2026 New System - Current best cameras?

happf

Getting the hang of it
Nov 21, 2016
85
53
Building a new house and it's been quite a while since I did my last house with Starlight cameras (10+ years ago?). That system was great and worked well the entire time. I'm trying to figure out what the latest best cameras would be. I see new TrueColor and WizColor cameras, but then I saw one bad review of a 'Pro' camera? I've searched this site, asked AI, etc but not finding a clear consensus on what are the best cameras currently (at least not like back then where everything screamed get starlight).

The house is two floors and I was going to mount some wide angles under the 2nd floor soffit for overall coverage and then at the entry ways, 1st and 2nd floor, I'd have zoomable, more targeted cameras for getting better images there. The goal also is to have just enough exterior lighting (and/or external ir emitters) so that I can leave all the onboard camera lighting off.

This is what I'm currently considering:

IPC-T54IR-ZE-S3
IPC-T54IR-AS-S3
IPC-T58IR-ZE-S3 - maybe 1 or 2?
Also thinking of one PTZ4K-25X-PV that we can use for sighting seeing from our 2nd floor balcony with natural views

NVR16CH-AI-S2 (will use external POE switches) I see the wizsense ones, should I get that instead if somehow they come out with better wizsense cameras or by then it'll be some new type of camera requiring yet another different type of nvr.

I debated blueiris a long time ago, but the empire nvr route I went back then (4216?) served well never failing and did what I needed so I figure I'd go the same route again. I did modify it's cover to mount a large slow moving fan and disconnected the louder internal ones. I couldn't hear it anymore and it continued to work well.

I currently have a bunch of amcrest cameras (which appear to have very similar software as my prior starlight cameras) covering the jobsite. I'm hoping I can connect them to the NVR as well.

Are there any good threads that are well known asking the same as above that I'm not finding through search?

thank you
 
The 54IR series still represents the best overall camera and most recommended camera.

Stay away from the 58IR as it is shoving 8MP on the sensor designed for 4MP and you would need stadium quality light to take advantage of it.

Most here feel 4MP is the sweet spot for these types of cameras.
 
^^^^^^^^
+1

NVR16CH-AI-S2 IS WizSense = Dahua #NVR5216-EI2 - its fine.
No need to spend 2X for the WizMind/XI

With a 1/2.8 sensor on that 4K PTZ dont expect nighttime video to be great
 
  • Like
Reactions: mat200
Have you had the 2 of them side-by-side? I did, and was surprised how much less-bad the 581 was with dim or IR lighting. Definitely not as light sensitive as the 541, but not by a huge amount.