Best cameras for use with Sighthound?
Moderator: Staff
7 posts
• Page 1 of 1
-
Max&Leo - Posts: 50
- Joined: Wed Jul 23, 2014 8:44 pm
Best cameras for use with Sighthound?
So there's a couple-year-old list of cameras that work with SH. I'm wondering if SH Staff can chime in with their FAVORITE cameras. The on es that "just work." I need to buy 4 or 6 new cameras. I have a Mac and iPhones if it makes any difference.
-
Kbond - Posts: 194
- Joined: Wed Nov 15, 2017 5:51 pm
Re: Best cameras for use with Sighthound?
Hello,
If you are looking to purchase cameras, we normally recommend Axis(which are a bit expensive) and Hikvision which are the best. Dahua and Ubiquiti would be the next tier in quality. Things to consider when buying new cameras:
* You get what you pay for. The lower end tends to be mostly rebranded or slightly tweaked off the shelf components, trying to compete on cost and skimping everywhere else. For instance, sitting in front of me I have 3 cameras that all look identical other than the logo, all cost under $100, and are all quite unpleasant to use.
* Read reviews from people who own the camera, whether on Amazon or another site. They've lived with it, if they love it or hate it they'll let you know. Be wary of the hate posts for being user error, but if there is a lot it's a bad sign.
* Check out the manufacturer's website. If they don't have one, or it has no real content, avoid. They should have easy access to firmware updates, manuals, and tech support. If they don't, or if their tech support forum is filled with issue after issue, avoid. Axis, for example, makes it very easy to obtain information and support.
I hope this helps. Please let us know if you have any other questions or concerns, thank you!
If you are looking to purchase cameras, we normally recommend Axis(which are a bit expensive) and Hikvision which are the best. Dahua and Ubiquiti would be the next tier in quality. Things to consider when buying new cameras:
* You get what you pay for. The lower end tends to be mostly rebranded or slightly tweaked off the shelf components, trying to compete on cost and skimping everywhere else. For instance, sitting in front of me I have 3 cameras that all look identical other than the logo, all cost under $100, and are all quite unpleasant to use.
* Read reviews from people who own the camera, whether on Amazon or another site. They've lived with it, if they love it or hate it they'll let you know. Be wary of the hate posts for being user error, but if there is a lot it's a bad sign.
* Check out the manufacturer's website. If they don't have one, or it has no real content, avoid. They should have easy access to firmware updates, manuals, and tech support. If they don't, or if their tech support forum is filled with issue after issue, avoid. Axis, for example, makes it very easy to obtain information and support.
I hope this helps. Please let us know if you have any other questions or concerns, thank you!
-
cwizard - Posts: 30
- Joined: Sat Dec 16, 2017 11:37 am
Re: Best cameras for use with Sighthound?
Hikvision cameras are great, a 4MP will do nicely.
-
Koruzan - Posts: 5
- Joined: Tue Nov 12, 2019 9:03 am
Re: Best cameras for use with Sighthound?
I like Hikvision too
-
Nick123 - Posts: 5
- Joined: Sun Jan 21, 2018 9:24 am
Re: Best cameras for use with Sighthound?
I don't know if anyone else is finding similar results for outdoor surveillance, but Sighthound is fantastic during daylight but at night I have one of two issues, depending on how I configure the cameras:
1. If I switch on the camera's native IR for night mode, raindrops, cobwebs and insects are a major issue which are often flagged up as 'People' by the Sighthound AI, though I must say it does a much better job than other software, and I'm using cheap 1080P cameras from Sumpple.
2. If I leave the camera on daylight mode, the low light levels (even using PIR floodlights) often do not give enough information for Sighthound to pick up on, so some 'People' alerts are missed.
The solution I think is to stay on daylight mode 24/7 but use a low-light ("Starlight") camera. These are fitted with Sony Starvis chips: Hikvision now make them and I'm sure they're great, but here in Europe the best prices are from Partizan - a Czech company. I've just ordered one (their IPO-5SP Starlight model) so it will be good to see how it performs.
UPDATE - the Partizan Cameras (IPO-5SP) starlight camera I ordered has solved many of my false alerts: I'm NOT using IR at night with this camera and relying on a far-away street light and some low-power white PIR lights. I've just bought a second one - they work perfectly with Sighthound Video.
1. If I switch on the camera's native IR for night mode, raindrops, cobwebs and insects are a major issue which are often flagged up as 'People' by the Sighthound AI, though I must say it does a much better job than other software, and I'm using cheap 1080P cameras from Sumpple.
2. If I leave the camera on daylight mode, the low light levels (even using PIR floodlights) often do not give enough information for Sighthound to pick up on, so some 'People' alerts are missed.
The solution I think is to stay on daylight mode 24/7 but use a low-light ("Starlight") camera. These are fitted with Sony Starvis chips: Hikvision now make them and I'm sure they're great, but here in Europe the best prices are from Partizan - a Czech company. I've just ordered one (their IPO-5SP Starlight model) so it will be good to see how it performs.
UPDATE - the Partizan Cameras (IPO-5SP) starlight camera I ordered has solved many of my false alerts: I'm NOT using IR at night with this camera and relying on a far-away street light and some low-power white PIR lights. I've just bought a second one - they work perfectly with Sighthound Video.
Last edited by Nick123 on Mon Dec 30, 2019 3:24 pm, edited 1 time in total.
-
Rocinante - Posts: 18
- Joined: Sat May 20, 2017 1:27 pm
Re: Best cameras for use with Sighthound?
Amcrest also makes Starvis low light cameras.
I bought three of them when they partnered with Amazon for a $20 off sale.
You will want to stay away from the bullet cameras where the IR light surrounds the camera lens. Spiders are attracted to the light and will try to build webs around them, which will trigger the motion detector. You can turn off the IR light to avoid this, but this will affect the night vision quality.
You should look into buying turret cameras where the lens is separated from the IR light. I bought these from Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07W5WPQD9/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I bought three of them when they partnered with Amazon for a $20 off sale.
You will want to stay away from the bullet cameras where the IR light surrounds the camera lens. Spiders are attracted to the light and will try to build webs around them, which will trigger the motion detector. You can turn off the IR light to avoid this, but this will affect the night vision quality.
You should look into buying turret cameras where the lens is separated from the IR light. I bought these from Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07W5WPQD9/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
-
OCB - Posts: 14
- Joined: Mon Jul 16, 2012 11:16 am
Re: Best cameras for use with Sighthound?
I’m just about to buy some cameras - I am tempted by the 4mp Colorvu Hikvision, but curious about the Partizan brand (I’m in Belgium).
Where can I buy them/what are the prices Their site only seems to sell to professionals.
Also - any chance anyone is running a wifi camera off a battery/solar charger by any chance? I want to have cameras around my garden (for perimeter, but also to keep an eye on chickens and guinea-pig pens). All the cameras I see are cloud enabled - not interested.
Where can I buy them/what are the prices Their site only seems to sell to professionals.
Also - any chance anyone is running a wifi camera off a battery/solar charger by any chance? I want to have cameras around my garden (for perimeter, but also to keep an eye on chickens and guinea-pig pens). All the cameras I see are cloud enabled - not interested.