Axis F Series 4 channel alternative?

[Altron2000]

I'm looking for a 4 cam setup that's very discreet. I want to instal the front facing INSIDE my rear view mirror console.

The Axis F series looks perfect but are there any alternatives for less the cost? Or custom builds with equal or greater video quality?

The NVR is about $500 and each camera is about $250 each. Worth it?

https://www.axis.com/us/en/products/axis-f-series

I'm thinking of starting with 1 camera and building it out as funds dictate.

One of the big selling points is their 90 degree angle sensor/cam I can fix to the inside crossbar of my Thule roof rack. Capturing the exterior view of the side of my car.

Any suggestions for an alternative setup?

 

[kamkar]

I got thinking are those axis cameras even waterproof ?
The biggest ( for me ) problem with outside cameras is you get dirt on the lens, and up until a few months ago i never been good at washing my cars.
but i now have a flat rate car wash, so i almost wash my car every time i go for a drive.
But before that i washed my car like 1 time every month at best.

I would just wait for the dual remote dashcam systems coming out at the end of the year, and then install the little cameras on the inside of the car facing out.

I dont have much faith in that IP camera route, and it is a pretty expensive experiment to make, tho on the other hand if it dont work on the car it could be put to use in the home.
Also i dont get why you want that upside down view of the side of the car, sure you will record something hitting the car alright, but other than color of car / motorcycle / hair on person you will have nothing as to identifying the vandal.

Off course that phone pic are pretty narrow FOV but still ??
Maybe try to take the same picture with a action camera that have wide angle lenses too, just to see what you can expect to get ( maybe borrow a action camera or if a relative / friend have a dashcam hold it up there and power it on using a USB power bank )

The camera on my R side have a 90 degree lens, and it is detachable so i can crack the window and pull it out to do a test recording to see what you will get holding the camera l little over the roof on my little Suzuki Splash.

Ill see if i can remember to do that test recording for you tomorrow before i set off from home.

 

[Dashmellow]

I got thinking are those axis cameras even waterproof ?
The biggest ( for me ) problem with outside cameras is you get dirt on the lens, and up until a few months ago i never been good at washing my cars.
but i now have a flat rate car wash, so i almost wash my car every time i go for a drive.
But before that i washed my car like 1 time every month at best.

I would just wait for the dual remote dashcam systems coming out at the end of the year, and then install the little cameras on the inside of the car facing out.

I dont have much faith in that IP camera route, and it is a pretty expensive experiment to make, tho on the other hand if it dont work on the car it could be put to use in the home.
Also i dont get why you want that upside down view of the side of the car, sure you will record something hitting the car alright, but other than color of car / motorcycle / hair on person you will have nothing as to identifying the vandal.

Off course that phone pic are pretty narrow FOV but still ??
Maybe try to take the same picture with a action camera that have wide angle lenses too, just to see what you can expect to get ( maybe borrow a action camera or if a relative / friend have a dashcam hold it up there and power it on using a USB power bank )

The camera on my R side have a 90 degree lens, and it is detachable so i can crack the window and pull it out to do a test recording to see what you will get holding the camera l little over the roof on my little Suzuki Splash.

Ill see if i can remember to do that test recording for you tomorrow before i set off from home.

Yes, they have AXIS F modules that are waterproof and specifically designed for outdoor use. Some have hydrophobic coatings. They are used in armored cars, municipal vehicles and outdoor ATMs.

 

[kamkar]

armored cars

Thats where i want to go, and it would be unwise to put a camera on the inside of 2" of glass
I would even like a mast on the roof i could deploy with a PTZ on top of it.

O Lotto gods why are thou forsaking me

 

[Altron2000]

I got thinking are those axis cameras even waterproof ?
The biggest ( for me ) problem with outside cameras is you get dirt on the lens, and up until a few months ago i never been good at washing my cars.
but i now have a flat rate car wash, so i almost wash my car every time i go for a drive.
But before that i washed my car like 1 time every month at best.

I would just wait for the dual remote dashcam systems coming out at the end of the year, and then install the little cameras on the inside of the car facing out.

I dont have much faith in that IP camera route, and it is a pretty expensive experiment to make, tho on the other hand if it dont work on the car it could be put to use in the home.
Also i dont get why you want that upside down view of the side of the car, sure you will record something hitting the car alright, but other than color of car / motorcycle / hair on person you will have nothing as to identifying the vandal.

Off course that phone pic are pretty narrow FOV but still ??
Maybe try to take the same picture with a action camera that have wide angle lenses too, just to see what you can expect to get ( maybe borrow a action camera or if a relative / friend have a dashcam hold it up there and power it on using a USB power bank )

The camera on my R side have a 90 degree lens, and it is detachable so i can crack the window and pull it out to do a test recording to see what you will get holding the camera l little over the roof on my little Suzuki Splash.

Ill see if i can remember to do that test recording for you tomorrow before i set off from home.

What dual remote dashcam systems are those?

 

[kamkar]

It is the dual remote version of the up and coming SG9663DC, they are launching the regular version with a front main unit on the windscreen first cuz the dual remote should then be a easy transition as it will be the same hardware.

But there have been little talk about the dual remote version, but i assume once the regular one start to sell in a few weeks and the factory and owner get time to focus on other things then things will start to happen.

Both of the new Dual Channel cameras should eventually also get the option for 1 or i figure both cameras to be waterproof to the enjoyment of the Truck driving users

https://dashcamtalk.com/forum/threads/street-guardian-sg9663dc-dc-dual-channel.28206/

 

[kamkar]

Thats just Street Guardian, i am pretty sure other will also come up with dual remote cameras, but quad model will have to wait as current hardware dont support it, but within a couple of years those should be there too.

In a pinch one could do with 2 X dual remote dashcams, that just mean one have 2 main units to hide and go to for retrieving footage on the SD cards

So not so bad compared to my 4 x 1 channel setup where i have to run around the car to get the little sd cards that have been known to launch out of cameras and be gone forever

 

[jokiin]

Both of the new Dual Channel cameras should eventually also get the option for 1 or i figure both cameras to be waterproof to the enjoyment of the Truck driving users

external cameras will happen at some point, just not something we've had time to do just yet

 

[jokiin]

but quad model will have to wait as current hardware dont support it, but within a couple of years those should be there too.

can be done now, there are hardware options available, at the moment we don't have a big enough demand to support the development time/cost to justify it

 

[kamkar]

Yeah i know the hardware is there, i just figured it was also too expensive yet to deploy on a market segment that i assume are highly dependent on enthusiasts.

Constantly looking into ways to be silent partner for such a thing, but the damn lotto gods keep forsaking me, and they are pretty much all i have.

 

[jokiin]

Yeah i know the hardware is there, i just figured it was also too expensive yet to deploy on a market segment that i assume are highly dependent on enthusiasts.

not so much about cost but the market for it is too small at the moment to warrant the investment it would take to bring it to market, particularly for a company of our size, even the big brands with much deeper pockets and more resources haven't released anything which further confirms it's not viable at this time, maybe something they're working on though, who knows

 

[kamkar]

I am sure when the dual channel cameras really start to shift in numbers, people with start to think,,,,,what if ?

And i also have to say also figuring out a way for not least side cameras to install in the widest possible range of cars are also a problem that may be holding people back.
One thing is to make it, but people also got to install it without too much problems ( DIY types )

 

[kamkar]

Maybe get Russians to compile crash compilations only with side impacts, that should prompt some people to think i better get side coverage too

 

[jokiin]

I am sure when the dual channel cameras really start to shift in numbers, people with start to think,,,,,what if ?

And i also have to say also figuring out a way for not least side cameras to install in the widest possible range of cars are also a problem that may be holding people back.
One thing is to make it, but people also got to install it without too much problems ( DIY types )

depends on where things sell also, dual channel is far more popular in retail channels than single channel as they more often require professional installation, online the opposite is true where single channel is more dominant as it's much easier to DIY install

 

[Dashmellow]

external cameras will happen at some point, just not something we've had time to do just yet

I've talked about this before elsewhere on DCT but as part of this discussion and for the benefit of the OP, it is important to consider the drawbacks of external camera modules if you happen to live in a climate that experiences a lot of snow and icy conditions. External cams could conceivably be a real PITA and even downright unworkable depending on your mounting placement options.

 

[kamkar]

Funny how one more camera and wire can scare people so much, i will have to see what i can do in that regard when i record the install of the DC.

Cuz i cant see it as a challenge, but maybe its cuz i am the brave type that have thrown myself at all kind of challenges for most of my life.

 

[kamkar]

Regarding side cameras due to curtain airbags i cant really see any other place for them than on the bottom of a door window.
The designs in my mind are a little cylinder like camera with a thin flap that do gown between the window and the seal at the bottom, and then the camera glue to the door plastic with dual sided tape, so the bottom contact surface will have to have some form of curvature that can work with the top of most doors.

On top where i have my side cameras now just will not work with most cars, its just my little Suzuki are too cheap to have such fancy features.

 

[jokiin]

very hard to come up with a one size fits all side camera solution

 

[Altron2000]

I live in Washington state so no extreme weather conditions. Also, these are used frequently used with commercial vehicles and mounted on the outside. So in that respect it seems like they are a tried-and-true system. They also have a three-year warranty so I'll experience a few seasons before that time is up. You do have a good point with me facing the camera down on my crossbar. Maybe, I would like to incorporate perhaps a fisheye lens underneath the crossbar somehow. With all 4 cameras perfectly synced up and audio I can snake into my crossbar; it just seems like a real smooth system.

If I get these on the used market I'm wondering if there is any software licensing I won't have.

 

[SawMaster]

very hard Impossible to come up with a one size fits all side camera solution

There, fixed that for you I can see where software licensing could be an issue, however that is easily checked on once you decide what you want to buy. I seriously doubt that you;d need to do more than extend the original TOU agreement to yourself

Back to cams, if the remote lens unit began by making the necessary pieces fit into as compact a shape as is possible, one or two basic case shapes could suffice to meet the 'universal' goal- differing mounts would handle the rest of the adaptability problem. Moisture would be an issue for external cams, but ice and snow could be melted away with a small heating element. Of course this means 12V power- there's not enough juice available from USB type cables and connections. A user-replaceable kens cover could assist in letting airflow 'blow' the moisture away as well as protect the lens itself from damage. I don't see much problem in this much of the equation but I'm no expert here

The greatest advantage of an all-remote lens system lies in that you do not have to be limited by sizing constraints which opens the door for using whatever processing and data storage you want. No more restrictions of getting only what the SOC approach allows- now you can have it all in one cam system Huge reliable recording times, parking modes that have great flexibility, the best possible auto-adjustments for lighting conditions and travel speed, and so on. It would require a 'clean sheet of paper' approach but it is eminently possible right now The only real constraint of such a system lies in the abilities of the sensor which is nothing we don't have to deal with now. And the recording unit could have swappable boards to enable updating the unit to handle any new sensor that comes along like what we do with our PC's.

It's mostly costs holding us back as I can't afford an Axis F Series setup or anything like it, which is why I have to settle for multiple cam set-ups to do a similar job. A pair of dual-remote cams like SG is developing is probably the best solution for most of us.

Phil