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The camera is great, easy to install and provides a great picture feed. Overall quality is good. Mobile app to view the feed / configure Camera is however horrendous and on that basis alone would make me reconsider purchasing another Amcrest camera again
So I bought this Amcrest IP5M-T1179EW-28MM for my hotel business at one of the locations where the Lorex system is installed, which was also installed by me. One of my Lorex LNE8950ABW camera was destroyed in building fire a few months ago, so I decided to give this Amcrest IP5M-T1179EW-28MM a try as it was also 60% less in cost compared to the LNE8950ABW camera.
Quality: Excellent build quality, strong overall housing. I can’t believe the image quality is as good at the Lorex 8MP camera given this is a 5MP camera. Starlight sensor provides better visibility at night in color and works better than the black and white night vision. I get clearer images for faces, cars, and license plates for farther distances at night.
Connection: Directly connected to my Lorex LNR616 using an ethernet cable, and it worked out of the box! You do not need a DVR or NVR for this camera to work. You can plug this camera on a POE network switch or buy a POE injector for a regular switch/router/access point to supply power, Video, and audio all over a single network cable.
Access: I use the browser on my desktop to access settings. Still, you can also access this camera and setup page via local web interface over a browser, Amcrest View Pro app, Amcrest Surveillance pro, or Amcrest Cloud. The mobile app is straightforward to use, and it guides you step by step.
Audio: The built-in mic is susceptible to picking up audio. I can hear the customers even outside the night window.
Storage: I am currently using this camera with SDCard of 256GB with snapshots uploaded to local FTP onsite data sever, H265 compression helps keep the files 40% smaller and get more playback time. There are also other various storage options available that are handy when needed.
Interface: Clean web UI and functionality, I must say more than my Lorex NVR.
I am so impressed with the value received for the quality and price. I will look into, Standalone license plate capture camera (if they have one) as I am using my current lorex camera with openALPR but it is not doing a job at capturing license plates and smart home video doorbell, as the two doorbells I use at the hotel that customers have to press to receive service as my current ones keep dying every few months due to rough and frequent use by customers including direct sun heat they get 5 hrs a day.
Love about this camera: This camera is capable of standalone operation. This means you do not need an NVR to make the camera work. It has a built-in NVR functionality. It can also detect motion, record video clips to a microSD card, send an email and push notifications, even upload to an FTP server. Lorex cameras cannot do any of this. Without an NVR or another device like NAS to store the video, there’s no point in buying one. Also, since they have ONVIF support, they should theoretically work with any ONVIF-compliant NVR.
Overall: I would purchase a camera and would recommend anyone looking for excellent quality and functionality products for a valued price.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent Camera
Reviewed in the United States on 20 February 2020
So I bought this Amcrest IP5M-T1179EW-28MM for my hotel business at one of the locations where the Lorex system is installed, which was also installed by me. One of my Lorex LNE8950ABW camera was destroyed in building fire a few months ago, so I decided to give this Amcrest IP5M-T1179EW-28MM a try as it was also 60% less in cost compared to the LNE8950ABW camera.
Quality: Excellent build quality, strong overall housing. I can’t believe the image quality is as good at the Lorex 8MP camera given this is a 5MP camera. Starlight sensor provides better visibility at night in color and works better than the black and white night vision. I get clearer images for faces, cars, and license plates for farther distances at night.
Connection: Directly connected to my Lorex LNR616 using an ethernet cable, and it worked out of the box! You do not need a DVR or NVR for this camera to work. You can plug this camera on a POE network switch or buy a POE injector for a regular switch/router/access point to supply power, Video, and audio all over a single network cable.
Access: I use the browser on my desktop to access settings. Still, you can also access this camera and setup page via local web interface over a browser, Amcrest View Pro app, Amcrest Surveillance pro, or Amcrest Cloud. The mobile app is straightforward to use, and it guides you step by step.
Audio: The built-in mic is susceptible to picking up audio. I can hear the customers even outside the night window.
Storage: I am currently using this camera with SDCard of 256GB with snapshots uploaded to local FTP onsite data sever, H265 compression helps keep the files 40% smaller and get more playback time. There are also other various storage options available that are handy when needed.
Interface: Clean web UI and functionality, I must say more than my Lorex NVR.
I am so impressed with the value received for the quality and price. I will look into, Standalone license plate capture camera (if they have one) as I am using my current lorex camera with openALPR but it is not doing a job at capturing license plates and smart home video doorbell, as the two doorbells I use at the hotel that customers have to press to receive service as my current ones keep dying every few months due to rough and frequent use by customers including direct sun heat they get 5 hrs a day.
Love about this camera: This camera is capable of standalone operation. This means you do not need an NVR to make the camera work. It has a built-in NVR functionality. It can also detect motion, record video clips to a microSD card, send an email and push notifications, even upload to an FTP server. Lorex cameras cannot do any of this. Without an NVR or another device like NAS to store the video, there’s no point in buying one. Also, since they have ONVIF support, they should theoretically work with any ONVIF-compliant NVR.
Overall: I would purchase a camera and would recommend anyone looking for excellent quality and functionality products for a valued price.
I got this camera as an upgrade for the Amcrest IP3M-956 that I use to monitor my driveway. The IP3M-956 is a nice camera, but it didn’t have the resolution to read license plates on cars driving by, and the night vision left a bit lacking. I could see pretty well at night—particularly after adding a separate IR blaster to widen the illuminated area—but only in black and white, which makes it much harder to identify people or features.
This camera was a definite improvement in overall resolution; the colors are much brighter and more vivid and now I can use color mode at night. I’m attaching a short video at night with the old camera, and also some snapshots with this camera to highlight the differences. I’m MUCH happier in that regard.
As you can see in the attached daylight photos, the daytime resolution is better, but still not enough to make out a license plate in good light at 60’. I guess that’s just more than can be expected from a camera at this price point. But the other big difference, one that I wasn’t anticipating, is the much larger field of view with this camera. I’m much happier with the more “square” picture that provides a much wider view down the street.
I’m using this camera with AI-HomeGuard surveillance software, rather than Amcrest’s own software. While I noticed the Amcrest software is significantly improved from the old model (including working just fine with Chrome, whereas the old one required a clunky add-on), the AI-HomeGuard is simply genius in identifying meaningful motions and pretty much eliminating false positives. I previously used Blue Iris surveillance software, and found all the options overwhelming—and still creating way too many false positives. But whichever software choice you make, this camera works fine with them (and also works fine with the Amcrest Pro mobile phone software which can be handy).
Since this was replacing an already-in-place hardwired camera, installation was easy. This is not clear from the product description, but you don’t HAVE to use POE (power over Ethernet); it also allows for connecting to a wall-wart power supply (but it doesn’t include the power supply, and the connector is semi-proprietary). If you do want to install with POE, you’ll need to purchase a separate POE injector or POE switch. Note that there is no wireless (wi-fi) option with this camera, though I personally see that as a plus. (Since you have to provide a source of power, it might as well be an Ethernet cable, and then you have a more reliable connection and don’t bog down your wifi.)
The camera itself appears to be solid construction. It remains to be seen if it’s as weather-resistant as my old one (which has operated fine for 2 years), but the design looks good. I was coming from a “dome” camera that has the advantage of being vandal-resistant, but since this is mounted pretty high up, I’m not worried about someone reaching up and changing the aim of the camera. (Whereas I’d have second thoughts about this design on my porch, where it would be easy to reach.) For that application, it’s much easier to adjust the camera aim, and if need be, to change the micro-SD card (which is MUCH easier to do on this camera than my old one) or hard-reset the device. Speaking of which, I love that this camera allows for recording to the internal SD card (up to 256GB). I have it set to record 24/7 to the SD card, and then use the AI HomeGuard software to record motion only.
Overall, if you’re looking for an IP camera and don’t want/need a wifi-connected model, this seems to be an excellent choice.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great camera!
Reviewed in the United States on 10 March 2020
I got this camera as an upgrade for the Amcrest IP3M-956 that I use to monitor my driveway. The IP3M-956 is a nice camera, but it didn’t have the resolution to read license plates on cars driving by, and the night vision left a bit lacking. I could see pretty well at night—particularly after adding a separate IR blaster to widen the illuminated area—but only in black and white, which makes it much harder to identify people or features.
This camera was a definite improvement in overall resolution; the colors are much brighter and more vivid and now I can use color mode at night. I’m attaching a short video at night with the old camera, and also some snapshots with this camera to highlight the differences. I’m MUCH happier in that regard.
As you can see in the attached daylight photos, the daytime resolution is better, but still not enough to make out a license plate in good light at 60’. I guess that’s just more than can be expected from a camera at this price point. But the other big difference, one that I wasn’t anticipating, is the much larger field of view with this camera. I’m much happier with the more “square” picture that provides a much wider view down the street.
I’m using this camera with AI-HomeGuard surveillance software, rather than Amcrest’s own software. While I noticed the Amcrest software is significantly improved from the old model (including working just fine with Chrome, whereas the old one required a clunky add-on), the AI-HomeGuard is simply genius in identifying meaningful motions and pretty much eliminating false positives. I previously used Blue Iris surveillance software, and found all the options overwhelming—and still creating way too many false positives. But whichever software choice you make, this camera works fine with them (and also works fine with the Amcrest Pro mobile phone software which can be handy).
Since this was replacing an already-in-place hardwired camera, installation was easy. This is not clear from the product description, but you don’t HAVE to use POE (power over Ethernet); it also allows for connecting to a wall-wart power supply (but it doesn’t include the power supply, and the connector is semi-proprietary). If you do want to install with POE, you’ll need to purchase a separate POE injector or POE switch. Note that there is no wireless (wi-fi) option with this camera, though I personally see that as a plus. (Since you have to provide a source of power, it might as well be an Ethernet cable, and then you have a more reliable connection and don’t bog down your wifi.)
The camera itself appears to be solid construction. It remains to be seen if it’s as weather-resistant as my old one (which has operated fine for 2 years), but the design looks good. I was coming from a “dome” camera that has the advantage of being vandal-resistant, but since this is mounted pretty high up, I’m not worried about someone reaching up and changing the aim of the camera. (Whereas I’d have second thoughts about this design on my porch, where it would be easy to reach.) For that application, it’s much easier to adjust the camera aim, and if need be, to change the micro-SD card (which is MUCH easier to do on this camera than my old one) or hard-reset the device. Speaking of which, I love that this camera allows for recording to the internal SD card (up to 256GB). I have it set to record 24/7 to the SD card, and then use the AI HomeGuard software to record motion only.
Overall, if you’re looking for an IP camera and don’t want/need a wifi-connected model, this seems to be an excellent choice.
I bought this camera because it was inexpensive and I wanted to see how good it could be for the price. I was pleasantly surprised and have purchased three since my initial purchase.
The picture is so much better than my old 1080p cameras. I am running my cameras at the second highest resolution (2688 x 1520) so I can get 30 frames per second (FPS). The highest resolution is 2592 x 1944, but only supports 20 fps. I can tolerate 25 fps at the lowest, but I am more than pleased with the resolution I am using. This camera also has something my older cameras do not, audio. The sound quality is not great, but the microphone seems pretty sensitive. It is more than sufficient to know if something is going on. Now I can hear if my dog is making noise when I'm not home.
I also like this camera has H.265, which saves on storage space. I have not done a side by side comparison of recordings in H.265 and H.264 with this particular camera model, but I know H.265 videos can be much smaller than H.264.
The camera's interface is quick and consistent with other Amcrest cameras. Nothing much to say about that.
I use the surveillance program Blue Iris, so I cannot comment on the camera's built-in motion detection. For the Blue Iris users, this camera is quickly found via ONVIF. The sub stream is also quite decent, so be sure to use the sub stream with Blue Iris to save yourself some system resources when viewing all cameras via the GUI.
If I had to find a criticism, I would pick the housing being made of plastic, however, this camera would cost more if they used machined aluminum. I don't mind the housing being plastic as long as it does not become brittle or turn yellowish over time. A possible issue for some people is that the camera can be removed quite easily by pressing down on a tab and sliding the camera. It will then come of the mount with no tool needed. You will not want this camera within in reach because it can be stolen, however, I recommend keeping cameras out of reach whenever possible. I don't mind how easy it is to removed the camera because that made it that much easier to install. All of my cameras are also out of reach. If I needed to mount a camera within reach of people, I would use a camera with a clear dome and one that cannot be easily removed.
I used Dahua PFB203W Water-Proof Wall Mount Brackets with these cameras. They are a perfect fit and resolve awkward angles when mounting a dome camera on a wall. I also like that the cable from the camera with the ethernet jack can be housed within the wall mount. It looks clean and can reduce the risks of tampering or the elements. I put a bit of clear silicon along the top of the mount to reduce the chance of water getting in through the uneven surface of stucco. This mount makes it really easy to swap out cameras if you are using a similar Dahua mount. The two different models I had used the same bracket that attaches to the wall. This meant I simply loosened a single screw that secures the mount to the bracket, pulled off the mount, and unplugged the camera. Mounting the new camera was the same process, but in reverse.
I have tried a coupe Dahua cameras because they were cheap (which I suspect are the OEM maker of Amcrest cameras or they buy from the same OEM). I was looking around and cannot find a similar Dahua with a lower price than this Amcrest camera. I also prefer Amcrest because they will likely issue a few firmware updates over the years. Neither of my Dahua cameras have firmware updates and one said it will never get one.
I have purchased four of these cameras and will be purchasing at least one more in the immediate future. Any cameras that need replacing will be replaced with this model unless Amcrest comes out with something better for the price.
To start, this is a great camera that has all the features you'll need. I compared it side-by-side with another Amcrest camera that this one replaced (IP4M-1028EW-36MM). Both day and night, the picture quality is excellent. I was most impressed by how well the LEDs for the night vision worked. I'm used to my other cameras with 18 IR LEDs that create more of a spotlight effect, rather than a flood where it's very bright in the center, but then the light dims quickly the further you go out, they aren't the greatest at night. When this one only came with 2 LEDs, I thought it would be worse, quite the opposite though. This camera does an incredible job of night vision. The 2 LEDs provide more of a flood effect with no visible hotspots that uniformly light up the entire area (see pictures, there is a second light in the image, to light up the yard's furthest part). With a 2.8mm focal length, it does a great job of displaying the entire area. You can see a lot more at the top and bottom versus the 3.6mm but less on the sides. It's closer to a "fish-eye" kind of view. The audio is good if there is no wind, it will pick up the slightest breeze, but it does an excellent job of picking up the sound around it. The picture is excellent quality, but I did notice the video was a bit laggier than the 4mp cameras that I had. This camera would typically lag about 4-5 seconds, whereas the others were about 2 seconds (The settings can probably be adjusted to make that better though. I just used the default settings).
I had this set up using an Amcrest NVR with PoE. The setup was simple, plugged it in, clicked remote devices, the camera was listed there, selected it and clicked add. That was it, I had it working in a few minutes. There are 2 things I am not a fan of with the housing. First, there is no way to tighten the camera once you have it in the place you want. The camera is stiff to move, but it would be nice to tighten it so it cannot move. The second is the "quick connect" mounting plate. You can take the camera off by pushing on a tab and pulling the camera out. No tools are needed to take the camera down. To install the camera, you screw a plate to the wall/ceiling and then slide the camera onto that plate. It makes installation quick and simple but makes removing the camera all that much easier. You can choose not to use the plate and attach the camera directly; however, the holes from the screws do not sit flush on the surface, so I was worried the plastic would crack because of the gap. I wish there were a way to screw/lock the tab so you would at least need some tool to remove it if desired.
Besides those 2 minor things, this camera is excellent, and I would highly recommend getting it.
Pros: Incredible night vision with only 2 leds (lights up the whole area evenly) Large up/down FOV (more of a fish eye view) Great quality video
Cons: Any amount of wind will cause noise with the microphone Not a fan of the housing
5.0 out of 5 stars
Incredible night vision, overall high quality video and impressive FOV
Reviewed in the United States on 3 August 2020
To start, this is a great camera that has all the features you'll need. I compared it side-by-side with another Amcrest camera that this one replaced (IP4M-1028EW-36MM). Both day and night, the picture quality is excellent. I was most impressed by how well the LEDs for the night vision worked. I'm used to my other cameras with 18 IR LEDs that create more of a spotlight effect, rather than a flood where it's very bright in the center, but then the light dims quickly the further you go out, they aren't the greatest at night. When this one only came with 2 LEDs, I thought it would be worse, quite the opposite though. This camera does an incredible job of night vision. The 2 LEDs provide more of a flood effect with no visible hotspots that uniformly light up the entire area (see pictures, there is a second light in the image, to light up the yard's furthest part). With a 2.8mm focal length, it does a great job of displaying the entire area. You can see a lot more at the top and bottom versus the 3.6mm but less on the sides. It's closer to a "fish-eye" kind of view. The audio is good if there is no wind, it will pick up the slightest breeze, but it does an excellent job of picking up the sound around it. The picture is excellent quality, but I did notice the video was a bit laggier than the 4mp cameras that I had. This camera would typically lag about 4-5 seconds, whereas the others were about 2 seconds (The settings can probably be adjusted to make that better though. I just used the default settings).
I had this set up using an Amcrest NVR with PoE. The setup was simple, plugged it in, clicked remote devices, the camera was listed there, selected it and clicked add. That was it, I had it working in a few minutes. There are 2 things I am not a fan of with the housing. First, there is no way to tighten the camera once you have it in the place you want. The camera is stiff to move, but it would be nice to tighten it so it cannot move. The second is the "quick connect" mounting plate. You can take the camera off by pushing on a tab and pulling the camera out. No tools are needed to take the camera down. To install the camera, you screw a plate to the wall/ceiling and then slide the camera onto that plate. It makes installation quick and simple but makes removing the camera all that much easier. You can choose not to use the plate and attach the camera directly; however, the holes from the screws do not sit flush on the surface, so I was worried the plastic would crack because of the gap. I wish there were a way to screw/lock the tab so you would at least need some tool to remove it if desired.
Besides those 2 minor things, this camera is excellent, and I would highly recommend getting it.
Pros: Incredible night vision with only 2 leds (lights up the whole area evenly) Large up/down FOV (more of a fish eye view) Great quality video
Cons: Any amount of wind will cause noise with the microphone Not a fan of the housing
I bought this to replace a Hikvision network camera I bought 5 years ago, mounted at my balcony, and connected to my Blue Iris surveillance software. Since I already had my network cable (with PoE injection port) in place, I was expecting a plug-and-play operation. And it mostly was. But my progress was slowed by a few quirks.
First issue is the documentation. It's fairly high quality, but the problem is, it's generic in nature, and Amcrest has very many cameras. It makes reference to copying the serial number or scanning the QR code on the back of the camera in order to connect the camera to your mobile app. Problem is, there is none to be found on the camera! I looked in the box, and none was there either. Then I looked at the plain brown box itself. There was a label there (which actually looked more like a shipping label, because it had my address on it), and there was what looked like a QR code and some random characters. That turned out to be it. So don't throw out your box!
Second issue was, there is no status light on the camera. So when I first plugged in my Ethernet cable, I had no visual indication that it was receiving power. I thought for sure it was dead on arrival.
I was about to pack it all up, when I decided I would log in to my router and see what IP addresses were assigned. Lo and behold, there was a new IP address, assigned to a device name starting with "AMC"! Could that be it? Was the camera active? I opened a web browser to that IP address, and sure enough, it was working!
So I added the new camera in Blue Iris (tapping into the camera's RTSP stream), and got my glimpse of this camera's glorious resolution. It was a huge upgrade compared to my Hikvision's 1080p resolution. I could make out the letters of the stop sign across the street -- something I couldn't do before. Even more impressive, when I have my house's front lights on, the camera doesn't even need to switch to monochrome night vision -- everything is still in color!
At this price, this is a no-brainer purchase. While I cannot comment too much on the mobile app, cloud storage service, or even the camera's built-in features (because I don't use them), I can tell you that it works exceptionally well with software like Blue Iris. Just keep in mind the point I made above.
For the price, it's a 5-star product, but I'm docking one star due to the spotty documentation and lack of a status light.
4.0 out of 5 stars
I came extremely close to returning this camera. I'm glad I didn't.
Reviewed in the United States on 26 October 2020
I bought this to replace a Hikvision network camera I bought 5 years ago, mounted at my balcony, and connected to my Blue Iris surveillance software. Since I already had my network cable (with PoE injection port) in place, I was expecting a plug-and-play operation. And it mostly was. But my progress was slowed by a few quirks.
First issue is the documentation. It's fairly high quality, but the problem is, it's generic in nature, and Amcrest has very many cameras. It makes reference to copying the serial number or scanning the QR code on the back of the camera in order to connect the camera to your mobile app. Problem is, there is none to be found on the camera! I looked in the box, and none was there either. Then I looked at the plain brown box itself. There was a label there (which actually looked more like a shipping label, because it had my address on it), and there was what looked like a QR code and some random characters. That turned out to be it. So don't throw out your box!
Second issue was, there is no status light on the camera. So when I first plugged in my Ethernet cable, I had no visual indication that it was receiving power. I thought for sure it was dead on arrival.
I was about to pack it all up, when I decided I would log in to my router and see what IP addresses were assigned. Lo and behold, there was a new IP address, assigned to a device name starting with "AMC"! Could that be it? Was the camera active? I opened a web browser to that IP address, and sure enough, it was working!
So I added the new camera in Blue Iris (tapping into the camera's RTSP stream), and got my glimpse of this camera's glorious resolution. It was a huge upgrade compared to my Hikvision's 1080p resolution. I could make out the letters of the stop sign across the street -- something I couldn't do before. Even more impressive, when I have my house's front lights on, the camera doesn't even need to switch to monochrome night vision -- everything is still in color!
At this price, this is a no-brainer purchase. While I cannot comment too much on the mobile app, cloud storage service, or even the camera's built-in features (because I don't use them), I can tell you that it works exceptionally well with software like Blue Iris. Just keep in mind the point I made above.
For the price, it's a 5-star product, but I'm docking one star due to the spotty documentation and lack of a status light.
I decided to replace my existing PoE turret camera because it started to get blurry and the colors are getting worse. I'm glad I chose this model to replace it for multiple reasons. Setup was a breeze from the web browser and Blue Iris. I logged in via web browser first to set a new password and update the IP to a static IP. The browser interface was easy to navigate and it was nice to see a live view in Google Chrome without having to install plugins or enable Java. Since I mounted it upside down (on purpose, its higher up and points down) I was able to flip 180 and mirror the video easily in the web interface. I then added it to Blue Iris with auto detection and it picked it right up. Audio works with Blue Iris as well which is a great feature that my other cameras lacked. The physical footprint is slightly smaller than my previous PoE camera so I'm going to have to figure out another mounting method but other than that this has nice quality and a much wider POV than my previous camera had which is also a plus. Cant beat this camera for the price, especially since its half the price of the camera I'm replacing with it! I posted photos of my old turret PoE and the new Amcrest for a side by side comparison. You can see the Amcrest colors are more vibrant and its a much wider POV than the old turret camera, which is a nice feature.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Easy setup from the browser and Blue Iris
Reviewed in the United States on 9 July 2020
I decided to replace my existing PoE turret camera because it started to get blurry and the colors are getting worse. I'm glad I chose this model to replace it for multiple reasons. Setup was a breeze from the web browser and Blue Iris. I logged in via web browser first to set a new password and update the IP to a static IP. The browser interface was easy to navigate and it was nice to see a live view in Google Chrome without having to install plugins or enable Java. Since I mounted it upside down (on purpose, its higher up and points down) I was able to flip 180 and mirror the video easily in the web interface. I then added it to Blue Iris with auto detection and it picked it right up. Audio works with Blue Iris as well which is a great feature that my other cameras lacked. The physical footprint is slightly smaller than my previous PoE camera so I'm going to have to figure out another mounting method but other than that this has nice quality and a much wider POV than my previous camera had which is also a plus. Cant beat this camera for the price, especially since its half the price of the camera I'm replacing with it! I posted photos of my old turret PoE and the new Amcrest for a side by side comparison. You can see the Amcrest colors are more vibrant and its a much wider POV than the old turret camera, which is a nice feature.
Mount and base seem well for easy mounting The android application did not work to setup the device. It got stuck at trying to set a password with an error message. Using the local webpage worked fine. None of the online documentation pointed to a fix. Per the above, there isn't a link on the website for the product other than to purchase. The support page seems to be non-existent. Checking firmware online via web did not work. Again couldn't find product page to check. Was able to use without being connected to the internet which is great. Was able to use with other 3rd party software with ease which is great. Native viewer worked well and picture was clear. App worked well once web setup was done. Currently didn't use it further other than try to setup the device. A bit disappointed that the higher resolution was not available in a wide screen view or a wide view based on what was described. Overlays would be nice to change some what easier as there's 3 places to change it. Wish the software had the ability to store remotely upon capture instead of needing an SD card. Still need to test the SD card capture further. POE worked fine from switch. Didn't test 12v connection. IR works well in dark spaces and can see clearly. Like that its a static mount but wish there was a way to lock in the position in better. it's easy to pull the cord and adjust the view especially with the unit having a pigtail. Zip-tieing seems to fix the issue but then when mounted outdoors i have a concern with water getting into the port. Now i could use the included port to go into a box but it might be nice to provide a cover that simply encloses the connected ports as it is tight to get it through the port. Interface is like Foscam but better. There are tie-ins into popular email services directly if wanted for alerts. Also didn't seem to need a weird plugin like Foscam which is great.
This camera is going to be the first of many for me. I have invested in a few different brands since purchasing our home about 3 years ago. Im an IT professional, so IP cameras have always interested me, but entry cost was a huge factor. I started with a Swann DVR system since I am no stranger to running cables. Cheapish entry point, built in recording, etc. Time goes on and they show their age fast, images get blurry/heavy artifacts as cables flex too much in the hot/cold cycle. The bundle of 8 cables leaving a makeshift security closet was ugly and unsustainable.
When the camera arrived, it was very similar to professional ip cameras I have unboxed for work in the past. Solid casing, mounting template and mounting bracket, option for flush mount with cable out the side or through the backing wall. Ethernet connector has an assembly to make it weather resistant, with optional power-in port.
I swapped it out in a spot where a Swann bullet camera had been, above our second story. This is not the ideal placement for a camera like this, as it would benefit at being down low to get the most out of its resolution, but i was looking for a wide angle to cover the entire south side of the house. 2.8mm viewing angles tend to do just that!
Setup is as easy or complex as you want to make it. I didn't install a micro sd card inside the camera as i would be running video to my NAS. I plugged it in, opened the app, scanned the QR code on the cable, and I was already looking at my camera! I assigned it a manual IP since i have a dedicated IoT network to keep things segmented and logged into the camera via its web address. Built in console is complete and in depth. Changed my detection area settings, schedule, name, and logo placements on the image.
The part that made this a for-sure for me was its ability to integrate. Alexa is nice and all, but this integrates natively with Synology Diskstation NAS's. I logged into Synology Surveillance Station and searched for new cameras. Within 5 seconds it populated the camera, and loaded everything it knew about the device. Swann cant do that. They don't even offer an RTSP protocol option, so I had to jump through hoops for days to get it to even see the Swann. They do not want you dealing with any other storage than their own NVR's. Amcrest software starts by asking if you want to save to SD card, maybe make your computer an NVR, send files to a network location or NAS. Why WOULDNT you want to use whatever you want?!
Image quality is great, night vision is NEXT LEVEL. I turned off the IR for a bit and it still looked amazing. Mic is sensitive to the point that even from above the second floor, i could hear frogs in the nearby ditch. 20fps is silky smooth with natural movement even for fast cars going past. H.265 compression saves so much space over H.264 and is the most modern option to use.
I have given my coax system a time limit to live, because one ethernet line to the garage fed into a PoE switch looks MUCH better than the 4 light duty coax cables there now. I still have the safety of my UPS backing up the cameras during an outage as one PoE switch on the backup will keep them powered up centrally.
For the price, you cant go wrong dipping your toe into the IP cam waters with this camera. I sent a picture to an older coworker of mine, and within 10 mins of showing her, it was in her cart. You will not regret this camera.
5.0 out of 5 stars
My old system is heading for the garbage can....
Reviewed in the United States on 18 July 2020
This camera is going to be the first of many for me. I have invested in a few different brands since purchasing our home about 3 years ago. Im an IT professional, so IP cameras have always interested me, but entry cost was a huge factor. I started with a Swann DVR system since I am no stranger to running cables. Cheapish entry point, built in recording, etc. Time goes on and they show their age fast, images get blurry/heavy artifacts as cables flex too much in the hot/cold cycle. The bundle of 8 cables leaving a makeshift security closet was ugly and unsustainable.
When the camera arrived, it was very similar to professional ip cameras I have unboxed for work in the past. Solid casing, mounting template and mounting bracket, option for flush mount with cable out the side or through the backing wall. Ethernet connector has an assembly to make it weather resistant, with optional power-in port.
I swapped it out in a spot where a Swann bullet camera had been, above our second story. This is not the ideal placement for a camera like this, as it would benefit at being down low to get the most out of its resolution, but i was looking for a wide angle to cover the entire south side of the house. 2.8mm viewing angles tend to do just that!
Setup is as easy or complex as you want to make it. I didn't install a micro sd card inside the camera as i would be running video to my NAS. I plugged it in, opened the app, scanned the QR code on the cable, and I was already looking at my camera! I assigned it a manual IP since i have a dedicated IoT network to keep things segmented and logged into the camera via its web address. Built in console is complete and in depth. Changed my detection area settings, schedule, name, and logo placements on the image.
The part that made this a for-sure for me was its ability to integrate. Alexa is nice and all, but this integrates natively with Synology Diskstation NAS's. I logged into Synology Surveillance Station and searched for new cameras. Within 5 seconds it populated the camera, and loaded everything it knew about the device. Swann cant do that. They don't even offer an RTSP protocol option, so I had to jump through hoops for days to get it to even see the Swann. They do not want you dealing with any other storage than their own NVR's. Amcrest software starts by asking if you want to save to SD card, maybe make your computer an NVR, send files to a network location or NAS. Why WOULDNT you want to use whatever you want?!
Image quality is great, night vision is NEXT LEVEL. I turned off the IR for a bit and it still looked amazing. Mic is sensitive to the point that even from above the second floor, i could hear frogs in the nearby ditch. 20fps is silky smooth with natural movement even for fast cars going past. H.265 compression saves so much space over H.264 and is the most modern option to use.
I have given my coax system a time limit to live, because one ethernet line to the garage fed into a PoE switch looks MUCH better than the 4 light duty coax cables there now. I still have the safety of my UPS backing up the cameras during an outage as one PoE switch on the backup will keep them powered up centrally.
For the price, you cant go wrong dipping your toe into the IP cam waters with this camera. I sent a picture to an older coworker of mine, and within 10 mins of showing her, it was in her cart. You will not regret this camera.
I picked up this camera and was impressed when it came out of the box. The camera is in an aluminum housing but a plastic mounting bracket, still sturdy for plastic. I think it will hold up for a long time. The instructions were very easy to follow and I like you have two options for working this camera. I did the free version using the Amcrest view pro. The camera has an amazing clarity (actually can read license plates) and works well at night. I still get good color clarity at night. The camera has two options for power, yes it is a PoE camera. You can plug in a 12v 1amp power cord or run it through CAT6 cable via PoE switch or PoE injector. I have test both ways and both worked perfectly. I used the P2P setup and it was super easy with having a QR code to scan for setup. I will try the IP based later when I have more time to test all features of this camera. I will be installing on the peak of my house for front view security and will update if any thing changes.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Clarity is superb, even at night.
Reviewed in the United States on 25 February 2020
I picked up this camera and was impressed when it came out of the box. The camera is in an aluminum housing but a plastic mounting bracket, still sturdy for plastic. I think it will hold up for a long time. The instructions were very easy to follow and I like you have two options for working this camera. I did the free version using the Amcrest view pro. The camera has an amazing clarity (actually can read license plates) and works well at night. I still get good color clarity at night. The camera has two options for power, yes it is a PoE camera. You can plug in a 12v 1amp power cord or run it through CAT6 cable via PoE switch or PoE injector. I have test both ways and both worked perfectly. I used the P2P setup and it was super easy with having a QR code to scan for setup. I will try the IP based later when I have more time to test all features of this camera. I will be installing on the peak of my house for front view security and will update if any thing changes.
