Three years after introducing its first security cameras, the BC500 and TC500, Synology today unveiled two new models, the BC510 and TC510, as part of the 510 Series.
At a glance, like the previous 500 Series, the new 510 Series is “AI-enabled” and designed to work right away with Synology’s Surveillance Station and the newly added BeeCamera feature in the BeeStation Plus. And that can be quite exciting.
Looking more closely, though, the new models have a key perk removed from their feature set compared to the previous models. It can be an unpleasant development reminiscent of the NAS Synology’s ill-thought-out HCL Policy initially imposed on its 2025 NAS servers.
Let’s find out more!
Dong’s note: This piece was updated on May 7 with pricing information.
Synology BC510 and TC510: ONVIF-ready, cheaper, but still possible raw deals
Similar to the previous model, the BC510 and TC510 are bullet and turret models, respectively. The two share the same shape and design as their respective previous models.
And aside from the designs, the two new cameras are also the same on the inside. They are both PoE-powered outdoor cameras with a max resolution of 5 MP (at 30 FPS), which falls between 2K and 4K.
The table below shows the hardware specs of the two new cameras, which are largely the same as those of the previous models, with one significant difference.
Hardware specifications: Synology BC510 vs TC510
 |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Synology BC510 | Synology TC510 | |
| General Specifications | ||
| Dimensions | Ø4.33 x 6.34 in (Ø110 x 161 mm) | Ø3.82 x 3.46 in (Ø97 × 88 mm) |
| Weight | 0.78 lbs (353 g) | 0.85 lbs (387 g) |
| Weather Resistance | IP66 | IP67 |
| Power Source | PoE (802.3af) or 12V DC | |
| Power Consumption | 4.8 W | |
| Network Port | 1 x Fast Ethernet (100Mbps) PoE | |
| Built-in Storage | MicroSD | |
| Operating Environment | • Temperature (IR off): -30°C to 50°C (-22°F to 122°F) • Temperature (IR on): -30°C to 40°C (-22°F to 104°F) • Relative humidity: 5% to 95% RH (non-condensing) | |
| Certification | IP67, FCC, IC, CE, BSMI, VCCI, RCM, UKCA, KC, JATE | |
| Environmental Safety | RoHS compliant, WEEE, REACH | |
| NDAA / TAA Compliance | Yes | |
| Package Contents | 1 x BC500 main unit 1 x Installation guide 1 x RJ-45 connector cap cover 1 x Screw pack | 1 x TC500 main unit 1 x Installation guide 1 x RJ-45 connector cap cover 1 x Screw pack |
| Warranty | 3 years | |
| US Availability | May 6, 2026 | |
| Optical | ||
| Lens | 2.8 mm (110° H, 56° V, 132° D LDC ON) | |
| Aperture | F1.8 | |
| Night vision | 30 meters | |
| Shutter speed | 1/16000s~1/30s | |
| DORI | D: 60m, O: 24m, R: 12m, I: 6m | |
| Video | ||
| Max. Streaming Resolution | 5 MP (2880×1620) @ 30 FPS | |
| Sub Streaming Capability | 1920×1080 @ 15 FPS or 1280×720 @ 30 FPS | |
| Video Compression | H.264, H.265 | |
| Image Settings | Brightness, contrast, saturation, sharpness, white balance, High Dynamic Range (HDR), 3D/2D noise reduction, exposure control, 50/60 Hz flicker reduction, day/night mode, overlay, privacy mask | |
| Video Orientation | Rotation (0°, 90°, 180°, 270°) Flip Mirror | |
| Event Analytics (available with Synology DVA Series video recorders) | People & Vehicle Detection (including Crowd Detection and Loitering Detection), Intrusion Detection, Motion Detection, Tampering Detection, Audio Detection | |
| Instant Search | People, Vehicle, Motion | |
| SD Card Event Recording | Disconnection from NAS Event Analytics | |
| Warranty | 3-year | |
| Camera Licence | Required | |
| US Launch Price (check street price) | $169 | |
Practically the same cameras as the previous models, but without a built-in camera license
As you might have noted from the table, the new BC510 and TC510 cameras appear to have the same hardware specs as the previous model.
On this front, Synology confirmed with me that is the case except the new cams now support ONVIF, meaning they will fully function with third-party NVRs, not just Synology applications, as was the case with the previous model. While that’s welcome news, it’s not significant as it’s rather pointless to buy them to use with third-party NVRs, given the variety of more affordable third-party options on the market.
To quote it verbatim, Synology has the following to say about the new cameras:
“The BC510 and TC510 are engineered to support Synology’s surveillance strategy that focuses on building an ecosystem that seamlessly integrates cameras, VMS, AI analytics, storage, and cloud, by offering flexible deployment options, offering deep integration within the native Synology ecosystem and our upcoming VSaaS platform while ensuring broad interoperability with third-party environments via industry-standard protocols.”
Still, all that seemed like very thin grounds for releasing new models with virtually the same hardware specs—the ONVIF support is merely a matter of firmware.
So, I decided to dig deeper and found out that the new 510 Series no longer includes a camera license. Specifically, if you want to use either of the new models with a Synology NAS server that’s already used up its built-in licenses—each Synology NAS server generally includes two camera licenses—you’ll need to buy a license for it.
The removal of the built-in camera license is an unfortunate departure from the previous models. You can use the BC500, TC500, and CC400W with any Synology NAS server without needing a separate license, making them much more convenient, among other benefits.
In fact, this built-in camera license was one of the main reasons I previously recommended these cameras for the Surveillance Station application. Without it, Synology cameras generally have much less left to compete with third-party counterparts that often offer more functions and higher resolutions at much lower costs.
Availability and the takeaway
Synology says the new BC150 and TC510 security cameras are now available with a suggested retail price of $169, or $50 less than the 500 Series.
While their lower pricing never hurts, it’s worth noting that you can get many third-party 4K PoE outdoor security cameras for less than $100.
Given the hardware similarities, the BC150 and TC510 will offer the same real-world experience as the BC500 and TC500. In fact, the removal of the camera license and the support for ONVIF are the only reasons for their existence. And I’d call that a raw deal for consumers, given that the price cut is less than the license cost.
In any case, in terms of usability, unless they are your first two cameras on your Synology NAS or BeeStation Plus surveillance system, I’d recommend the previous models or third-party cameras instead.
Or just pick another surveillance solution. I’d recommend Ubiquiti Protect, which doesn’t have this camera license nonsense in the first place.
In fact, it’s a smart move to separate the licence. This means that you no longer have to pay for the bundle. However, if you use the camera with a different VMS, it will cost you less. Why pay for a licence you don’t need?
That’s only true if the cameras are priced comparably to third-party ones of the same specs, Peterle. You can get a 4K ONVIF outdoor PoE camera for less than $100 these days. I doubt these new sub-4K cameras will be priced that competitively but we’ll find out soon enough.
B&H published pricing today of the BC510 and TC510, and WAY above $169, try $239. So they removed the $55/ea license and cut the cost from $269 by only $30. At $169 I was fully on board with this, as their 2K cameras would have been priced competitively with Ubiquiti’s 2K proprietary cameras. All the more reason to seriously consider moving to Ubiquiti’s Unifi Protect surveillance system.
We can’t ding the vendor for street pricing, Brian, but yes, I’d go with UniFi Protect at this point.