Best UniFi Protect Cameras in Australia 2026: Complete Range Guide

How to choose a UniFi camera

UniFi Protect cameras all share the same software, the same app and the same licence-free recording model. Choosing between them comes down to five practical questions:

The four camera ranges explained

G5 — the value range

2K and entry 4K cameras that still record beautifully for general coverage. The G5 Turret Ultra is the workhorse: 4MP/2K on a 1/2.4" sensor with 30 m infrared and IP66 weatherproofing, powered by standard PoE. The G5 Flex is a compact indoor/covered camera, and the G5 Pro adds 4K with 3× optical zoom.

G6 — the current mainstream

4K on a larger 1/1.8" sensor across turret, bullet and dome bodies — G6 Turret, G6 Bullet and G6 Dome all share the same optics with 30 m IR and IP66. The G6 Pro models (Pro Bullet, Pro Dome) step up to a much larger 1/1.2" sensor with 2.36× optical zoom and 40 m IR — the meaningful upgrade for dark car parks and driveways.

AI — on-camera intelligence

The AI series adds on-board AI processing for smarter detections. The AI Turret pairs 4K with 40 m IR and two-way audio; the AI Dome offers the same optics in a dome body. At the top sit the AI PTZ Precision (31× optical zoom, 100 m IR, endless 360° pan) and the AI Multi-Sensor 4 — four separate 8MP sensors in one housing, each independently aimed, with PoE++ power and an M.2 SSD slot for local storage.

Specialty — wide angle, doorbells and entry

The G6 180 uses two 8MP sensors to produce a single 16MP 7680×2160 panorama across a full 180° — one camera instead of two on a building corner. The G6 Pro 360 is a 12MP fisheye with a complete 180° hemisphere and Smart IR across four controllable zones. The Doorbell Lite and G6 Entry handle entrances, the latter with a dedicated second camera aimed at the ground for package detection.

Master camera comparison table

All figures from Ubiquiti's published specifications.

Turret, dome, bullet, PTZ or fisheye?

Resolution and sensor size — why 4K is not the whole story

Megapixels get the headline, but two cameras with identical 8MP resolution can perform very differently at night. The reason is sensor size: a larger sensor collects more light per pixel.

• 1/2.8" — smallest, used where four sensors share one housing (AI Multi-Sensor 4)
• 1/2.4" and 1/2" — G5 range
• 1/1.8" — the G6 and AI standard, a substantial step up
• 1/1.2" — the G6 Pro models; noticeably better in low light than 1/1.8"

The practical version: if your camera looks at a well-lit area, resolution matters most. If it looks at a dark driveway, laneway or car park, sensor size and infrared range matter more than megapixels — which is why a G6 Pro often outperforms a higher-megapixel camera after dark.

How much resolution do you actually need?

The industry measure is pixels per metre across the target. Roughly: about 40 px/m to detect that someone is there, 100 px/m to recognise someone you know, and 250 px/m or more to identify a stranger or read a plate. A 4K camera covering a 10 m-wide driveway gives about 380 px/m — ample. The same camera covering a 40 m yard gives under 100 px/m, which is why distance calls for optical zoom rather than more megapixels.

Night vision and infrared range compared

Every UniFi camera has built-in infrared illumination and an IR cut filter. Published ranges:

Two things worth knowing. First, infrared range assumes a reflective subject — a person in dark clothing at the stated limit will be dimmer than the number suggests. Second, some models support a Vision Enhancer accessory that extends usable range further, which is often cheaper than moving to a larger camera.

AI detection: on-camera or AI Key?

UniFi Protect performs smart detections — person, vehicle, animal, package — and there are two ways to add AI capability to a system:

• AI-series cameras process detections on the camera itself. Good when you are specifying a new system and want AI at the points that matter most.
• The UniFi AI Key is a compact PoE++ appliance that adds AI detection across an existing UniFi Protect deployment — up to 1,800 smart detection events per hour — without replacing any cameras.

Weatherproofing for Australian conditions

For Australian installations, two environmental factors matter beyond the IP rating: heat — cameras on a west-facing wall or a metal shed in summer sit well above ambient, so check the operating temperature range — and coastal salt, where mounting hardware corrodes long before the camera does. Stainless fixings and a sheltered aspect extend life considerably.

Where the footage goes: choosing an NVR

UniFi Protect records to a console. Which one depends on camera count and resolution:

A UniFi gateway can also record: a UDM-SE handles 8× 4K cameras and a UDM-Pro-Max 15× 4K, which is enough for many small sites without a separate recorder. See our Dream Machine comparison.

How much storage do you need?

Storage depends on resolution, frame rate, scene activity and how long you keep footage. As a working guide for continuous recording with UniFi Protect's default settings:

• 2K camera: roughly 15–25 GB per day
• 4K camera: roughly 30–50 GB per day

So eight 4K cameras kept for 30 days is approximately 8 × 40 GB × 30 = 9.6 TB. Two practical notes: use surveillance-rated drives designed for continuous write cycles rather than desktop drives, and remember drives are not included with any UniFi recorder. Enabling motion-only recording or lowering frame rate on low-interest cameras reduces these numbers substantially.

Power and cabling requirements

Every UniFi camera is powered over its network cable. What differs is the class:

• PoE (15.4 W): G5 range, G6 Turret / Bullet / Dome, AI Dome, Doorbell Lite
• PoE+ (30 W): G6 Pro models, G6 180, G6 Pro 360, G6 PTZ, AI Turret, G6 Entry
• PoE++ (60 W): AI Multi-Sensor 4, AI PTZ and AI PTZ Precision

Your switch needs both enough total budget and the right per-port class — a switch with a large budget but only PoE+ ports cannot run a PoE++ PTZ camera. See our UniFi switch comparison for sizing, and use Cat5e or better, keeping runs under 100 m.

Best UniFi camera for each situation