Technical but new to security cams- advice appreciated

[backmarker]

Hi folks

I am a technical guy but have never setup a security camera before

I have an apartment with Unifi poe switch and synology NAS and am looking to setup a POE powered camera using this equipment

The use case is- I am looking for indoor and ideally outdoor monitoring from a single ceiling mounted camera. This camera will be mounted in a flat that is empty for long periods of time. The cat7 cable is already run as shown in the map below, purple star is where on the ceiling the camera will be mounted. Ideally would like to monitor both the kitchen/dining/living room area and the patio as well (through the glass). This is not ground level so no need for car detection, etc. The space is entirely flat

Feature wise would like to have:

• high resolution, open to paying for 4k and have plenty of tb of free disk space on the synology
• motion and sound detection
• night vision

I doubt that I will remotely operate or PTZ the camera, but want on that focuses on motion/people/sound. I do not want anything more than a camera, no cloud subscription etc

Welcome suggestions from the experts on this forum, the number of cameras and brands is, well, a lot

Thanks!

 

[mat200]

Hi folks

I am a technical guy but have never setup a security camera before

I have an apartment with Unifi poe switch and synology NAS and am looking to setup a POE powered camera using this equipment

The use case is- I am looking for indoor and ideally outdoor monitoring from a single ceiling mounted camera. This camera will be mounted in a flat that is empty for long periods of time. The cat7 cable is already run as shown in the map below, purple star is where on the ceiling the camera will be mounted. Ideally would like to monitor both the kitchen/dining/living room area and the patio as well (through the glass). This is not ground level so no need for car detection, etc. The space is entirely flat

Feature wise would like to have:

• high resolution, open to paying for 4k and have plenty of tb of free disk space on the synology
• motion and sound detection
• night vision

I doubt that I will remotely operate or PTZ the camera, but want on that focuses on motion/people/sound. I do not want anything more than a camera, no cloud subscription etc

Welcome suggestions from the experts on this forum, the number of cameras and brands is, well, a lot

Thanks!

Hi @backmarker

Window / Glass can be an issue .. you may want to test that before you commit to a setup ..

 

[backmarker]

Good to know. Interior is the priority and there are automated security shades so outdoor is more of a nice to have

 

[mat200]

Good to know. Interior is the priority and there are automated security shades so outdoor is more of a nice to have

In general, many members like 4MP and 1/1.8" sensor model IP PoE cameras ... search some of the threads for when someone posts a list of models to look at.

 

[sebastiantombs]

Quick guide -

The smaller the lux number the better the low light performance. 0.002 is better than 0.02
The smaller the "F" of the lens the better the low light performance. F1.4 is better than F1.8
The larger the sensor the better the low light performance. 1/1.8" is better (bigger) than 1/2.7"
The higher the megapixels for the same size sensor the worse the low light performance. A 4MP camera with a 1/1.8" sensor will perform better than a 8MP camera with that same 1/1.8" sensor.

Disclaimer - These sizes are what the manufacturers advertise and may, or may not, be the true size of the sensor in the camera.
1/3" = .333" Great for 720P
1/2.8" = .357" (think a .38 caliber bullet) Great for 2MP
1/1.8" = .555" (bigger than a .50 caliber bullet or ball) Great for 4MP
1/1.2" = .833" (bigger than a 20mm chain gun round) Great for 8MP

Don't believe all the marketing hype no matter who makes the camera. Don't believe those nice night time captures they all use. Look for videos, with motion, to determine low light performance.

Read the reviews here, most include both still shots and video.

Rule of thumb, the shutter speed needs to be at 1/60 or higher to get night video without blurring.

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These cameras all represent the correct sensor size to resolution ratio and perform well under low light conditions when adjusted properly.