Where to get cameras in 2026? (and the future)

[cheesehead95]

Are we just hosed now as far as getting cameras with a decent megapixel/sensor size ratio without breaking the bank? I want to put some cameras up and my hope was to be able to see moving people and vehicles at night, but $250/cam is a unsustainable.. (Feel free to correct me, if this is a normal price and has been for a long time let me know, there's not much info out there with the great purge of all dahua and hik listings from ebay and other online sellers.) I ordered a IPC-T22IR-ZAS-S3 from Empire last night just to get something that should have decent night performance. I was looking at Amcrest but it looks like they are no longer able to import and have switched thier branding to Helix/Amlink, and all the cameras have horrible sensor sizes for the megapixels they advertise.

Does anyone know of other 2MP / 1/2.8" cameras that won't break the bank, or am I stuck with reolink for sub $150 cameras?

 

[bigredfish]

$200-$250 has been the normal price for the higher end Dahua 4MP models for some years (5442/54IR)

I haven’t bought it tested 2MP cams in some years except the long range 5442 Z12 many of us use for LPR

 

[JDreaming]

I think $250 for a decent megapixel/sensor size ratio camera is a very reasonable price if you compared to the price inflation with everything now a days.

I'm more frustrated with $250 and no improvement with new camera models to buy....

 

[cheesehead95]

$200-$250 has been the normal price for the higher end Dahua 4MP models for some years (5442/54IR)

That's fair then. I suppose I will just try to buy what I can while I can, because if I understand correctly, it's going to be pretty much impossible to get dahua or hikvision once the supply dries up?

price inflation with everything now a days.

The AI bubble and 'military action' can't end soon enough.

I'm more frustrated with $250 and no improvement with new camera models to buy

I was noticing this too in my research, seems like everything is very similar. I remember reading somewhere that Andy mentioned prices would be going up again in early 2027, is that because the older cams are going out of production and he can't get newer models imported due to bans?

 

[bigredfish]

That's fair then. I suppose I will just try to buy what I can while I can, because if I understand correctly, it's going to be pretty much impossible to get dahua or hikvision once the supply dries up?

The AI bubble and 'military action' can't end soon enough.

I was noticing this too in my research, seems like everything is very similar. I remember reading somewhere that Andy mentioned prices would be going up again in early 2027, is that because the older cams are going out of production and he can't get newer models imported due to bans?

Yup. Buy as many 5442's as you can afford before the end of the year

I think most of the price increases coming are due to memory. Costs have exploded.
So far it doesn't appear to be due to improved sensors or image quality

 

[samplenhold]

Back when I started in this (2018), the go to cam was the HDW5231R-ZE and was $167.
In 2020 the T5442TM-AS (6mm lens) that I bought was $158. Don't know what the ZE varifocal 2.7-12 mm was.
This year, back in April, I bought a few T54IR-ZE-S3 cams for $230.
Just bought a black T54IR-ZEB-S3 a couple of days ago for $275.

That is just how it is now. Bummer. Everything has gone up.

All of my Dahua cams I bought from Andy.

 

[bp2008]

There are still some cheap camera options out there. I really like the Annke FCD600 for overviews for example and it is still around $80 (for a dual lens cam) or less if you find the right coupon deal on ebay. But higher-end stuff is creeping up in price, and I have no reason to suspect that will change course any time soon.

 

[CCTVCam]

I'm more frustrated with $250 and no improvement with new camera models to buy....

+1.

Cheesehead, this is the greatest problem. Chinese manufacturers now often go with AI and often smaller sensors, rather than improved larger sensors. They're often relying on software tricks with AI determining their application to try and improve the picture. However, tests on here of some popular models show no real improvement over existing cameras and in many cases, the images are in many some people's opinions not as good.

Whilst in the past few years many mobile phones and action cameras have continued to go larger, often to 1 inch sensors & huge pixel counts producing quality 8K video on some phones, CCTV seems to have bucked the trend. Compression has also been an issue with some camers showing poor ability to zoom into the picture depsite seemingly 4K sensors. Personally this side of forced replacement of a failed unit, there's nothing I'd even consider buying atm. That might however just be me as I'm fussy and to me, picture quality is everything.

 

[Arjun]

The 5442 Varifocal turret was $175 the beginning of the year; the AI demand, memory shortage gave virtually every company to raise prices (almost doubling) in February 2026 onward

 

[cheesehead95]

There are still some cheap camera options out there. I really like the Annke FCD600 for overviews for example and it is still around $80 (for a dual lens cam) or less if you find the right coupon deal on ebay. But higher-end stuff is creeping up in price, and I have no reason to suspect that will change course any time soon.

I looked at some of their stuff, but it seemed like their prices were too good to be true. Have you had good luck with them? I'm using Frigate, if that matters.

+1.

Cheesehead, this is the greatest problem. Chinese manufacturers now often go with AI and often smaller sensors, rather than improved larger sensors. They're often relying on software tricks with AI determining their application to try and improve the picture. However, tests on here of some popular models show no real improvement over existing cameras and in many cases, the images are in many some people's opinions not as good.

Whilst in the past few years many mobile phones and action cameras have continued to go larger, often to 1 inch sensors & huge pixel counts producing quality 8K video on some phones, CCTV seems to have bucked the trend. Compression has also been an issue with some camers showing poor ability to zoom into the picture depsite seemingly 4K sensors. Personally this side of forced replacement of a failed unit, there's nothing I'd even consider buying atm. That might however just be me as I'm fussy and to me, picture quality is everything.

Yeah, I hope a manufacturer will realize there is a demand for a camera with a decent sized sensor. Any chance we could band together and write an open letter to manufacturers? I am also fussy about the quality, if all I have is a blurry face or license plate that can't identify someone, why did I put the cameras up in the first place.

The 5442 Varifocal turret was $175 the beginning of the year; the AI demand, memory shortage gave virtually every company to raise prices (almost doubling) in February 2026 onward

Yeah, seems like no matter what all of the issues somehow come back to the AI buildout

 

[bp2008]

I looked at some of their stuff, but it seemed like their prices were too good to be true. Have you had good luck with them? I'm using Frigate, if that matters.

Annke gets their cameras from a variety of sources. I've used 3 of their models:

NCD800
This is a high-end dual lens cam using 1/1.8" 4mp sensors. Does really well for night color in my opinion (no IR support). Seems to be OEM from Hikvision.

FCD600
Low-end dual lens cam with IR support. Does fine at night for an overview cam. I have not really tried it in color mode. Also seems to be OEM from Hikvision.

So the above two are great.

WCD1012
Super low-end dual lens PTZ. Feels like a toy. Has ONVIF support but it is difficult to get enabled via the cam's web interface. But it does technically work with Blue Iris and seems pretty reliable so far (2 installed). Not OEM from Hikvision.

 

[OD1]

Does anyone know of other 2MP / 1/2.8" cameras that won't break the bank, or am I stuck with reolink for sub $150 cameras?

I would say a year or two ago was the best sensor size to megapixel ratio but that’s mainly because a couple very poor yet large sensors hit the market.

If you don’t mind 4MP, used, and a body the size and weight of a 2-liter of soda, this is the best deal I have ever seen, I got two:

https://ebay.com/itm/298564193061

$75 for something possibly better than anything Dahua makes.

Edit: I just poured a soda. Camera is bigger than that.

 

[Jim_OS]

Annke gets their cameras from a variety of sources.

I find it surprising that Annke’s Hikvision OEM models can still be purchased in the US, and that apparently no one has noticed they actually fall under the Hikvision ban as well.

Just out of curiosity: how does it work for you in the US when you order Dahua or Hikvision products via Ali? Do they get confiscated by customs upon import, or perhaps sent straight back? While the selection of Dahua and Hikvision products on Ali has certainly shrunk and prices have risen significantly, but you can still get quite a lot of items there.

 

[bigredfish]

I would say a year or two ago was the best sensor size to megapixel ratio but that’s mainly because a couple very poor yet large sensors hit the market.

If you don’t mind 4MP, used, and a body the size and weight of a 2-liter of soda, this is the best deal I have ever seen, I got two:

https://ebay.com/itm/298564193061

$75 for something possibly better than anything Dahua makes.

Edit: I just poured a soda. Camera is bigger than that.

Do you know what size sensor this has?
I’m bored. May play with one

Nevermind, found it

 

[JPmedia]

I wonder if it is compatible with a Dahua NVR?

 

[SpacemanSpiff]

Do you know what size sensor this has?
I’m bored. May play with one

Nevermind, found it

For others interested: 1/1.8’’ CMOS sensor

spec sheet below

 

[bigredfish]

24v

 

[OD1]

24v

Mine both had all wires cut except Ethernet female dongle inside the JB. Unscrewed back, pulled out to expose board, plug in Poe, wait 1 min, hold reset button 25 seconds, close up, scan port 80 on lan and found them. They connected dhcp.

 

[bigredfish]

Cool thx

 

[OD1]

I wonder if it is compatible with a Dahua NVR?

Are you allowed to have mega bullets? This feels like a loophole. Worth a shot.