I’m looking at getting two: Hikvision PTZ-N1400I-DE3
Using these with frigate in a docker container on my server, and then home assistant on the back of that for motion detection, and all the cool things.
Any recommendations should I be looking at any other cameras instead?
For the price tag, Hik is probably the best you’ll find. There’s also their ‘competitor’ Dahua (both are state owned) that provides pretty much equivalent models with a slightly different design. Reolink is cheaper but lower quality. And Amcrest, Lorex and all these are all Hik or Dahua rebrands. On the (super expensive) highend there’s Axis, FLIR, etc.
Hik is technically really good (I have a bunch). Just make sure to put them on their own subnet without internet access. Their firmware is probably full of backdoors.
Please note it’s digital zoom not optical
Ok I went for the 8mp PTZ-4818X-IZ, 
Can’t really find anything about this camera on the official Hikvision site, all I find are some fake clones on Ebay etc.
Anyway, just keep in mind that while PTZ sounds cool on paper, unless you have a 24/7 staffed security operator desk, you’ll end up rarely using it in practice. You can have it auto follow a target through ML, but there’s so much lag in that to make it almost useless (due to the inefficient REST API to the PTZ control). You’ll end up mostly using the camera as a fixed 8mp one. No real problem with that, but something to keep in mind.
It’s not official its a clone, certainly, got a decent look at how it worked with the hook up on youtube, that sold me, ticks all the boxes 
I have two specific spots I want to monitor (but almost never concurrently), and I don’t want auto tracking, so this camera satisfies that, two cameras would cost about the same so its hit and miss, but this way is one less video feed and I think I prefer that route.
I’m hoping I can set it up so if one thing triggers the camera moves to look in a specific place, otherwise its mostly stationary in the default.
Having access to remotely move it to a new spot and leave it is good enough too, saves a multitude of hassles!
Often the clones will use lower quality (and cheaper) image sensors than the originals, as that is typically the most expensive component in the camera. The nice thing about Hik and Dahua are the pretty high quality sensors they sell for a decent price (which they are mostly able to do because they’re subsidized by the Chinese government). So I hope your clone will have a good enough sensor for your needs. The difference will mostly likely be in low light conditions.
Yeah that works relatively well. I have one PTZ outside that just takes a general view by default without moving. If there’s a window or outside door sensor triggering the alarm, the camera will pan and zoom onto that window or door. I did this with presets I could quickly enable with the Hik’s REST API (ISAPI). But at the same time, you will then lose the context view outside of the zoomed region. So I have two additional fixed wide angle cameras covering the whole yard (it’s a big yard).
That’s true.
