Need tips for affordable camera solution

Other Devices & Integrations Door Locks & Sensors
#1

Anyone got any good hints on affordable solutions? I’d mainly like cameras to:

  1. Monitor my living room+entrance to my home office (at the end of the living room)
  2. Take pictures of anyone entering the front door
  3. Kitchen

The cheapest ones I’ve found until now are $100 apiece…

#2

I suggest you read the different threads regarding the different cameras to get a feel for what works and doesn’t. There is a lot of information already available.

  • Garrett
#3

[quote=“garrettwp, post:2, topic:179796”]I suggest you read the different threads regarding the different cameras to get a feel for what works and doesn’t. There is a lot of information already available.

  • Garrett[/quote]

Thanks - will try to do that :slight_smile:

Seems D-Link DCS-930L might be a good starting point for me, though…

#4

Foscam are popular and common on the forum.

  • Garrett
#5

Going a bit on the diy route I have a batch of

  • mr3020 router (20$)
  • usb webcam (15$)
  • usb phone batterry from ebay (10$)

I spent a couple of hours setting up openwrt and streaming (it could be done in 15 minutes but i tried all the possible variations).

  • the battery lasts for about two hours after a power failure
  • wifi and lan connection
  • works with vera
  • full-hd-capable webcam
  • une usb port can be expanded with a usb hub to add sensors/ more cameras (tested with 3 cameras with 800x600 pictures and mjpeg streaming and worked flawlessly)
#6

I’ve been looking for Camera’s for Some time now. Been looking at this Company here. I wonder if you could hook up to Vera. If not they seem to have a good price and free app.

#7

FYI, this is in an old thread, but might be worth considering…

#8

[quote=“tiwas, post:1, topic:179796”]Anyone got any good hints on affordable solutions? I’d mainly like cameras to:

  1. Monitor my living room+entrance to my home office (at the end of the living room)
  2. Take pictures of anyone entering the front door
  3. Kitchen

The cheapest ones I’ve found until now are $100 apiece…[/quote]

If less than $100 is your measure of “affordable” I’d say there is no affordable camera that doesn’t come with a bunch of shortcomings and incompatibility. I’ve pretty much found it’s a “you get what you pay for”. It’s not so much about the hardware but the firmware in them. The cameras with the less buggy, more compatible, and functional features all seem to be in the $150 and up range in my experience. Some may disagree but after trying a bunch of them that’s what I’ve found. Although there isn’t a device/plug-in specifically for them I’ve found Vivoteks to be very stable and standards compatible. They are private labled by some of the major all-in-one alarm vendors - that’s how I found them. I particularly like the 3131W. It just works…

#9

I also like the Vicoteks also, did you just “add an IP camera” to vera and it worked or ?

I have 4 on an NVR in our office, not connected to Vera, I have a Foscam to snap and email of people coming after hours when the security system is armed.