Recommendation for outdoor security camera

Are you allowed to recommend on this thread? I do not have a mobile phone and need something which does not require a phone. If I make enquiries people want to sell you anything. Most of my garden is in the front and it is not overlooked. I know who does the vandalism but the police want evidence. From what I have seen on TV programmes most people hide their faces from cameras so you don't know who they are. Last summer someone vandalised the radon gas pipe and cover above the ground at the rear near the extension which had to be incorporated into the foundations with the sump above ground. Only a few people knew it was there - namely the viewers when I had the house up for sale who asked what it was. The only access to that is from next door yet without evidence it is impossible to charge. Several times over the years the police have climbed up and removed stuff covering my gas flue pipe on the roof yet they say they have to have proof. It is very difficult to know what is best when they are all trying to sell you something.

I did receive a recommendation from Next Door and the young man came round yesterday.
He did give me some advice and I have a better understanding of our requirements and what is best for my family.
However considering he installs systems which run 4 cameras for recording and I only need one the approximate price tag of £800 was OTT.
He did suggest one of the stand alone cameras which sit on an inside windowsill which might work for us.
The negatives are the recording can show glare with double glazed windows.
The night vision needs a good light source outside and various adjustments need to be made setting up the camera.
This all depends on which camera we buy.
I am still checking out the makes people are suggesting.
Thank you everyone.

The make of ours is Sentient, and they didn`t cost a fortune from Maplins

Thank you everyone for your responses.
Anja
I was very interested in the bell which has a camera in it, I assume no one would know it is there?
Having a camera in the house sounds brilliant which gives food for thought.

We are currently trying to find the best camera too. We started off with the Hive one, but it was very hit and miss with what it was detecting. Some days I was in and out a lot of the time in the car and it didn't pick me up at all so I was a bit disappointed with that. Also the Hive camera only records when it's detects movement, so for the many times it doesn't detect then you have no idea if anyone has been onto your property. It also doesn't seem to work with any of the actions available on the Hive app, which was another disappointment.
Today we took our Hive one back and got our money back and we are now trying out the Nest one as that one does record all the time, so even if it happens to miss a notification you can always scroll back to see what you have missed. The downside thought is the £4 a month subscription.
I might try out the Ring one next before I decide which one to stick with.
You also need quite a good and stable wifi signal to get a decent image and it's not always easy to know how good the signal is outside of your property.

We have 4 cameras which we used to love watching. Nowadays, we catch spiders spinning their webs over the lenses. If the police ever used any footage from them, they'd need miraculous image enhancing software as it is amazing how those spiders make better doors than windows!
Last year, someone stole on of my Tree Lilies overnight. I put a post on Facebook saying I was going to be using the cameras to protect them in future and I haven't had any problems since!

Just googled Nextdoor but you have to put your email address in.

if you find a website called NEXTDOOR, and look for your area, you can ask your question on there. It is an ideal forum for neighbours in an area to share recommendations or warnings. That's how we found the people to install our CCTV and it certainly gives you more security and peace of mind.

Even with CCTV ‘evidence’ it is unlikely that the police will take action.

We have Arlo cameras - and they are fabulous. We live in a cul de sac with little to no strangers coming but if someone did come by we would have them on video. The camera takes a 15 second movement-driven video and sends to the phone, iPad or PC. You can choose any to save or let them delete. Can be taken with you when you go away if you have wi fi. Well worth the money.

You can also get door bells with cameras in them. Son was overseas whilst I was housesitting. He saw I had swept all the leaves up on his garden and drive, and that a couple if girls seem to be on drive looking for something. He told me about all the goings on when he came home, had seen the lot.

Well 2old4 I’d have been quite happy that my neighbour’s security camera covered my back door too.....unless I had something to hide?

All this ‘invasion of privacy’ and ‘1984’ is OTT IMO!

I would go on recommendations from those who've dealt with a certain company simply because I wouldn't trust some security companies, if you get my drift.

Go to a company who specialise in Security installations as they will tell what you can and can't do and what is the best type of camera for your needs.

Ours is Hive.

My neighbour has recently installed one which lit up both our side passages. Every time I opened my side door to go into the garden I was aware that I was being filmed. I considered this an invasion into my privacy (I sometimes pop out to the greenhouse or to the bin in my nightwear). I spoke to them about it and they have now angled one of the lights upwards, so that it doesn't come on when the door is opened. But the camera is still pointing my way, not sure if it films me when the light isn't on.

No cameras and no intention of ever installing any. I read 1984 at a very early age and have never forgotten it. I will stay clear if my own police state and concentrate on trusting the majority of people. So far have not been proved wrong to do so.

I had a commercial company fit CCTV, four cameras two covering the back of the house, one on the gable end and one at the front covering front door and drive. The monitor is housed in the study and records 24/7 for a month before rewriting. The system is maintained by the company and costs about £80 a year, can't remember what the initial installation cost but think it was a few thousand.
The nuisance factor is that neighbours park under the side camera and then ask to look at our footage if anything happens to the car. Police also turn up and ask to access footage.

jeanie99 I suggest you ask your "local" police for some security advice. They may be stretched but used to have targets for this kind of thing. This way, not only will you find out what works and can be used by police but will also find out what is legal in the light of positioning, GDPR etc.

My recorder is in the loft and I can sit in front of my TV and watch what is going on.

My video entry phone also records conversations but the makes of these are beyond me.

My late husband would have recommended a shotgun.

I have one connected to my front door bell too. It’s by Ring. It has two modes, which both operate together. Firstly it alerts you if there is any movement on my front drive. Secondly it alerts you if anyone actually rings the bell.

I can speak to the person and hear their reply.

We have one that is electric and connects to the phone and alerts you when someone is in the front garden. To get the right angle to show the drive and front door we have put it inside a bay window. It can’t be tampered with there.
I don’t know the make, I’ll look tomorrow.

Thank you for your comments.
I did speak to a company who install these camera but they wouldn't install it on the Chimney.
We are a bungalow and if we just have it sited by the side of the door surely someone could just rip it of the wall.
I want the camera installed where it cannot be reached.
Also I think electric rather than battery, we go away and batteries would run out.
Is the recording sent to a storage unit inside the house. I was thinking we could have a recorder in the loft.
Does any of this make sense and could it be done like I am thinking.
We can't do it ourselves would need to get someone in.

One of mine looks up the road at the front, as well as the road in front of our house. We can`t be doing anything wrong because the police have been here a couple of times when crimes have been committed, hoping to spot something in our footage, and they haven`t said it`s wrong. I do have signs on the walls warning that CCTV is in operation.