Really, it boils down to a few things. Most importantly, in my mind, are durability, power, and video storage, but things like video quality, smart home compatibility, and motion detection also play a role.
Durability – How weather resistant is the camera? Here, all the cameras shown are IP65 or higher, meaning they’re just about waterproof. I wouldn’t go for any less.
Power – I’d always recommend going wired here. Wireless, especially for high-up security cameras, can be a bit of a pain to keep charged. Though, a lot of people prefer the ease of setup for wireless.
Video storage – Want unlimited cloud storage? It’ll cost you. However, most cameras have some amount of complimentary storage. I wouldn’t recommend anything under a week’s worth of digital storage. And even then, I’d prefer a local option, as it’s cheaper and easier to deal with.
Video quality – 720p on a doorbell is fine. 1080p on a security camera gets the job done. 2k video is perfect. 4k video is overkill.
Smart home compatibility – If you have an Alexa or Google system, the corresponding cameras will always be the easiest to connect. But, many of these options are compatible with wither, and they offer much better perks.
Motion detection – Most cameras are just OK at this. Brands claim their cameras are smart and can tell the difference between you and the UPS guy, but that’s a lie. At this price point, you just want something that can tell the difference between human and car. After that, it just needs to reliably detect motion and capture it.
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