Packaging and device:
The device comes in a cardboard box with a foam mold. The camera is well protected in the box and the lens is covered with a plastic film against scratches. The box also contains a quick-guide, a drilling template and some parts to connect the LAN cable watertight. Also 3 screws and some low quality nylon plugs.
The device is solid, almost entirely made of painted metal. It looks neatly finished and I couldn't find any flaws in the paint. The device does have a considerable weight, but that is also allowed for a metal construction.
The foot can be used for wall, ceiling or floor mounting. It is also completely made of metal, including the ball joint as well as the nut with which you can secure the whole.
At the bottom of the camera is a plastic cover with two screws that holds a microSD card (up to 256Gb). The reset button can also be found there. The lid has a rubber seal to make the whole (splash) waterproof and dustproof.
Installation:
Installation is easy or difficult depending on the mounting location and what tools you have at home. If you opt for a hidden cable, you should be able to drill a hole of at least 20mm in a wall or ceiling. Many of us don't have a 20mm masonry or bell drill unless you are a handyman/professional. In my case, this was no problem. The holes for the 3 plugs must be drilled 6mm. In wood this is of course not a problem.
When feeding the cable through a wall, it is best to stick some adhesive tape around the RJ45 connection (lan cable) to prevent the infiltration of drilling dust.
Configuration:
Once the device is installed, you can start the configuration. This has to be done with an app on your phone. The unit provides feedback through the speaker (English) during installation. No problem here either, piece of cake.
A minus point, if you have chosen a network and the signal turns out to be not strong enough, you have to reset the device before you can choose another network. The other settings were kept for me
Usage:
Images are very sharp in full-HD mode. Zooming up to 4x shows few pixels, after that it gets a bit grainy. The two IR LEDs extend much further than I expected. At night still good images up to 10 to 15 m and depending on your placement and the reflection of walls / shutters, it can go even further. During the day, I can even recognize people at 25m.
I haven't experimented much yet, but the motion detection seems to work well at night at short distances, +- 7m. The built-in white light cannot really be called stroboscopic, but it does make it clear that you have been detected. The sound alarm is very loud, your neighbors will be able to hear it too, even with the window closed. Both can be turned on or off.
The angle of view could be a bit wider for me, preferably a 130°; but you should not expect this from a base class device.
The wifi reception is not too good with the two antennas. The user manual also clearly states that the device must be close to an access point. In my case it was 20m at first, and that was too far to have smooth images. I purchased an additional access point from Coolblue (€39) and installed it at a distance of 10m (1 outer wall and 1 inner wall in direct line). Now it's going perfectly.
Push notifications seem to come in smoothly, a few seconds after detection, which is acceptable. An image registration can be done on the sd card, but I have not yet been able to form an opinion about that since the card has only been in it since today.
Conclusion:
Very solid camera with good to very good images. The software could be a bit better (messy layout). Push notifications work well. I can't really judge the rest yet.
This has to be about the best you can currently buy in a price range of <100€
