Ethernet-Based Security Cameras?

detritus asks: "I own a few acres of woods and am wondering if there is some sort of camera that can be networked via ethernet instead of the standard video connectors? Preferably, a telnet interface and the ability to control and transmit live feeds/snapshots to a remote server on a LAN/WAN would be awesome. I am looking to mount them in specific areas on my property and running 10Base2 (BNC), repeaters and power to each camera, and then be able to remotely manage the cameras from the comfort of my computer. It evidently would have to be weatherproof. Any ideas on where one could find something like this?" For anyone looking for something like this, you might want to check out Axis.Com. Is there anyone out there who can comment on the performance of such devices?

Comments on the axis camera system

[Echo|Fox]

When my parents opened a daycare here in Edmonton earlier this year, one of my jobs was to get a web camera system set up. After looking at all the options, I eventually turned to Ask Slashdot myself, and the overwhelming response was to go with the Axis system. We've been highly pleased with it, thus far. We picked up two Axis Camera Server 240's, which connect to our LAN via normal ethernet, and each can take coax input from four seperate video cameras (we use normal CCTV cameras with auto-irus lenses). These badboys have their own webserver built in, which you use for configuring the device, as well as viewing images (the java push one is particularly cool). Since we're running so many cameras and serving to multiple people, we didn't want to have people directly hitting the camera servers, so we use the Eye_get script they make available on their webpage (its for Linux, but works just dandy on FreeBSD) which I have set up to grab images every 5 seconds. Basically, for the last 7 months, every 5 seconds, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 8 images are downloaded to a SCSI disk on our FreeBSD webserver and made available to the web (password protected, of course). That's pretty damned reliable if you ask me =) We haven't had a single hiccup during that time frame, and we're planning on adding another camera server (along with another SCSI disk to reduce the load on an individual disc) in the near future. I give them my wholehearted reccomendation. Now, it seems to me you want a self contained unit, not a server + cameras, and they do sell one of those ... can't recall its exact model name, but its the same deal, an integrated camera and webserver with an ethernet port. If you've got any other questions, feel free to drop me an e-mail.

Axis Camera

[giberti]

Axis makes an excellent camera, it can also be plugged into a modem without any sort of PC to run it. We use at work for monitoring our new building facility. We have it clicking off pics every two hours and updating our corporate intranet.

Some models can actually be configured to focus automatically, run streaming video etc.

Most notable about these cameras, is the price drop as of late. CDW [cdw.com] has the camera for less than $500.00 which is down about $450.00 dollars since December.

Low light conditions?

[FascDot Killed My Pr]

I'd like to setup something similar as an infant monitor. How well do the Axis cameras (or any others mentioned here) perform in low-light conditions?
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Re:Low light conditions?

[Echo|Fox]

Well, if you have any special camera needs you might be better off with the camera server, as opposed to the camera. I don't believe the standalone camera axis sells supports the use of different lenses, so if thats a requirement, your best bet would be the axis camera server 240. It's pricy, but you can connect any kind of camera you want to it, so you could have one with a lowlight lense, an infared camera, a wide angle lens, and one in an outdoor enclosure, all running off the same server. Flexibility has its price :/

Axis Camera 200+ model

[Myrcurial]

We're running several of this model and have been very very pleased with it. We're just in the process of moving one of them to cover a community event for which they are ideally suited. We've got an Axis cam and a Breezecom SA10D connected up so that we can put a cam anywhere we can get about an amp of 120VAC. After the weekend, I can post more details about how it's going.

M

Re:Low light conditions?

[giberti]

Not very well, the one I run is outdoors so it sees lots of sunlight, but as soon as the sun sets, the contrast decreases, and the camera starts getting _very_ dark images. I belive you can adjust the contrast of the images manually before you fire of the camera.

In my outside application pics taken before 8:00am EST are almost too dark to see. The subject for clarification is a steel frame of a building going up against a wooded background. The last image is fired off at 6:00pm, and it too is too dark to see.

But as an infant monitor, you can use streaming video out of the camera which is nice, its also not a tiny little image, its pretty good size and a fair quality.

Go with standard video

[cr0sh]

Why? Because it will be less headache in the long run, and cheaper. But don't go with regular video cabling - use Cat5 - hook 3 of the pairs up in parallel for the video (1-3-5 for video, 2-4-6 video ground shield), use pair 7&8 for power (don't combine the grounds). You should be able to run 12 volts easily over the pair for each camera (use a hefty power supply with several amps - A PC power supply might be OK, but a benchtop supply would be better). Weatherproof the connections (silicone sealant). Run the lines back to a multi-input card (see http://www.lechner-cctv.de/ for more detail - these are BT878 adaptors, so you might be able to use Linux with some custom coding!), or to a homebrew camera switcher/video capture card setup (you know, ring counter driven by parallel port, driving relays to switch the vid, or pport-driven analog multiplexer chip setup - if you don't know what I am talking about, then this project isn't for you - go with the multi-input board).

Such a system can be built for under $1000 if done right - cheap PC, Linux, the card/switcher - heck, the camera's will be the most expensive parts!

Hope this helps...

Axis netcam + software motion detection = cool

[bpowell423]

I am using a couple AXIS netcams -- one Axis 2100, self-contained camera, and one AXIS 2401 camera server connected to a CCTV camera. I'm using the 2100 indoors and the other outdoors (the camera is outside, server inside). At any rate, they both work great.

For my application, I wanted to be able to take pictures when there was motion. The cameras have inputs for connecting external triggers, but I decided to try to do it in software. At first I was using some gimp-fu stuff, but it was too slow, so I rewrote it using libjpeg. It's a little rough, but it gets the job done. If anyone wants it, email me and I'll send it to you.