Outdoor Security Camera with 30m Color Night Vision, 4MP 2.5K 360° PTZ CCTV Surveillance Camera with Pan Tilt, WiFi Wireless Home Camera, Motion Detection/2-Way Audio/SD Cloud Storage/Work with Alexa
 |  |  |  |  |  | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Resolution | 4MP | 4K | 1080P | 4MP | 1080P | 1080P |
| Night Vision | 10m & Full Color | 30m & Full Color | 10m & Full Color | 10m & Full Color | 10m & Black-White | 10m & Black-White |
| Audio | Two-way Audio | Two-way Audio | Two-way Audio | Two-way Audio | Two-way Audio | Two-way Audio |
| Internet Connection | 2.4G/5GHz Dual-Band WiFi | 2.4G/5GHz Dual-Band WiFi | 2.4 GHz WiFi Only | 2.4 GHz WiFi Only | 2.4 GHz WiFi Only | 2.4 GHz WiFi Only |
| Use Case | Outdoor | Outdoor | Indoor | Indoor | Indoor | Indoor |
| Weight: | 1.08 kg |
| Size: | 1 Count (Pack of 1) |
| Dimensions: | 29.7 x 16.7 x 16.5 cm; 1.08 Kilograms |
| Model: | IPC-S42FP |
| Colour: | Cruiser 4mp |
| Batteries Required: | No |
| Manufacture: | Imou |
| Colour: | Cruiser 4mp |
| Dimensions: | 29.7 x 16.7 x 16.5 cm; 1.08 Kilograms |
| Size: | 1 Count (Pack of 1) |
I would highly recommend this outdoor CCTV, very easy to install, and works on app on mobile and PC, fantastic day colour vision and night as well, comes with audio, easy to download, overall fantastic device to protect the premises
The Above Imou camera is an exception it functioned as it was meant to do, it is fast it get’s too the spot you want to see within a second, the motion detect is spot on, although just a bit to sensitive, which can be changed in the Imou app, Cant say much on the Night vision yet as its only just been installed at the top of my house, will update at another time on that, there are many many different settings in the app that you can customise, to many to mention here.
Installing the camera was a breeze took about ten minutes to put up and maybe another five to add it to my NVR and Mobile, picture quality is spot on for a 4k camera although you can change it if you wanted to do in the settings, Zoom is just as it should be for a 4k camera, numbers plates can be read quiet clearly, There are many things you can do with this camera but as i have said its just to many to go through, check out youtube there are many videos on there about this camera.
hope this helps some of you that are looking for a really good camera, I would defo recommend this PTZ cctv camera, it may not be with in your budget but with the 20 off option it’s not to be sneezed at.
Bought this camera last weekend & installed on Sunday. Camera features are great like pan tilt 360, vertical 90 degree.
1. The 2 way talk seems to jarr when I speak , not sure how to control the volume on the app.
2. AI detection are all great selling features but doesn’t come free,
It looks like To improve AI in their software customers need to pay a higher price so that Imou can improve this tech .. ridiculous
3.When you get a notification when a motion is detected you click on the app
To see what’s happening the software struggles to show the recent alert footage , takes a while to load & moreover the software struggles to show the exact moment the motion is detected meaning it shows a footage say motion detected at 4.30 but many times it records footage for 5/10/15 mins , by the time I scroll and pin point the
Exact motion it is frustrating.
4. Software needs to improve for sure.
Before purchasing this I checked Reolink, Eziz but the features in this camera are good but software is glitchy.
I have a Tp Link baby monitor camera , the software is 100% reliable. As
When I get a notification it takes me exactly to the moment the movement is captured.
Unfortunately Tapo don’t have this kind of outdoor 360 camera.
Overall camera is great but software is a disappointment.
01/07/22/ After getting frustrated for frequent notifications I tried switching off notifications & to capture more outside our driveway as I was getting alerts even when some bloke walks on the road , some vehicle moves on road etc. if someone is at the door I need to hear the Knick & use the 2 way talk to check if I went.
Need to try AI plus subscription that costs 4.50+ VAT per month that includes cloud storage for better detection & alerts. Have checked competition like Reolink, EZVIZ brands similar ptz cameras but yet to decide if I have to return Imou.
The Ranger is everything you’d want and possibly need from a camera.
It gives me complete piece of mind for the safety of my family.
The picture quality is spot on.
The two way audio is great.
Night vision is fantastic.
Completely customisable settings to suit your personal needs.
Highly recommend.
The size of the camera is yelling “notice me!”.
After receiving it I was surprised how big it is, however, it does the job as it should.
If it is 2.5k resolution as it is stated in the description it doesn’t make a lot of difference from 1080p and you might be better off going with 1080p only.
Motion detection, 2-way audio and control through Alexa all work well.
It is simple to connect it in under a few minutes and you are ready to go. Of course, after you set it up in the place where you want it recording which can be easily done with all the screws and plugs included with the mounting bracket.
355-degree horizontal turn allows you to point the camera in the direction that you want. Combined with a possible 90 degrees in the vertical direction will provide you with a wide range of angles you can set this camera up.
Being just bellow 120 of retail price I can say this camera is in a higher price range but for the features it has and motion it is well worth it.
Really impressed with this weatherproof outdoor security camera. Good build, large size and great picture quality with 355 pan tilt , 4MP/2.5K QHD Resolution and fantastic 30m colour night vision with 4 modes to choose from.
It was straightforward for my husband to set up and install although there is an instruction manual supplied. It can be supported via Alexa and you can download the app to connect to your mobile phone/ device and control from there.
It has motion and sound detector so you can be sent a alert notification on your phone.
Also with a built in microphone and speaker you can communicate with someone.
It comes well presented in a branded box and enclosed are:
1 x WiFi Camera
1 x Power Adapter
1 x Scew Package
1 x Mounting Bracket
1 x Mounting Template
1 x Weatherproof Connector
1 x Quick Start Guide
At the current price of 119.19 I would say it’s excellent value for money for all the features it has and would be happy to recommend.
Since moving to my home last year, I have been looking for reliable outdoor security cameras for front and back doors. Basically, I need them for the night. Tried two other outdoor cameras and was disappointed by both. One was unable to connect with wifi and the other one had poor night vision. Imou does good security camera products. I have two Imou indoor cameras for my cats and they both work great so far.
I decided to use this Imou outdoor camera at the back door. It was super easy to get connected, which was a great start. It has a few amazing features, including very sensitive motion detection, crystal clear picture quality, great night vision and two-way talk. I especially like the fact that the spotlights will be switched on, the Security Siren will alarm, the scence will be recorded and the alerts will be sent to your phone automatically when it detects human motion. Great waterproof rating as well.
I’m actually very happy with this camera but it does require a bit of hard work and some other software if you’re wishing to use it in conjunction with a DVR-IP setup.
I’ve tried it stand alone and it works fine but the main reason I wanted this was for its Onvif compatibility. If that’s you, then the following should help hopefully.
When first setting up you’re directed to download Imou Life, this is the software that you use when it’s being used as a stand alone. I was hoping my other apps would be able to just add this camera but unfortunately you’re stuck with using this app. For example, I use gDMSS Plus to access my main Dvr, on that I have three IP Cameras and 6 BNC 1080p. I access them all through this app as I have the IP cameras functioning on the DVR.
Individually, they each have their own apps. I only used these apps for initially configuring.
With this camera I was hoping it would be simple to configure using its app. However it’s not when wanting to set it as an IP addon. The only thing you can do in the app is access the camera, view, tilt etc but you cannot configure in the app for Onvif. My other apps for IP cams all allow changing of passwords, IP addresses.
The primary issue with this is that you will need to configure the login details as well as set a static IP. This device decided to pick .207. My DVR found it alright but if you have a power cut it will then just choose the next available IP address. Two issues with that, firstly – when adding this as an IP Onvif camera, your DVR will have the credentials as the original assigned IP. For me it was ending .207, if it then assigns .140 or whatever, it will not be connected to your DVR and so wont be recording. The second issue is that it will conflict with other devices on my network. The likelihood is that it will stop one of my other cameras or even knock access remotely to my DVR.
To overcome this you need to download SmartPSS. A google search will find this no issue, once downloaded the fun begins – you need to create an account first. On the top of the camera you will see a section named Safety Code, this is the actual password. Click add device in SmartPss, admin is the username, enter your password and it will connect. Once connected look to the far right of the camera information. There is a setting cog, click that, it will then load several menus.
Under network you can assign a Static IP – Click TCP/IP. Tick the box which states static and then assign whichever address you’re happy with. Click save and it will be on that Static IP, bizarrely it keeps the original as well, so for me I could still find this under .207 as a separate IP. I was a bit worried about this as if there was a power cut, it could in theory steal a different IP, However it seems to return to .207 when I’ve unplugged it.
Next on this menu you have system, under system you’ll see account. Here is where you can change the password and user name. There’s a pen in this menu, click that and then tick where it has a box stating password. It’s self-explanatory then, you just change to what you wish.
Now as stated before the camera had .207 as it’s IP address. In my DVR it would find it no issue but I wanted a static IP to be sure I wouldn’t lose the connection in the event of a power cut. When adding to your DVR if you haven’t added IP cameras before, follow the manual for your unit. On mine I go into encode, then I click scan when adding a new camera. Yours will be similar, once scanned you will notice that it’s only showing the original IP it assigned itself, Don’t worry about this.
For some reason I have two IP cameras showing under .207. One is assigned private which I’m slightly concerned about. I cannot access that link, it’s the same camera but I’m unsure why there is two feeds.
Select the one that isn’t private but change the IP address to what you just assigned in SmartPSS. Enter the username you changed and password and it will then be up an running.
Depending on your DVR, you will need to make sure you set the sub feed and main (as you did originally with your other cameras) and also make sure that you set the channel to recording. On mine I have the ability to have 24 cameras, so I’ve turned off recording on all channels where there is no feed.
Now the camera itself is pretty good. In the box you get everything you need but personally id use a junction box when installing.
The camera looks really nice, it’s not massive so can be hidden away if needs be. It has two antennas and works on 2.4g. The signal is nice and strong where I have it, it’s around 12m away from the router it’s connected to. There’s no buffering or dropouts and the image is steady.
My DVR recognises it as 2060p, It also sends at a bitrate for the main stream at standard 1500kbps and can be increased to 8mb. Very happy with this but personally I’ve kept the main at 1500kbps. The sub is sending at 512kbps and can be upped to 4mb. Framerate is set to 25fps.
Now because I’m using through my DVR I can access via gDMSS Plus. I have no need for the app that comes with it but I am keeping that app as it allows me to use the tilt function. This is going to be really handy as my main DVR does the recording and I can position where needs be with the app.
If your using stand alone you don’t need to do anything above mentioned. It’s plug and play but for people wanting this to add on via Onvif follow the above. You can always just have it plug and play and allow it to use the IP it picks but I personally wanted it to be static.
The night vison is on par with my others and in day light the image is excellent. One thing I forgot to mention which is pretty cool, using the main app you can turn a spotlight on which is inbuilt. I’ve used this twice when I had people in my garden. They hadn’t noticed the cameras but via turning the spotlights on it soon sent them running.
Good picture and sound. Can store favourite views to select the camera to pan to.
App takes a bit of experimentation but is comprehensive.
Should like to be able to mute notifications from individual cameras are opposed to all.
Disappointed that downloads from SD card require a subscription.
Use of the Beta AI requires the most expensive plan.
Haven’t used motion detection.
I absolutely love this security camera! It comes as an outdoor security camera with built-in white LEDs and 1pc infrared LED, which can provide you with crystal clear color night vision and 4MP resolution video, it basically can deliver 2 times the clarity of 1080P. It has FOUR kinds of night vision modes for you to choose plus full color, black and white, smart mode and off mode. You can easily switch it on the mobile app. The high quality sensor and advanced IR lights enhance night vision up to 30m/98ft. It also connects to your Alexa which is a huge bonus! Amassing motion detection and overall the perfect security camera for my family to feel safe!
+ great picture quality
+ night mode is also great, especially the smart night vision mode
+ bracket to fit the camera to the wall
+ easy to install using the app and QR code
+ you can use SD card or NVR to record. Cloud requires subscription as most of these cameras
+ human motion detection
+ app is simple to use with settings like notification, detection sensitivity, alert tones. Allow to view live
+ build in siren
+ tilt mechanism (can be controlled from the app)
+ price is good for the quality and features offered
– Not the prettiest camera. Not a fan of the antennas
– I got some false alerts
– better detection mode requires subscription
Overall, this is a great basic camera for your house.
his is a great security camera and great quality, its got colour night vison and the picture quality is really good it turns 360 degrees, i like the fact it can work with your alexa and is wirless, its great value and great quality its great feeling you can be away from home and it is protected.
This outdoor security camera is amazing it’s got pan and tilt functionality. Along with two way audio an sd card and even alexa support. The camera comes with the mounting hardware and is easy to secure and install. The video has great quality when it comes to its streaming video. The quality is very clear and you can see very clearly what’s going on. The camera has excellent night vision functionality and is perfect when set up with the app as you can get notification if anyone moves when the camera is in frame. There is clear two way audio and you can speak clearly to anyone on the other end and have a conversation.
The security camera market is fortunately plentiful with many options and features offered across a wide price range. This security camera may not be the cheapest and come from a relatively unfamiliar brand but the function makes this full-featured. The camera offers 2K resolution, night vision, smart detection, SD storage, alarm, and a fully rotatable vision. To much relief, most of the features are not locked off behind a paywall although some smart features appear to be missing.
I am impressed by how accessible security cameras have become, this camera from Imou is a full-360 camera unit built for the outdoors. It is important to immediately note, as the description could be clearer, that this is not a cordless camera. The unit arrives with a lengthy power cable (approx 3m long), connecting directly to the dangling socket wire on the camera. While the camera has two large impressive antennas, the description and packaging make it clear this camera can only connect via a 2.4gHz connection (not 5gHz). For a camera at this price point, it feels a little disappointing but not a major issue if you have a close WiFi signal nearby- i.e. through an installed WiFi mesh system. Moreover, the camera can still be connected via ethernet with supporting waterproof caps provided. You will also find a mounting bracket, along with a mounting guide, screws, additional connectors and wall plugs. Fortunately, the whole setup is all simplified through the provided quick-start up, unsurprisingly requiring you to set up through their app- Imou Life.
Features:
The boasted features of this security camera are all pretty standard now but still pleasing to find along with the 360 rotatable camera head. The camera is waterproof (IP66 weatherproof Rated), and captures 4MP footage in the industry’s push for 2K over 1080p footage; there is two-way talk, human motion detection and a light/sound alarm. As with everything, you will find a promoted subscription service. The prices honestly seem fair, being as cheap as 1.92 a month. Their subscription service offers 7-day cloud storage, downloadable SD card recordings from any device, the ability to share the camera with 10 users and a monthly security report. Fortunately, I am pleased to find the paid service is not forced onto buyers of this camera. The core and local features remain accessible without any subscription. This includes motion detection( the more detailed AI detection locked to their premium ProtectPlus service- 4.42 a month) and an SD storage slot allowing you to ultimately access and save recordings locally.
Functionality:
With all the boasted features, a security camera is all about how well it captures, detects and wards off. The camera’s 360-degree rotatable head makes capturing extremely easily, being able to point straight, down and all the way around. In all cases, the lens is wide-eyed so in all fixed positions (when mounted above) does enough to capture a whole area. Compared to a fixed camera with a wide-eyed lens, I think this 360-degree head will prove more useful for those wanting to watch over awkward spots or simply have the assurance of altering camera angles freely. The captured footage appears clean with enough detail to make out fine textures, colours and faces. The app allows users to view live footage and have full control of the camera while watching. As shown, a little joystick is present on the screen which allowed me to actively look around in real-time. I found there is a noticeable delay between real-time movements/events and the live footage over a WiFi connection- about 3 seconds which in my opinion is just about tolerable when I consider delay being a given to any wireless connected cameras. On each occasion, the camera correctly detected movement and notified me in the app and simultaneously saved a copy of the footage to be viewed in the app. I really didn’t expect much from the two-way talk feature but I find this is surprisingly loud and clear! Furthermore, the spotlight feature comes with a very handy security feature of turning on only when motion is detected. This makes the light perfect for night-time monitoring when the camera’s night vision also kicks in. I found the resolution equally good at night, making my entire dark garden visible through the captured/live footage. Unfortunately, as exciting as the 360-degree feature is, it seems the camera is not smart/high-tech enough to follow motion- the camera remains fixed.
In all, for anyone searching for a flexible outdoor security camera, this camera covers all the essentials. Despite the more exciting cloud and AI features needing a subscription, motion detection, recording, storage, two-way talk and spotlights are all accessible locally. The features work well through the app along with the 4MP footage that is clear and wide.
This is a must-have product for anyone who is looking to add a camera to their wall. Simply mount it onto your wall and slide it into place. You can also connect it to a 13A socket inside the house using a hole that’s been drilled through the wall. You can also download the app for your phone and run the camera.
After you have entered your router password, you can then add the camera to your phone using the QR code. This is very simple to do, and it only took around 3 minutes to install. You can also try out the cameras premium options such as cloud storage for free by signing up for a trial.
The camera has an onboard microphone that can be used to play the background sound of its audio. It can also notify you whenever it senses a human being moving around. It can also record video and send it to the police so that they can see what’s happening in your surroundings. This is a very useful product for anyone who is looking to monitor their property and keep an eye on their cars. Its video is also very good and can be used to deter potential criminals.
This is a high quality camera – packed full of easy-to-use features and offers excellent functionality.
Great value for money, highly recommended!
Excellent quality picture day or night.
Very easy to set up and caused no issues.
Would definitely recommend.
I love this camera, I have the ring CCTV camera on the front of my house and I am going to install this one on the rear. The picture quality is really good along with the sound quality. I’d recommend to anyone who needs that additional security for their home.
This is easy to install. The cable is a bit short and would really benefit from atleast 5m or 10.
The app works well and allows easy access to monitor from anywhere in the country and the pan/tilt is a very useful feature allowing you to check the full area with ease. The night vission is fantastic.
The only negative is the motion detection is very sensitive. We’ve had to move our pot plants because when windy it does trigger the camera.
This Imou Outdoor Security Camera comes well packaged with the camera housed in a big block of foam. The camera body is quite large, larger than I expected so it makes quite a statement when mounted on the front of your house, although that’s probably good as a deterrent.
The camera needs to be plugged into the mains and only has a 3 metre long cable so you need to think carefully about where and how to position it. I extended my outside power supply but adding a new socket but I found that the housing of the socket doesn’t close properly due to the size of the transformer on the plug (see pictures). At any rate, it wasn’t hard to mount the camera once I got past the problem of having a power supply.
You need to download the app and register, then link it to your camera using the QR code on the camera body. Once registered you find that the camera, in combination with the app, has a wealth of features. There is little instruction on how to use the app so I suggest you spend some time trying out all the features and exploring the app. I have fitted the camera with an Imou micro SD card (not supplied) so I have local storage. When the card is full it simply starts recording over from the beginning again. There are also a couple of levels of cloud storage that you can subscribe to at a reasonable cost. The top level of cloud storage also includes addition AI detection, like vehicles, animals or packages for instance. Without the additional cloud plan it will only detect humans or movement, at which time it starts recording and sends you a notification. I also love that the camera swivels and tilts so I can move it around from the app.
The app has loads of features, one of which is being able to define the area that the camera uses to actively detect movement (see example picture). You can set the sensitivity and you can turn on/off a feature which moves the camera to track anything that’s moving – a feature that I love because it follows the delivery man to see where he puts your package when you are not home.
The only issue I have had is that it detects movement all the time on a windy day, but using the ability to define the active area together with the sensitivity setting I’ve got this under control now.
For the price I think this security camera is fantastic, with a wealth of features and a lovely, clear picture. Just take the time to learn the app and how to manage all the features.
This camera boasts an impressive number of features, from motion detection, 2K video capture, full colour night vision and more. It is also waterproof and allows two-way talk. It is definitely the best camera I own. The quality of image is very high, and the included phone app is easy to use and setup. The best feature in my opinion is the 360 Degree spin that allows you to monitor any area, this is incredibly helpful as one camera can replace multiple. I would certainly recommend this product.
First, there is a poor connection between the device and the network. Scan the QR code at the bottom of the camera to add the device. I tried 3 times, and the fourth time I added it successfully. Don’t choose to add manually, because I can’t find the corresponding device model. Scan the QR code directly, open the permissions, and then add the network.
The camera’s picture quality is clear, and the image quality and night vision are also good. The shooting range is wide, with 320 horizontal and 90 vertical rotation, covering most areas, I can control it from my phone, and it can recognize people. The camera’s built-in microphone allows me to talk to people through the app.
At night when it detects human activity, it will automatically turn on the spotlight after flashing red.
But I’m not very clear on the actual use of this spotlight. It sometimes turns on the spotlight as soon as it senses the trajectory of human activity, and sometimes waits for about 10 seconds after the red light turns on before turning on the spotlight. Sometimes the spotlight turns off within 5 seconds of turning it on, sometimes it turns off within 3 minutes of when I turn it on.
Its quality is good, but the cost is too expensive. You can change the orientation of the camera from your phone as needed. You can hear the sound. Keep getting notifications. It records the elapsed time of someone and you can watch it anytime.
What a great camera. It’s fairly large when removed from the box but once installed isn’t too bad at all. Two Ariel’s provide a good range for the wifi connection so it doesn’t have to be right next to your home hub. Mines is mounted out the rear of the house monitoring the garden and has nonissue with signal loss. The camera is super simple to connect. Install the app scan the barcode on the camera and pick your wifi. The app does the rest. Camera footage can be recorded to the cloud for a subscription fee or use a memory card to save locally. I opted for the memory card. It secures inside a small panel behind the lens which needs to be opened with a screwdriver so safe enough to keep it in for average security. If you are looking for something more secure you may be better opting for a cloud subscription. You can set 6 preset location for the camera to jump between at the touch of your finger or you can use the pan/tilt option to move the camera almost 350 degrees as well as looking straight down which is handy if you’ve mounted the camera high on a wall. Motion tracking is available which works well but I’ve switched it off as it’s been picking up the rain a lot and dancing around like nobody’s business Everytime it spots a rain drop falling and here in Scotland there’s plenty of them to keep the cameras motor warmed up for the night. The memory card allows all movement to be recorded and is easy to play back by jumping to the timeline view and scrolling to any highlighted times zones. Great camera with great quality and the apps also very easy to use. Recommended.
This camera arrived in a sturdy cardboard box with the contents protected by moulded dense foam inserts.
The box contains:
* The camera itself.
* Mounting bracket.
* 12V power supply with 3m cable.
* Waterproof cap for Ethernet socket.
* Screws/plugs for mounting.
* Drilling template.
* Quick start guide.
I got this camera to add to an existing CCTV recording system (see more details below).
The camera uses its own app (Imou Life) which can be downloaded for free for Android or IOS. Once installed, you have to register the app with an e-mail address and password as usual with these camera apps. You then add the camera in the app by scanning the QR code attached to the top of the camera.
The app has all the usual options but also has smart motion tracking and the ability to store preset positions for the camera. Most PTZ cameras of this type don’t have these facilities. There is also more night time flexibility than usual with the option to have the white floodlight come on when motion is detected or to use standard black and white IR mode.
The camera will send you alerts when it detects motion and recordings can be made to a Micro SD card (not supplied) or to Imou’s cloud service. There is a free trial of this cloud service but then you have to pay for it.
Both daytime and night time images are excellent and way superior to the 2MP camera that this is replacing (see screenshot pictures. Note there is an extra long range IR light in the night time one). The smart motion tracking works well. Before I installed the camera I tested this by hanging it on a gate and walking in front of it (see video).
Mounting is made simple as you attach the bracket to the wall/ceiling first and then the camera twists on to the bracket. The lead from the camera to its male power connector is only about 40cm long. The power supply has a 3m lead to its female connector. Unless you are mounting this camera on a wall where you can drill a 25mm hole (for the Ethernet connector to pass through) you’re going to have to house the power connector in a waterproof junction box as I have.
As I said, I wanted to add this camera to an existing NVR but there are no instructions on how to do this either supplied with the camera or on the Imou website. I’m a computer techie and have a lot of experience with these sorts of cameras and I managed to work it out but it is a shortfall that the manufacturer doesn’t supply clear instructions on this.
Firstly, I had to find the camera’s IP address by looking at the tables in my router as this information isn’t available in the app. There is no facility in the app to set the IP address manually (only obtained by DHCP) so I had to set my router to always issue the same IP address to this device by DHCP. Not all routers have this facility.
I then had to find the correct URL syntax to get the RTSP stream. This took a bit of experimentation but I eventually found it. I then struggled to find the username and password to establish the RTSP connection. It turns out the username is the usual ‘admin’ and the password is the string of letters and numbers identified as ‘Safety Code’ on the sticker on top of the camera.
To save anyone else all of this trouble the RTSP URL of the camera to view in VLC etc. is:
rtsp://admin:PASSWORD@***.***.***.***:554/cam/realmonitor?channel=1&subtype=0&unicast=true&proto=Onvif
(Where ‘PASSWORD’ is the ‘Safety Code’ on the camera sticker and ***.***.***.*** is the local IP address of the camera.
On the whole this is an excellent camera and far superior to a couple of other similar PTZ dome cameras I have. It’s just a shame that there aren’t instructions on how to get the RTSP stream to add it to an existing system. As this camera is advertised as ‘NVR Compatible’ you should be able to set a static IP address in the app and full instructions on how to get the RTSP stream should be provided. Because of this I’m knocking off a star.
*****UPDATE*****
I’ve had this camera a while now. It’s working fine and I’m very pleased with it.
If you want more control over this camera (brightness, contrast and a whole host of other settings) or to view it and record on a PC, you can download and install ‘Dahua Smart PSS’ on your PC. Imou is the consumer branch of Dahua and this software makes this camera massively more configurable.
This security camera from Imou impressed me – it has a lot of features, is well built and the Imou app seems like a strong companion.
Setup is pretty easy with the “Imou Life” app, if a little time consuming. You need to sign up, give various permissions to allow of notifications and the like, then you can add the camera. This is done simply by scanning a QR code on the underside of the camera and you can then connect it either via Ethernet or via a 2.4 ghz WiFi. This is a relatively old WiFi banding now so May be a weak link in regards of future proofing. Once connected, the camera itself will likely need an update, after which you can go into the more advanced settings if you’d like.
There’s a lot of features available which really got me to appreciate how feature rich the camera is. It’s got motion detection which will follow the motion with the camera, spotlight, microphone and lots more. There’s lots of settings to tweak and play with which will be great for the techies but perhaps a bit overwhelming for non techies, elderly etc.
The build quality is good, even down to the well thought out and secure packaging which is great to see and the instructions seemed quite straight forward to. The cable length is a bit too short for my liking, especially considering it’s ideal for ceiling or wall mounting. My camera’s destined for the garage but I need to get an extension cable first unfortunately.
The image quality is great, even while in motion which is quite impressive. Works well at all times of days too – and although the motion detection is likely a bit too sensitive for my personal preference, thankfully this can be tweaked.
All in all, worth a recommendation.
This camera arrived in a sturdy cardboard box with the contents protected by moulded dense foam inserts.
The box contains:
* The camera itself.
* Mounting bracket.
* 12V power supply with 3m cable.
* Waterproof cap for Ethernet socket.
* Screws/plugs for mounting.
* Drilling template.
* Quick start guide.
I got this camera to add to an existing CCTV recording system (see more details below).
The camera uses its own app (Imou Life) which can be downloaded for free for Android or IOS. Once installed, you have to register the app with an e-mail address and password as usual with these camera apps. You then add the camera in the app by scanning the QR code attached to the top of the camera.
The app has all the usual options but also has smart motion tracking and the ability to store preset positions for the camera. Most PTZ cameras of this type don’t have these facilities. There is also more night time flexibility than usual with the option to have the white floodlight come on when motion is detected or to use standard black and white IR mode.
The camera will send you alerts when it detects motion and recordings can be made to a Micro SD card (not supplied) or to Imou’s cloud service. There is a free trial of this cloud service but then you have to pay for it.
Both daytime and night time images are excellent and way superior to the 2MP camera that this is replacing (see screenshot pictures. Note there is an extra long range IR light in the night time one). The smart motion tracking works well. Before I installed the camera I tested this by hanging it on a gate and walking in front of it (see video).
Mounting is made simple as you attach the bracket to the wall/ceiling first and then the camera twists on to the bracket. The lead from the camera to its male power connector is only about 40cm long. The power supply has a 3m lead to its female connector. Unless you are mounting this camera on a wall where you can drill a 25mm hole (for the Ethernet connector to pass through) you’re going to have to house the power connector in a waterproof junction box as I have.
As I said, I wanted to add this camera to an existing NVR but there are no instructions on how to do this either supplied with the camera or on the Imou website. I’m a computer techie and have a lot of experience with these sorts of cameras and I managed to work it out but it is a shortfall that the manufacturer doesn’t supply clear instructions on this.
Firstly, I had to find the camera’s IP address by looking at the tables in my router as this information isn’t available in the app. There is no facility in the app to set the IP address manually (only obtained by DHCP) so I had to set my router to always issue the same IP address to this device by DHCP. Not all routers have this facility.
I then had to find the correct URL syntax to get the RTSP stream. This took a bit of experimentation but I eventually found it. I then struggled to find the username and password to establish the RTSP connection. It turns out the username is the usual ‘admin’ and the password is the string of letters and numbers identified as ‘Safety Code’ on the sticker on top of the camera.
To save anyone else all of this trouble the RTSP URL of the camera to view in VLC etc. is:
rtsp://admin:PASSWORD@***.***.***.***:554/cam/realmonitor?channel=1&subtype=0&unicast=true&proto=Onvif
(Where ‘PASSWORD’ is the ‘Safety Code’ on the camera sticker and ***.***.***.*** is the local IP address of the camera.
On the whole this is an excellent camera and far superior to a couple of other similar PTZ dome cameras I have. It’s just a shame that there aren’t instructions on how to get the RTSP stream to add it to an existing system. As this camera is advertised as ‘NVR Compatible’ you should be able to set a static IP address in the app and full instructions on how to get the RTSP stream should be provided. Because of this I’m knocking off a star.
Easy to set up and use. Works fine without any issues.
Fantastic bright night colour vision even without the spotlight on,you can program the spotlight to flash or stay on when motion recorded,best used without ir lights engaged, excellent motion tracking recording follows the person then returns to original position after,good price considering all the features it has,optical zoom would have been better than the installed digital zoom tho,will work with any compatible onviv NVR recorder mine is a dahua NVR,also will work on imou app and NVR at same time but Poe will need to go via router not NVR for both to work,I recommend this product beats all competition for the most features installed
Fantastic bright night colour vision even without the spotlight on,you can program the spotlight to flash or stay on when motion recorded,best used without ir lights engaged, excellent motion tracking recording follows the person then returns to original position after,good price considering all the features it has,optical zoom would have been better than the installed digital vision tho,will work with any compatible onviv NVR recorder mine is a dahua NVR,also will work on imou app and NVR at same time but Poe will need to go via router not NVR for both to work,I recommend this product beats all competition for the most features installed
Fantastic quality on night vision picture quality and detection motion very easy to use
his is an outdoor security pan tilt camera, 1080p resolution with the colour night vision feature! this is my first colour night vision camera, my old surveillance cameras are all black and white infrared image, while at night, it’s hard to tell by the colour of the car or colour of clothes of suspicious object
the other reason i ordered it was because it supports network video recording to security system (nvr) as well as network attached storage (nas), it’s a 12v power supply so i could directly replaced the old camera with it, unfortunately it doesn’t support video signal cable, so i could not directly connect it to nvr, i could only either connect it with ethernet cable or wifi, and send to nvr as network camera signal
with the imou app, i could connect and setup the camera in no time, however it spent me over 2 hours to figure out how to connect it to my nas for video recording, there is nowhere in the manual, imou app or anywhere official mentioned how to connect to the camera onvif signal
eventually i found the camera ip in the “lan live” function from the app, and then found the admin password (safety code) on the camera body, near the serial number, and connect to port 80, rtsp port 554 in order to get the network video signal, i don’t why it doesn’t provide detailed information in the app or manual, probably they are intended less pro user friendly, and more targeted on general users who may subscribe to use the paid cloud service
anyway, i’m really impressed by the colour night vision, it’s another world! somehow it’s even clear than my eye, as you can see from my attached review video, the street is so bright and clear, although it’s not detailed to license plate level, but it’s much much better than old style night vision
there are loads of standard surveillance camera features like pan, tilt camera control, zone motion detection, security light and alarm, the microphone is quite good too
overall it’s easy to install either to the wall or ceiling, general setup is quick and easy (nas setup is a bit confusing though)
i’m very happy with this product, would recommend
hope you find these information helpful
I was looking for a security camera to cover the rear of my property, but in all honesty there is usually so little activity there that I didn’t want to spend a fortune, so this is a reasonably priced camera with an excellent range of features. First of all the unit is big. Well I say big, I am used to HIVE products so when you consider the hive range of cameras which are small, 2 inch cubes, this seems quite big by comparison. It does look modern and something straight out of a Star Wars movie!
The camera yourself is excellent. As with most electronics these days there is a app that goes along with it from which you access your recordings and change the settings & features. The main features of this camera are: first of all full colour recording, a pan and tilt feature so you can swivel it round/zoom in from your mobile phone, the ability to record, take a snapshot, there is a spotlight and even a siren. There is also a microphone so you can actually hold a conversation with somebody through the device. As you would expect there are various options to adjust the sensitivity and you can set it up so it will automatically “follow” a person when it detects movement. The picture quality is truly outstanding. I’ve included a photo with this review which was captured with the camera , so you can see the back of me stood my garden and you can see the clarity of the picture.
So are there any negatives? A few, yes — but non so great they detract from the overall usability of this product. I don’t like the fact that it doesn’t come with a microSD card. Recordings are either stored in the cloud, or if you don’t want to pay a monthly subscription after the free trial is over then you can use a microSD card in the camera itself. As I said initially there isn’t much movement in my back garden and this is just added security, so the cloud subscription doesn’t appeal so I use an SD card. I just feel it’s a little mean of the manufacturers not to include one. Okay okay, perhaps I’m being tight and they’re not that much but I have bought electronic children’s toys that have even had an SD card included. (Also you need to remember if it’s recording this way anf then a would-be criminal stole the entire camera your entire recordings would go along with it! ) I’m not also not a fan of the big ethernet plug socket. As you would imagine, this camera operates wirelessly but should you wish to hardwire it directly in to the Internet (perhaps if you’re positioning this in a very poor Wi-Fi black spot area?) there is a big plug socket which is something that is unsightly and just dangles there after installation. You also don’t get the longest wire with the main plug/adapter — it’s about 3 m long. This is nothing that can’t be solved with an extension lead but bearing in mind most people will be positioning this on the outside of their property a suitable plug socket might not always be nearby so a longer lead wire would would’ve been appreciated. There are couple of antennas on the unit which swivel to achieve the best signal/reception, which is another factor you have to consider when positioning the item. And I’m not convinced at this stage customer service is the best — I emailed them with a query and they have still not got back to me.
Despite all these negatives I am still delighted with the camera. The only question now remains to be seen how it will stand up to the elements? I have tried to position it in such a way that it is afforded some shelter from the eaves of my house (see photo) but we will see how it copes with the next British winter.
In conclusion would I recommend it – yes. Think about where you are positioning it first before purchase, but if you are looking for a smart camera with a good range of options you could do a lot worse than this product.
Best item I have purchased great picture and at night the picture is as good as in the day, great sound messages my phone easy setup fantastic
The camera is strong, sleek looking and appealing to look at. The camera is to be used outdoors, however we live in rented accommodation so we have restrictions on attaching things to the exterior of the house, so we have opted to use this indoors looking out of a window onto our cars. We had some issues with glare and reflection at night making it impossible to see out of, however we searched how to avoid this and it was actual night mode causing more problems, and once we switched this off it was perfect. The night mode would be perfect if it was outside, however behind glass it reflects weird so simply turn this off.
The camera was well packaged and protected on arrival, is comes with instructions and operational tips. I was really impressed with the simplicity of setting this camera up, I had the app downloaded and linked in around 5 minutes which is fantastic.
The app is just a basic camera view that you do have options within to adjust, such as full day monitoring or motion detection, setting parameters to create alerts. The app works well and does everything I need to, it has a bit of a strange layout, but once you figure out where everything is it works fine.
You will need to insert a SD card if you want to store or capture video recordings, this was simple and worked fine, there is also the option to store via a cloud service, but as I had the SD card I did not need this service.
The image is clear and works well, the night vision is also really impressive. You could also use this as for a multitude of uses, there is also the ability to talk via the microphone if you ever needed to which is a great bonus. This is a great quality safety camera.
Great value for a quality camera, very happy indeed!
This is a compact, easy to install camera that provides fantastic footage, even at night.
Before installing, I fitted a 128GB Micro SD card then paired to WiFi through the Android app to see if there would be any problems, all went well so I took it to the spot where it was required to test WiFi signal strength before drilling into the wall. It picked the connection despite the area being away from the router, so it’s good start.
Power cable needs to go through the wall, so I used a 16mm drill bit and passed it behind the mounting brackets, all hidden and neat.
I set it to record 24/7 onto the MicroSD card, this is much better, and cheaper than paying for cloud storage, but it is worth considering that doing so will mean that you will lose the footage if someone knocked it off and destroyed it, so if you’re installing it in an exposed, easy to reach spot, I’d reconsider the on board storage.
Footage is excellent and streams without stuttering or lag (That will depends on WiFi strength though), and night vision is sharp and clear.
PTZ works well and super quiet, and installed on a corner, it covers 2 sides of the location.
Only reason for missing star is the price, I think it can be a bit cheaper compared to almost identical alternatives.
Overall: At 99.99 with a 20% voucher at the time of reviewing, this is a bit more than what you could pay for reasonable alternatives. Would recommend specially if reduced.
This camera came packed in a box with good protection packaging to avoid any damage in transport.
First I installed the app using Google store rather than scanning the code as the QR code took me to the manufacturer’s website. After app installation, it was easy to detect and add the camera to my wi-fi and app, I just followed the included instructions.
As it says, this camera is a 360 degree camera and can be controlled and moved using the app. You can setup notification zones so that passing car or people outside of your concerned area ( e.g other side of road, fence, etc.) do not trigger off notification. Once the camera detects movement/presence in the set zones, it sends notification to the installed app with a screenshot of the movement. Once you access that notification you are able to see the recorded video of the incident. Talking about recording, you have option of using local (micro SD card) or cloud or NVR. I am yet to explore the last two options, I am using micro SD card for now. I found the notifications to be good, it detects humans well but sometimes there were false/wrong ones, specially in the last few weeks of storms.
The quality of the videos are good, both day and night. The audio recording or talking too is clear.
My only complain is that it uses a power adapter. It would have been a 5 star product had it worked on 210-220 volts. The need of power adapter makes it hard to install the camera at places which are exposed to rain unless you install a waterproof junction box (or something similar). Because of this, I had to install the camera near to a window so that it’s plugged inside the room with wire going out through a windowsill.
Overall a good camera at good price of 99.99
This sounds complicated but it is so easy it took barely 3 minutes to do. The camera begins to scan and a full colour hires display (in daylight, or mono after dark) appears on your phone screen.
There is a free trial of storage options so you can save your camera results to the internet and try it before committing.
The results are quite remarkable. You get the sort of image quality that is good enough for the police to get a conviction from and you can see exactly who did what and when. You can listen to the background sound from its inbuilt microphone and you can also activate a siren if you want to scare someone away.
It recognises a human being and immediately notifies you, so that you can look who is there on your phone.
You can add a number of these to the app and check them in sequence so you can have a full closed circuit coverage of your property.
The video from this product is outstanding and whether you are looking to find vandals (and discourage them) or whether you want eyes on your car or property, or proof for the police, this is an absolute winner. I think that this is very good value and great quality which can’t be falted.
A good camera, easy to setup after i realised you had to scan the barcode on the camera and not the instruction manual. Its been outside my house for nearly a week and is very good at detecting any movement and following that person or car. Can also set it up to alert when there is a movement. In the morning you can view all the alerts to see if anyone came to your car or house etc For 100 its a very good camera so far!
This 1080HD outdoor security camera very easy to install. Once you have downloaded the app and set up an account it can search for the camera and then your connected. The installation on the wall or ceiling is equally simple. The camera comes with a sticker to mark out where to drill holes.
The image quality in the day and night is fantastic, at night it is much clearly than my alternative Nest cameras, also being able to hardwire it to a network means there is no lag and you can use the highest resolution available.
The app allows you to set the camera positioning up, set auto tracking. Auto spot light and siren settings. It is all intuitive to use and have not no issues.
If you can use a network cable the WiFi connection is much better than other products I have. The Google mini speaker does not connect to the WiFi in the same location but with the dual antenna the camera had a good enough signal to run on 720 nice and quickly. Wired I use 1080.
5 stars easy.
Very impress with these security camera, we have installed it on our porch. My husband was surprised it was bigger in real and its easier to install. We’ve connected it through our phone and with our Alexa so when were in the kitchen or in the room and someone is knocking we can see it straightaway. Especially if you want to avoid people who knocks randomly who wants to sell different stuffs. It arrived with a sturdy box and came packaged well. Comes in everything you need, the camera span is good so you can just tilt it using your phone so to see around. We are amazed with the night vision its so clear, so convinient especially we don’t have an outdoor light outside. I love how it notifies my phone when someone is near it, it makes you feel safe. We also tried the audio once when a postman comes and we are not home. It waw very clear and we are understood well with our instructions. We have installed it somewhere with canopy but we get so bad wind that the rain still gets it but its weatherproof so nothing to worry. Highly recommended for home security.
So far so good, I found it very easy to install and pair to my app and the quality is very good. I liked the motion sensor feature which sent notifications to your phone when it detected anything but make sure you set up zones on the app so that washing and other things that move in the wind won’t trigger it too often or you will get too many notifications. I had an issue connecting it to my 5ghz network so ended up using the 2.4 ghz wave band instead. The night time picture was very good as it has proper infrared lights on and for a cheap camera it wasn’t grainy. The day time picture was good as well and fine for home use. The sound was a but distorted when using the 2 way calling and it picks up a lot of win and traffic noise.
There is an option to record on to a memory card which I will do when the cloud trial is up but you don’t need it as you can get it to record to it locally and it will just over write it when its full like a dash cam. The power cable is short so I can to adapt it to make it longer with an extension. I like the remote feature and the abilty to move the camera to get the perfect angle.
This is great value for a fully featured camera. The app is a bit flaky as its compatible with a lot of different brands but it does the job ok and looks like it gets updated regularly.
This is a fantastic IP CCTV camera. I have several cameras around the outside of my house or inside, so have plenty of experience with good and non-so-good ones. I’m happy to say that this is one of the best some cameras I’ve used so far.
I’m waiting to install this in a higher position out the front of my house, however have tested it pre-fitted and I’m really pleased. The first thing to say is that the image is excellent. There’s virtually no lag and the image is clearer and more responsive than other cameras I use.
This can be mounted in several ways, either straight on a wall, under a roof or even on a pole. This may be the option I use, since I have a pole fitted to the wall already. I just need to get some straps to fit it to.i like that this twists to lock in place on its bracket. This is so much easier than other cameras that have to be fitted without a bracket.
This doesn’t work with any of my existing camera apps, but the dedicated app for this works well and responds to your requests. You can set timers, trigger plans and sensitive areas. It can track movement and follow people moving past.
The night vision is really impressive. There’s a mode to select smart vision so that it detects the best image from infra red, LED white lights or a mixture of the two.
Overall, this is really impressive. I may even swap both my existing cameras onto these.