3 in the garage, and it is working very well. Mine is mounted high up, facing the large garage door. My only wish is that it had the ability to tilt lower. I guess I could re-mount it on an angle for fuller viewing at the floor, as the ceiling view isn't necessary. But overall it has been a good wi-fi camera.
 
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jelf4352 said:
Why the 2mp over 4mp? Is it because break ins occur mostly at night with lights off so day time we don’t care that much about?
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In case of IP2M-841 vs IP4M-1041 doesn't matter. 1041 has newer sensor with higher light sensitivity and captures about same amount of light, even though it has smaller pixels (0.08 lux vs 0.1 on 841). It has benefit of better picture detail due to higher resolution. Signal to noise is worse, but it makes up for it with 3D noise reduction (2D on 841). 1041 has also slightly better motion detection and it has autotracking too, 841 has none.
Can't say about WI-FI performance (I have them wired).
So, other than the price, there's no reason to choose IP2M-841 over IP4M-1041.
 
TonyR said:
The 4MP has about the same size sensor (1/3") as the 2MP (1/2.9") so it will have poorer low light performance than the 2MP.
I've got 2 of the IP2M-841's in service as non-critical garage and dog watchers for about 3 years now, streaming to Blue Iris.

They're hard to beat for the money!
Click to expand...
Would you go with 841 over 1041 if you had the choice these days?
 
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jelf4352 said:
Would you go with 841 over 1041 if you had the choice these days?
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In my use case, yes.
If you have enough ambient visible light the majority of the time for the 4MP and want or need the higher res then the 4MP would serve that better.
 
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TonyR said:
In my use case, yes.
If you have enough ambient visible light the majority of the time for the 4MP and want or need the higher res then the 4MP would serve that better.
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Yes might as well go 4mp since it’s in the garage and have light sensors . Thanks!
 
jelf4352 said:
Yes might as well go 4mp since it’s in the garage and have light sensors . Thanks!
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If you mean lighting triggered on by motion then be aware that if cams are on IR lighting because of their own sensors when that visible light kicks in it can blind the cams for a few secods until they adjust to utilize visible light and not the IR.

Of course since you already have an 841 there you're likely already aware.

nevermind-ignore-it.gif
 
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DLONG2 said:
My only wish is that it had the ability to tilt lower. I guess I could re-mount it on an angle for fuller viewing at the floor, as the ceiling view isn't necessary.
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Is that even if using the supplied supplied ceiling mount that screws into the bottom of the cam with a 1/4"-20 male thumbscrew?
 
TonyR said:
If you mean lighting triggered on by motion then be aware that if cams are on IR lighting because of their own sensors when that visible light kicks in it can blind the cams for a few secods until they adjust to utilize visible light and not the IR.

Of course since you already have an 841 there you're likely already aware.

View attachment 216796
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That’s a good point…I don’t have one there and that’s why I’m having a hard time choosing. May go back to 841 now lol
 
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