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Purchased January 2, 2009 $79.99
I finally found a decent IP camera that can be used for still images on a web page like the rest of my cameras. An IP camera is a stand alone device that connects with your network without a computer. A computer is needed to initially set up the camera but then it works by itself.
The image from this camera is crisp and sharp. Good color, auto white balance works generally well but has a bit of a problem with my burgundy walls at night. Good auto brightness control and it takes bright light very well. During the night tests the image is just a bit muddy but within reason. During my monitor only simulation there really is no image so the camera can't be used in extremely dark environments. If you look at the test shots, the two pin points that show in the monitor only light is the reflection of the 7 watt bulb off my glasses.
Unlike the other IP cameras I have tried (except for the expensive StarDot) this one has a setting that you can overwrite a fixed image file name while uploading to an FTP server. This is a requirement if you want people to be able to see you from a web page such as mine. So far, I have not seen any other IP cameras with this ability, but I will keep looking.
I had only 2 problems. Any time I made a change to the still image capture configuration page, either changing the FTP settings, file name settings or the image settings, I had to reboot the camera before they would take effect. Most of the time after changing anything on that page, the camera simply stopped saving the FTP image until I rebooted it.
The other problem is the color balance when using only incandescent light. My walls turned a purple and my face was a bit muddy. There are no adjustments for color correction or exposure control. Everything along those lines is totally automatic.
The camera can be connected to directly from any web browser without having to download any special software. The first screen one gets allows you to chose a Java based streaming image or an ActiveX based stream. Of course to use Java, Java has to be installed. The ActiveX component is delivered directly from the camera and requires the viewer to approve the instillation. (see bottom of this page for a couple of screen captures)
At full resolution (640x480) the image is very sharp. Obviously a good quality lens.
If your network goes down for a while, the camera seems to have a tendency to quit saving FTP images on restoration of the network connection. Every Friday at 8 pm my network reboots the router and network switch. About every other week this caused the camera to quit saving FTP images. Connecting to the stream still worked however. I would guess this has something to do with the same issue as above with changing settings.
What you can not do is connect the camera to a computer for interfacing with your Instant Messenger or 3rd party webcam software. This goes true with all IP cameras. So if you are looking for an IM camera you need to look elsewhere.
The one drawback of over the Internet viewing is the camera does not supply sound, so it would not be a good choice for a baby monitor. Also images saved by FTP have no time/date overlay on them so there is no way to look back to see when an image was taken. I am using a complicated style sheet process to create my overlay with the live camera.
This is the first IP camera I have looked at recently that was under $100 and a good choice for anyone who wants the benefit of not having to use a computer.
Be forewarned, if you plan on accessing this camera over the Internet, be prepared to do some learning on how to do so. It isn't easy for a first timer, but it is something that most anyone can learn if you put your mind to it. No, don't write me asking how, there are way too many variables. Check out some of my instructional pages to learn some of the basics.
 | Sample images showing how this camera performs under different lighting conditions |
Large images
640x480
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