Hi all,
I'm currently running Reolink RLC-1224A cameras but they haven't met my expectations (poor nighttime performance and the streams to frigate are not great), so I'm looking to replace them with a Dahua, Hikvision, or Empiretech based system. I'd appreciate advice on camera selection for my specific situation.
Property layout
I've attached a diagram of my property. The lot is long and narrow with street frontage at the north side. The driveway runs along the west side of the house for approximately 11 meters. Behind the house there's a terrace, followed by an old garage at mid-property which will be torn down in a couple of years. At the rear of the garden stands a new garage.
I have three Cat6A drops available at the locations marked with yellow dots on the diagram, plus one drop at the doorbell location. The mounting heights vary: 3.4 meters at the front, 2.8 meters at the side overhang, and 2.7 meters at the terrace overhang.
Lighting conditions
Requirements
Planned camera positions
Position 1 - Front corner (3.4m height)This camera needs to cover the street frontage of approximately 10 meters width and the driveway entrance at about 8 meters depth. Note that this is a semi-detached house, so to the right is my attached neighbour. DORI: OR
Position 2 - Driveway rear (2.8m height)This camera should cover the driveway and perhaps part of the terrace. Given the layout, a 180° field of view would be ideal here. This location has mixed lighting conditions. DORI: RI
Position 3 - Corner of the house (2.7m height)This camera needs to cover the terrace, and later possibly the garden as well. RI
Future - New garage: I'm planning to add cameras here later: one overview camera for the garden and one with more zoom capability looking back toward the house.
Brands I'm considering
I'm currently running Reolink RLC-1224A cameras but they haven't met my expectations (poor nighttime performance and the streams to frigate are not great), so I'm looking to replace them with a Dahua, Hikvision, or Empiretech based system. I'd appreciate advice on camera selection for my specific situation.
Property layout
I've attached a diagram of my property. The lot is long and narrow with street frontage at the north side. The driveway runs along the west side of the house for approximately 11 meters. Behind the house there's a terrace, followed by an old garage at mid-property which will be torn down in a couple of years. At the rear of the garden stands a new garage.
I have three Cat6A drops available at the locations marked with yellow dots on the diagram, plus one drop at the doorbell location. The mounting heights vary: 3.4 meters at the front, 2.8 meters at the side overhang, and 2.7 meters at the terrace overhang.
Lighting conditions
- Driveway: illuminated at night
- Terrace: lit on house side, dark on neighbour's side
Requirements
- 3x PoE bullet or turret cameras (unsure if IR is necessary given my lighting)
- 1x doorbell camera (front door, marked red on diagram)
- Frigate NVR integration (mandatory) - running Frigate with Coral TPU
- Person detection required
- Budget: €200-300 per camera, less preferred
Planned camera positions
Position 1 - Front corner (3.4m height)This camera needs to cover the street frontage of approximately 10 meters width and the driveway entrance at about 8 meters depth. Note that this is a semi-detached house, so to the right is my attached neighbour. DORI: OR
Position 2 - Driveway rear (2.8m height)This camera should cover the driveway and perhaps part of the terrace. Given the layout, a 180° field of view would be ideal here. This location has mixed lighting conditions. DORI: RI
Position 3 - Corner of the house (2.7m height)This camera needs to cover the terrace, and later possibly the garden as well. RI
Future - New garage: I'm planning to add cameras here later: one overview camera for the garden and one with more zoom capability looking back toward the house.
Brands I'm considering
- Dahua
- Hikvision
- Empiretech (Dahua OEM)
- What specific models would you recommend for these distances and field of view requirements? 5442 s3?
- For the front position, is a varifocal lens needed to cover the 10 meter street width, or would a fixed lens be sufficient?
- For the terrace camera with its mixed lighting conditions, are there specific models or features that handle bright and dark areas in the same frame well?
- What doorbell camera options are there?
- Is a standalone NVR worth adding alongside Frigate, or would that be redundant?
