Hi everyone, I need help picking cameras for my new home. I’m overwhelmed by all the brands out there. I want 4 cameras (2 indoors and 2 outdoors). These are my must-haves:
Easy for me to install without professional help.
Works with or without internet.
Has night vision.
Can connect to a DVR or TV.
Saves footage locally.
One-time purchase for most features (I hate subscriptions).
Nice-to-haves but not dealbreakers:
An app to check the cameras (okay if not).
No outside cloud storage unless it’s free or low-cost.
Under $200 per camera, but I might consider going over if it’s worth it (not above $600 though).
Do you have any suggestions? Thanks so much for your help.
Reolink cameras are a good option if you’re on a budget. Hikvision or Dahua are also great choices if you want something more advanced. Stick to wired PoE cameras for better reliability.
If you can stretch your budget to about $450 per camera, you could look into Axis 1440p cameras. Here’s what you’d need:
M series dome, box, or bullet cameras.
A 512GB SD card (SanDisk Extreme or better).
PoE switch.
UPS power strip for battery backup (20-30 minutes).
Free Camera Station Edge software with iOS and Android app support for phones, TVs, and desktops.
For outdoor cameras, consider buying new old stock dual-sensor 1080p cameras. Axis will support software updates until 2030. Just check places like eBay for deals.