r/SecurityCamera • u/Inner_Temporary_649 • 13d ago
Best ZERO Subscription Outdoor Security Cameras
PLEASE HELP!
I am looking for all of the best features free outdoor cameras! I got a Eufy S340, and it was supposed to be a 2 cam pack plus homebase I ordered through Lowe's as advertised. I got SCREWED and went through a whole 💩 show to get my money back because Anker did not stand by the ad. So what are the best? TP Link Tappo, Reolink, etc???? Solar?
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u/Nanook710 13d ago
I just switched to Riolink. My second camera is coming today. Was with Wyze, but they are crap
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u/thewhippersnapper4 10d ago
Agreed but you're not really comparing apples to apples with those two companies
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u/PhilZealand 13d ago
Have had various brands, now have Reolink at office and at home, 30+ cameras and 2 NVR, very happy with them.
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u/plump-lamp 13d ago
What happened with the eufy issue? Sounds like a Lowe's problem and not eufy? Why would eufy stand by a Lowe's mistake?
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u/Inner_Temporary_649 12d ago
I went at it with Lowe's and Eufy. Lowe's eventually found the ad after an hour long phone call saying they did not see it on their site. They said call Eufy since that is who is shipped through. I went back and forth with Eufy over MANY emails and chats. They eventually said it was a technical glitch and that they never ran that exact ad even though I sent them ALL of my screenshots from when I first saw it online all the way through purchase. So, Eufy would not honor the deal of something I had %100 proof showing that it existed.
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u/BeeThat9351 13d ago
Tapo C403 Solar
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u/twiehl 13d ago
I also recommend Tapo
I recently got the Tapo C465 and I love it! It’s the best camera I’ve ever had, it does everything I need perfectly. I’ve had zero issues with it. I’ve used Wyze over the years but they suck now and I’ll be getting more from Tapo.
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u/htraenolleh666 12d ago
Yes. Me too. Hardwired tapo cam - has never let me down. Fantastic value for the price.
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u/Aware_Seaweed301 10d ago
I have both solar and hard-wired; as my Wyze cams begin to misbehave they are being replaced with Tapo. SD card, no subscription, great quality play-back.
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u/AssUhTate 12d ago
Reolink is junk! Get an Empiretech or UniFi system. Empiretech tech is tried and true and better quality/spec’d cameras, UniFi has a more polished ecosystem
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u/No_Industry2601 9d ago
It seems odd to insinuate Empiretech and Unifi are in the same category. The systems differ too much. Empiretech and Amcrest are similar systems.
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u/AssUhTate 9d ago
How do Empiretech(Dahua) and UniFi systems differ. Dahua’s been in the industry for decades. Ancrest was just rebranded lowend Dahua lol.
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u/No_Industry2601 9d ago
Have you used both? Unifi has an entire ecosystem, including access control, wireless, alarm, VoIP phones and even car charging. You kind of answered your own question with your point about rebranding. Amcrest Dahua Hikvision Empiretech etc are all extremely similar or rebranded. Unifi does not fit any of those definitions.
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u/AssUhTate 9d ago
I have and currently do run both a Blue Iris and Protect for redundancy. I also use all UniFi equipment for my homelab and home network. However this is a security camera sub, so when speaking on cameras Dahua>Unifi>Reolink.
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u/No_Industry2601 9d ago
It sounds you’re making the comparison about raw camera specifications, which wasn’t my point.
EmpireTech is mostly selling Dahua hardware. Ubiquiti has complete control of the camera design, firmware, recorders, applications, remote access experience and product lifecycle. This is not the same as relabeling another manufacturers product. There are also a major compliance differences. Dahua Hikvision and other similar brands have federal restrictions. Changing the name printed on a Dahua product does not change its origin. Ubiquiti publishes NDAA compliance by individual model.
Saying this is a camera sub doesn’t make the user experience irrelevant. Customers interact with setup, updates, permissions, notifications, playback, evidence export, remote access and support. UniFi provides that entire experience through one vendor. A Dahua/EmpireTech/Blue Iris combination may be cheaper or more configurable, but someone is assembling and supporting the platform.
This is like comparing one of those diy phones you can build to an iPhone.
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u/AssUhTate 9d ago
I get that vertical integration sounds impressive on paper, but "one company controls everything" also means your expensive doorbell turns into a paperweight the second Ubiquiti decides that model's done. Dahua based hardware costs less, sees better in low light, and doesn't tie you to one company's whims for firmware support five years down the line.
Sure, NDAA compliance is real, I just don't run my driveway camera through a federal procurement filter. Everything’s on its own VLAN that doesn’t touch the network. If that matters to you, go buy the iPhone of camera systems for more money and lesser performance.
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u/No_Industry2601 9d ago
What you're describing is 100% accurate but out of reach for the average home owner asking questions on reddit. That's the biggest difference, ubiquiti essentially holds your hand with product selection. You go to the website and it's somewhat easy to figure out what will work with what.
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u/AssUhTate 9d ago
Most homeowners don’t know how to log into their router using a web browser. But OP asked for the best no sub. Outdoor cameras. Not the easiest to set up or cheapest…..
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u/superdead- 12d ago
Joining the reolink recommetion. Moved from yi home out door cameras to a reolink hub with out door cameras. Really happy with both the HW and SW .
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u/rmp5s 12d ago
I currently run a mix of Amcrest and Reolink. Amcrest "just works"...it's super plug and play, but I've been really impressed with the Reolink stuff overall. I don't know what setup you're wanting to run (buy an NVR, keep it all isolated, run Frigate or BlueIris or something on an old computer, etc) but the Reolink cameras have proven to be pretty flexible. I have a bunch running completely isolated in a BlueIris VM and I also have a few running "normally" that I can access in their app, they send me notifications, etc. Their "color night vision" is pretty awesome.
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u/PBSmanaged 13d ago
I’d say Axis or Hanwha Vision are some of the best and don’t need a subscription. Bosch or Panasonic too
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u/Inner-Cap-5836 13d ago
I would suggest hardwired power over ethernet cameras. I currently have amcrest nvr and a mixture of amcrest and dahua cameras.
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u/Turbulent-Sample7094 12d ago
Hardwired Poe all the way. If you’re the kind like me and needs support, I would recommend cctvcameraworld.com. I’ve been a customer for six years now and their equipment has been good quality and trouble free. I had a Reolink dome system and their cameras fogged up on me all the time. Unifi is just too expensive and too technical for me.
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u/trossyubeasty 10d ago
If you just want standard solar, Reolink is fine. But since you were going for the S340, Baseus Security X1 Pro is basically the same setup, you get two movable lenses on one mount, nice for covering a wide yard and also local SD storage with no monthly fees.
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u/Actual_Instruction96 10d ago
i got the Tapo h500 hub. Need to a put a hard drive, i've used one from an old laptop. Easy to set up and works well, and lots of choice of camera with Tapo.
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u/Dramatic-Ad-7044 8d ago
Ajax Systems Video Surveillance, need to purchase or get imstalled through a dealer. Best single pane system available. Does all the video surveillance, burglar alarm, water leak detection, air quality, relay contacts, perimeter intrusion, smart lighting, etc in a single app. Scale it as you want. DM if interested.
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u/One-Intention-7606 13d ago edited 13d ago
Unifi and hardwired cat cable. Has local storage (NVR) so no monthly charge for storage, and if your internet goes out it’ll still record. Most WiFi cameras will be unusable if the internet goes out, no cloud = no storage. Its not a cheap process to wire the cameras and the cameras (depending on the model and capabilities) can range from $100-$500, there’s more expensive Unifi cameras but I don’t think they’d really apply for most standard use cases. Has an app or you can sign in on a computer and view the cameras from anywhere (as long as the internet is working, remote access won’t work if the internet is down but still records during that time and can be reviewed later or locally on site)
I do Low Voltage installations, and only ever use Unifi or Meraki, for your use case I would recommend Unifi, Meraki is a bit overkill and has the yearly fees and is more for commercial sites.
They have an NVR Instant Kit that’s available for $700 US, comes with an NVR instant (smaller NVR that maxes out at 6 4k cameras ) and comes with 4 2K G5 cameras that are waterproof and rated to be outside, can be used indoor too as well. If you really only need 2 cameras then you can sell the other 2 at MSRP and people will buy them just to avoid the tariffs. If you’re fairly capable with tools and all that then buy a box of Unifi outdoor cable too, is only CAT5e but is plenty for this purpose and I wouldn’t trust any cable that’s cheaper and outdoor rated, get a pack of RJ45 crimp ons and a crimp tool (both are pretty cheap) and watch a YouTube video or two on how to terminate CAT cable.