Has anyone experience of the new tplink cameras? Who makes them? They look a little bit like hikvision. If they are onvif compliant which I'm sure they are, would they be suitable for me to use in my hikvision NVR?
They do a useful 4mm lens (8mp) and I've seen a supplier that is offering a good deal at the moment.
@David Andrews Take a look at its specification sheet. What is its sensor size and aperture size? You don't want to go any lower than 1/1.8" for the sensor and any higher than F1.2 for the aperture, or it's liable to have a lot of ghosting/blurring at dusk/night.
@David Andrews Take a look at its specification sheet. What is its sensor size and aperture size? You don't want to go any lower than 1 1/8" for the sensor and any higher than F1.2 for the aperture, or it's liable to have a lot of ghosting/blurring at dusk/night.
A 8MP camera with a 1/2.7" sensor will perform VERY poorly at night, especially if there is a lot of motion. That sensor is barely suitable for a 2MP (1080p resolution) camera, much less a 8MP (4K res) camera. See the graphic below for best relationship between sensor size and resolution.
What country are you located in? A 4MP turret camera (Dahua OEM) with a 1/1.8" sensor with a vari-focal lens can be had here at Empiretech for a little of $200 USD.
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Yeah, that camera is junk. Not only is its sensor way too small (1/2.7") for its 4K resolution, it's got a restrictive F1.6 lens too! It may give you a decent image during the day, but it will struggle at dusk and night. At that price point (I'm seeing it advertised for $274-380), you might as well purchase the EmpireTech IPC-Color4K-T for $235. It has a large (1/1.2") sensor and a wide open F1.0 lens. If that's more than you want to spend, check his Refurbished page a couple times a week until it appears there—usually under $200. If you don't mind using a bullet camera instead of a turret camera, the similar IPC-Color4K-X is already there for $174 (note, only 6mm lens though—it'll be zoomed in quite a bit).
In your original post, you asked about compatibility with a Hikvision NVR. Both cameras would probably work, but if you want settings to sync and best compatibility, you should stick with Hikvision cameras on your Hikvision NVR. If you know how to access the camera directly from a PC to configure it, this may not be as big of an issue. Not sure how the triggers will sync up though.
Be aware that both of the above a great cameras but they are full color meaning they have no built-in IR and do not respond even to external IR so you'd need good ambient lighting at night or use their built-in visible white LED illuminator.
Thanks for your input. I also found this annke camera which looks very much like a Hikvision colorvu.
As a side note, in your opinion what is the best 8-12mp camera available today? Night time footage isn't an issue as I have a 30watt flood light directly behind the camera. I want a camera at human head height to capture people walking on to my drive so quality is paramount.
@David Andrews It's decent—1/1.8" sensor with a rather wide angle (109°) but open (F1.0) lens. This will allow you to see a larger area but will struggle with identification at a distance. Given that Annke often rebrands Hikvision cameras, it might be more compatible with your NVR too.
The two I linked above have a larger sensor that should help it retain better clarity in low light (which your flood light would be), and IMHO is one of the best cameras available. The turret variation offers 102° and 88° lenses, and the bullet variation also offers a 55° lens (lower is more zoomed in and will give you more detail at distance).
Thanks for your input. I also found this annke camera which looks very much like a Hikvision colorvu.
As a side note, in your opinion what is the best 8-12mp camera available today? Night time footage isn't an issue as I have a 30watt flood light directly behind the camera. I want a camera at human head height to capture people walking on to my drive so quality is paramount.
