Calling all CCTV buffs...!

[ColinB]

Hi Everyone,

First time poster, but long time reader. Hope I've created this in the right forum for starters...!

Looking to setup a semi-professional surveillance system, for our house. Probably 3 cameras in total, as we're in a semi-detached - front, side and back would be the configuration. Not that we live in a rough area, but I've always loved the whole piece of mind which a decent setup can give you.

Not after anything too fancy in terms of the DVR, I've used the Avermedia EB1304 NET before and found it to do the job pretty well, even though the web side of things are pretty poor in my opinion.

Been doing some research with regards to the cameras and pretty much decided on the Genie GS5351IR's - need them to be IR, ideally with a mechanical filter, and high resolution. Specifications are below:

High Resolution 540TV lines in Colour
2.9 -10mm Auto Iris Varifocal Lens
TRUE Day/Night, Mechanical Cut-Filter
33-piece Infra-Red LED Assembly with CDS Sensor
DDNNRR (Digital Noise Reduction)
Selectable Electronic Shutter Control, FLK/ESC/Manual
Selectable White Balance, ATW/AWC/Manual
Selectable Back Light Compensation, H/M/L/Off
Selectable Gain Control, H/M/L/Off
Sens-Up – Maintains Luminance Levels in Low Light x128
Privacy Masking – 4 Programmable Zones
Mirror Function – Horizontal Image Inversion

Cheapest price I've found is £194.75 (exc VAT).

Has anybody had any dealings with these cameras? I'd love to hear your comments/suggestions - or if anyone has any cheaper/better ideas, with a similar specification...?

Thanks in advance!

Colin

[BradG]

well it depends on the cameras location... The TVL is high for a good resolution but dont expect to get anywhere near 20M illumination from it... ive never been a fan of the plastic housing such as these.. they look suited for internal usage despite the IP66 rating.

have a look at this one
Login : Venture TV Ltd., Online store.

This one i always recommend.
Key points of it is a
lux of 0.2
50M IR Range
520 TVL
6.0mm lens

if you use shotgun RG59 cable you can just use a 1 AMP 12V PSU plugged in by your DVR and run both the power and coax to the camera in one run.

With regards to your DVR

Again, Labgear make some nice four channel DVR's which by all means do the job fine. If you have some spare in your budget then consider a Ganz, or even a Samsung Techwin DVR .. both good bits of kit

[ColinB]

Thanks for the reply BradG.

That camera is pretty decent, although the IR illumination distance I need is probably no further than 10-15 metres at most. The side and the back cameras will be less than that - plus that's a rather big camera for the side of the house, in my opinion.

I agree, I'm not keen on the plastic casing, but having a aluminum case on the side of the house might look a little ugly. Will have a look at those other DVR's - thanks for the suggestions!

I guess my ultimate aim is the most impressive setup, for the cheapest price, Heh.

Love to hear any other suggestions, or comments...!

[BradG]

Morning Colin

Would Dome cameras be an option?

this is a good one
VANDALPROOF IR DOME CAMERA [LAB1311AV] - £109.00 : Venture TV Ltd., Online store.

but no doubt could spec others if this housing design would be an option for you if you have porchways or any other areas where it could be mounted etc.

[ColinB]

.... afternoon!

Yeah, that might be an option, maybe if I fixed them to the soffits, or even half way up the outside wall, first floor level, then drill a hole through the wall and route the wires under the floor to the DVR (which will most likely to be hidden in the loft area, being harder to find, just incase of a break-in).

Seems like a good camera...
IR, High Resolution, Compact and Vari-Focal.

No mechanical IR filter though. I've heard this improves picture quality extremely well, by removing the IR spectrum during the day. Similar to what sun glasses do, so to speak. Not sure whether the quality difference justifies the extra cost though.

Thanks for coming back to me, once again

Colin

[D4RK1]

Hi Colin, ive had a look at the Genie cams when i was at my local wholesalers last week, not that keen on them if im honest. No weather proofing on the mounting face and plastic housing doesnt tick any boxes for me either.

Have a look for Vantage Spartan domes. I use them all the time and they produce a great picture, have day/night and IR options.

As for a DVR ive just fitted a samsung 4way 250gb for a customer. Runs near silently. Alot of DVRs are noisy as hell so fit them up in the loft out of the way. Also make cabling your cameras nice and easy.

[ColinB]

Thanks D4RK1, just had a look for the Spartan domes...

They look to be very good, and probably best suited for high risk areas, but probably a little over the top for my needs... including the price for that matter. I think the maximum I'd spend is £200 for a camera.

Thanks for the feedback though...! Still on the lookout for suitable cameras, and just found this one actually:

Super Hi-Res, Day/Night Varifocal in Digital Recorders at CCTV4u

Specifications are pretty darn good for the price and boasts everything I'm after... even though they appear to be out of stock on that website, I think this one could be an alternative to the Genie GS5351IR's - don't suppose anyone has worked with these cameras?

Thanks for all your comments

[hornydragon]

HAven't used them yet but really like the look of vivotek as for us they tick the IP box but also ahve an analogue out for DVR IP for ease of integration and Analogue for use with a DVR cheaper then buying anlogues and adding IP gateway and cheaper than IP with analogue converters!

VIVOTEK Outdoor Day/Night Wide Dynamic Range Network Camera IP7142

Spec looks good not sure on the current prices.