Overall, I have to say I am impressed. Set up is easy, the camera works well, and the motion detection is sensitive.
Connection to a phone via Wi-Fi is necessary for set-up, and operation – but once set up is complete and a phone is paired, you can receive alerts through your phone, even when not on the same network. Using the camera does not require a subscription, which is an added bonus. (A cloud storage account is available for keeping historical data beyond what the SD card can hold is available).
Pros:
Excellent image resolution capture, even at night without lights. Choice to get color images at night.
Ability to check monitored space remotely and change camera angle directly from the phone, as well as initiate recording at any time.
Numerous options for alarms; none, 2 min, 5 min, and 10 min intervals.
Ability to change alarm settings to include voice (you can speak through the camera), lights, and alarm sound. In addition, you can also turn the red recording light on or off, which is helpful to keep the camera low-key to potential intruders.
Solar panel charging: biggest plus – as it allows use of the camera in areas where plug-ins are not available.
Notifications to phone when camera has recorded, and easy navigation of historical data.
Solar panel function to battery works well. I set the panel underneath a porch awning facing SW and even with overcast conditions the battery charge has not dipped below 85% within a week.
Ability to check numerous cameras at once from App dashboard.
SD storage - I use a 32G card, which started with 29.5G of available storage, after a week of use still I have 28G available for image storage. The card will automatically re-write itself deleting older images.
Cons:
Instruction manual leaves a bit to be desired. It does not include detailed outlines of camera interface functions or app dashboard. The App interface takes a few minutes of navigation to understand, including the capture setting options – having a walk-through or instructions within the included manual would be helpful.
I would recommend using your own screws for the mounting, as the ones included with the kit are rather short.
The solar panel arm is flimsy. I had to prop mine against existing infrastructure. You can fix this with tape or glue. However, I found this surprising considering the camera hardware and mount were much more substantial and well-made.
An SD card is not included with the camera, which is unfortunate as these can be had for minimal cost. However, this is about a $10 purchase.
Bottom Line: For the price, this is a relatively low-cost solution for a security camera. The cons are not insurmountable, with a little time one can easily figure out the camera settings and App navigation. Video does take a moment to ‘load’ for viewing as it is transferred through a Wi-Fi connection to your phone, but that is to be expected. I most liked that this is a product that does not require additional subscriptions to use.