You collected three quotations for the same shop and they came back wildly different. Nobody is necessarily cheating you: camera systems are built from choices, and every choice moves the price. This guide explains the ten factors that actually set the number, using guide prices from the FastEgy store as of July 2026, then shows where saving money works and where it quietly destroys the system.
Key Takeaways
- Ten specific choices, from resolution to cabling, explain almost every price difference between quotations.
- Cameras take 50 to 60 percent of a healthy budget; infrastructure quality takes the rest and deserves it.
- The worst savings are cheap cables, desktop hard drives and no-name power supplies.
- The best savings are analog where it fits, fewer but better-placed cameras, and bundle pricing.
- A quotation you can compare line by line is worth more than a low mysterious total.
The 10 Factors That Set the Price
- Resolution: moving from 2MP to 4MP to 8MP raises camera cost step by step; IP 2MP starts near 1,400 EGP while 8MP starts near 4,200 EGP.
- Technology: analog stays the budget king, IP buys intelligence and detail.
- Night vision class: infrared is standard, full-color night vision costs a real premium and earns it in dark areas.
- Smart detection: human and vehicle filtering adds cost per camera and removes daily false alarms.
- Camera body: metal vandal-resistant domes against plastic bullets is a price and durability decision.
- Recorder channels: 4, 8 or 16 channels sets the recorder tier; entry points are about 1,600 then 3,700 then 5,500 EGP.
- Storage days: keeping 30 days instead of 7 means a bigger surveillance drive and sometimes a second one.
- Cabling distances: every extra meter of quality cable, conduit and labor is real money on real walls.
- Power protection: a UPS from about 2,200 EGP decides whether the system records during outages.
- Warranty and source: genuine units from an authorized distributor cost slightly more and fail you far less.
Where Cutting Corners Backfires
Three savings look smart and cost double later. Cheap coaxial or network cable degrades in heat and humidity until the image flickers and dies, and replacing buried cable costs more than the original difference many times over. Desktop hard drives are not built for continuous recording and fail early, usually taking the exact week you needed with them. No-name power supplies fry cameras in the first voltage spike.
The pattern is simple: anything buried in walls or running 24 hours a day must be quality. Anything visible and replaceable can be economic.
Savings That Actually Work
- Use analog HD for general coverage areas and reserve IP with smart detection for critical points only.
- Buy fewer cameras placed by a coverage plan instead of many cameras placed by guessing.
- Size storage for your real retention need instead of the biggest drive on the shelf.
- Price the system as one bundle from one supplier; package quotations beat piece-by-piece buying almost every time.
How to Split the Budget
A healthy allocation for most sites: 50 to 60 percent on cameras, 20 to 25 percent on the recorder and storage, and 15 to 20 percent on cabling, power and protection, keeping a small reserve for surprises the survey reveals. When a quotation gives 80 percent to cameras and squeezes everything else, the picture will look great in the demo and the system will age badly.
Reading a Quotation Like a Professional
Ask every supplier for the same structure: camera models with resolution and night class, recorder model and channels, drive type and size, cable type and estimated meters, and labor as its own line. The supplier who itemizes is the supplier you can trust, and suddenly the three different totals start explaining themselves.
Guide prices source: the FastEgy store, July 2026. Ranges are rounded and move with market conditions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did two quotes for 4 cameras differ by double?
Almost always resolution class, night vision type, smart detection and cable quality. Compare the ten factors line by line and the gap explains itself.
Is the cheapest quotation always a trap?
Not always, but verify what was removed to reach the price. If the answer is cable quality, storage or warranty, walk away.
Does a UPS really matter for cameras?
Yes. Power cuts are exactly when you want recording to continue, and a UPS keeps the recorder and cameras alive through them.
Can I upgrade cameras later without changing everything?
Yes if the recorder has spare channels and capacity and the cabling was done properly. That is why infrastructure quality comes first.
How much should labor cost?
It varies with points, distances and finishing, which is why serious suppliers quote labor after a site survey rather than a fixed number over the phone.
Related Guides
- Security Camera Prices in Egypt 2026: Full Cost Guide
- Cloud vs Local Storage for CCTV
- CCTV Storage Calculation Guide
- Migrating from Analog to IP Cameras
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