Hi, new member here. I currently have a small system set up using 4 Dahua IPC-HDW5231R-ZE cameras on the interior of my business running on Blue Iris. I have been happy with these cameras, but I'm looking to add another 1-2 inside and 4 outside and I'm wondering if there are other models better suited to my needs. I'd like to stay at <$200 per camera, so for my interior camera additions, are there better options available within my budget or are there cheaper cameras that will perform as well as my current cameras? Obviously, if I can spend less I would like to. If not, I will likely order a couple more of the same model. For the exterior, only 1 camera will be in a covered area. The other 3 will be exposed to sunlight and rain. My understanding is that dome cameras will be more tamper resistant than the IPC-HDW5231R-ZE and possibly more weather resistant, so I'm interested in what you guys are using for exposed outdoor applications. Video quality at night is important, but the parking lot of my business is pretty well-lit. I've also got a spare GeoVision GV-EFER3700 fisheye camera laying around, if that seems suitable for any of the areas I'm wanting to monitor. Outdoor units will be mounted approximately 10 feet high. Roof cam will be mounted about waist high at the front of the building facing towards the rear.
I made this rough sketch of the areas I'm wanting to monitor. I understand that complete coverage in all of these areas with 4 cameras is unrealistic, but this is to give you a general idea of which outside areas I'm wanting to keep an eye on. The red dots represent approximate mounting locations of the cameras. The green area is my front parking lot. There is only 1 entrance and exit, so majority of my traffic, both cars and on foot, come and go in this direction. This camera is the one that will be mounted under an overhang. To give you an idea of the scale, the distance between the camera mounting point and where it meets the blue area is approximately 120-140 feet. The blue area covers the driveway and small connecting road that leads to the back lot. Might be a good place to optimize a camera for license plate reading. The yellow area is my rear parking lot. Would like to see as much of this as possible, but the most important area for me to monitor is the section that the purple area meets as that is my section of the building. Purple area represents what I would like to be able to see from my roof cam.
I imagine this won't be a 1 size fits all type of setup, so I'm open to any suggestions for different types or cameras that will work best in these scenarios.
I made this rough sketch of the areas I'm wanting to monitor. I understand that complete coverage in all of these areas with 4 cameras is unrealistic, but this is to give you a general idea of which outside areas I'm wanting to keep an eye on. The red dots represent approximate mounting locations of the cameras. The green area is my front parking lot. There is only 1 entrance and exit, so majority of my traffic, both cars and on foot, come and go in this direction. This camera is the one that will be mounted under an overhang. To give you an idea of the scale, the distance between the camera mounting point and where it meets the blue area is approximately 120-140 feet. The blue area covers the driveway and small connecting road that leads to the back lot. Might be a good place to optimize a camera for license plate reading. The yellow area is my rear parking lot. Would like to see as much of this as possible, but the most important area for me to monitor is the section that the purple area meets as that is my section of the building. Purple area represents what I would like to be able to see from my roof cam.
I imagine this won't be a 1 size fits all type of setup, so I'm open to any suggestions for different types or cameras that will work best in these scenarios.
