On 31/05/10 09:44, ARWadsworth wrote:

What would you record the images with if using an IP camera?

Computer. Disadvantage: is the computer needs to be running 24/7.
Advantage: computer (or a backup) could be in someone else's house
streaming up the DSL so the thieves cannot nick it to destroy the
evidence of their arrival.

It is the
playback quality of the recordings that is important when you need to play
something back.

Yes. It takes a reasonably decent IP camera to get a good still image
across all light levels from full sun to security light/IR.

It takes an even better (ie expensive) one to manage that in video mode.

However, I've had very good results doing still image capture from an
Axis camera (several in fact). The camera was motorised with optical
zoom, so I was able to drive it to one of 8 preset positions, grab a JPG
(and timestamp it) then instruct it to move to the next preset. We
managed timelapse at one frame-position per 40 seconds (the camera
needed 5 seconds to settle after moving) and the camera was 600 quid,
but it was effectively 8 cameras.

The image quality was excellent even in the notional dark, as we found
when thieves turned up to nick some Apple Macs.

If you got a camera of similar optical quality without the zoom/pan it
should be a lot cheaper and you'd be able to timelapse at any sensible
rate, upto probably 1-2 frames /sec.

One advantage if you can check the stuff remotely.

--
Tim Watts

Hung parliament? Rather have a hanged parliament.