2025: Best Cameras + Setup Guide | S+ Tier, A Tier, B Tier, etc.
Hello everyone, I'm trying to get a new list compiled together of the current best offerings, ranging from S+ tier (where money is no object and the image quality is good enough to see a bee fart) all the way down to more budget-friendly options. From my perusing, I haven't seen any list updated beyond 2022.
Also, just as importantly, can anyone provide video footage of their recommended cameras?
What are the best night/lowlight cameras, while simultaneously being capable of identifying vehicle license plates extremely consistently?
What is the best bang for the buck camera?
What is the best budget-friendly camera?
What are the best options for SSD's, HDD's, etc.? Most trouble-free network switches, most dependable cameras, etc.
S+ Tier: Money is no object, visual fidelity and clarity is second to none, the absolute best of the best, no matter the cost.
A Tier: Probably the tier that matches the best quality/performance to price ratio.
B Tier: An obvious step down from both S+ and A tier, but more than makes up for it with cost.
C Tier: Very budget-friendly, cost is far more important than performance.
Thank you for any and all inputs, as I'm currently in the process of overhauling my own personal surveillance system, and I'm looking at any and all options. I will be doing both business and personal installments, so I'm looking primarily for "money is no object" options, but I also want this to be an updated guide for anyone who may be in the same position as me.
Highlights of importance for me personally:
-Vehicle License Plate Reading/Recognition
-Low Light Performance
-Outstanding visual fidelity/clarity
-Best SSD's/HDD options
Comments
We have some specific cameras recommendations on our Camera Picks page - we plan to keep this page up to date continuously be adding new models and removing old ones. It's not sorted by price/quality - we've tried to include a range of cameras for all budgets - but you can filter by particular features.
For the best video quality, look for:
In general, IP camera brands we like are:
SSDs: Samsung (premium) / SanDisk (affordable) / Crucial (budget).
Switches: Netgear, TP-Link, Ubiquiti (all equally good).
I'd also be interested in others' opinions!
While not the best on a a lot of the factors you list the 180 degree Reolink Duo cameras are really nice in terms of coverage and price, I've got two of the POE version and they have been reliable (once I taped up the reset button to stop water getting into it).
We generally don't recommend Reolink because we've seen lots of problems with them, but on the other hand they are inexpensive, and many users have had success with them (mainly the newer models with updated firmware). Their hardware is great for the price, but software/firmware has historically been lacking. If going for Reolink, buy from a store with a good returns policy, update firmware, and test thoroughly before final installation.
I ended up with mostly SV3C cams because they kept offering to send me cams to test.
I test them, and like them enough to keep them without the need to look for anything better.
I assume they're made by the same manufacturer as some of the other similarly priced cams.
I have 10 SV3C cams and 2 Dahua doorbells.
One of those doorbells is just being used as a cam.
My SV3C cams are a mix of older fixed 5MP and newer 8MP PTZ models, and all the features work well with SecuritySpy.
I've also had good luck with a wireless Reolink duo camera - I just had to get the access point close enough to the camera to help it keep continuous contact. It does a great job of overseeing the entire back property line and gate, as well as a view of the entire street for quite a distance. I just need to trim the tree a bit more -
But its encouraged me enough to get a couple more (wired versions) to replace a couple of more "directional" cameras - just have to get the ladder out and try to get them set up. The one thing I would say is you need to use the Reolink app to get them configured properly and THEN bring them into SS -