I have been running webcams around my house for years. As a network engineer, the do-it-yourself webcams are easy to setup. I've been running 5 Panasonic series webcams looking out on my front and back yards. Each camera needs programming to allowing viewing and receiving alerts. I decided to take a chance on buying a dropcam and letting them do the networking for me. Here is my first impression:
The Good: The camera took all of a minute to get online. I plugged it in, the app found it, and it was ready. The image was the best I have seen in a consumer grade webcam. The dropcam pro with it's wide angel lens covered so much area in HD, it takes the place of two of my Panasonic Cams for the same field of view. This Dropcam was installed in my Mancave. I was most impressed with the night vision. Once the lights went out, you can see absolutely everything in night vision. I have three cats in the house, so it made for some interesting late night clips!
The Good: Dropcam's website and apps are decent. The delay to the video is less then a half second, so it's as realtime as it gets when watching your home from afar. The alerts seem to be working well. After the first 24 hours of learning the alerts, I should be able to label the different activities the camera detects. Should be interesting to see if the alerts can actually distinguish between the cats running around from people entering the room.
The Good: The DVR feature they provide is working terrific for the 14 day trial. I love being able to instantly look back and see older activity I missed. I will probably subscribe to it.
The Good: This camera has a two-way talk feature. So far the only thing I have used it for was to talk to my cats while I was at work. They heard me because they look up at the camera when I am saying hello! I am sure there are plenty of better reasons to use it.
The Good: Mounting options are decent. You can pretty much mount this thing anywhere. Using the mounting bracket, you can actually angel the camera if you need to, even though the hinge allows for one movement.
The Bad: The camera has a nice indicator light, but you can only know if the camera is online and streaming, offline, or other problem. I would like to be able to set an indicator light that shows someone is logged in and actually viewing the camera. When they logout, the light should go out. That way you know someone is accessing the camera. Perhaps Dropcam will add that feature in a future firmware upgrade.
The Bad: To watch your home cameras, you are at the mercy of Dropcam's network. If their site goes down, so does your access. Also, you can only use their service for cloud storage of your videos (DVR). It's a great business for them, but makes the endeavor expensive for us working class!
Overall: A decent camera upgrade for home. There is enough capability to call this a viable security system. As long as your in your wifi coverage at home, you can drop one of these anywhere, as long as their is a power outlet. After buying the first Dropcam and testing it, I went and bought 3 more. Amazon limits a purchase of 2 from their prime buying option, so I had to buy a third from a different vendor. The quality is great.
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This Item  Dropcam Pro indoor Wi-Fi Wireless Video Monitoring Security Camera 720p |  |  |  |  |  | |
| Price | — | -10% $89.98 List: $99.99 | $38.99 | -33% $19.98 List: $29.98 | $15.99 | -9% $36.49 List: $39.99 |
| Delivery | — | Get it as soon as Saturday, May 4 | Get it as soon as Saturday, May 4 | Get it as soon as Saturday, May 4 | Get it as soon as Saturday, May 4 | Get it as soon as Saturday, May 4 |
| Customer Ratings | ||||||
| Night vision | ||||||
| Motion detection | ||||||
| Picture quality | ||||||
| Value for money | ||||||
| Easy to install | ||||||
| Sold By | — | EagleEyeCCTV | SKL-US | Amazon.com | MagitcSee | Amazon.com |
| power source | — | Corded Electric | Corded Electric | Corded Electric | — | Battery Powered |
| video resolution | 720p | 1080p | 3 MP | 1080p | — | 720p |
| wireless tech | Bluetooth, Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi |
| mounting type | Wall Mount | Wall Mount | Wall Mount | Wall Mount | Surface | Wall Mount |
| alert type | — | Motion Only | Audio and Motion | Audio and Motion | — | — |
| number of channels | 2 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 1 |
From the manufacturer
60-second setup
Open the box and remove the camera. Connect to your Wi-Fi network via your computer, iOS, or Android mobile phone. Name your camera and create an account. You're ready to stream!
Dropcam Pro
Meet Dropcam
Dropcam is a cloud-based Wi-Fi video monitoring service that helps you stay connected to places, people and pets. Receive activity alerts on your smartphone, tablet or computer. Add optional Cloud Video Recording (CVR) to access video from the past week or month.
Features
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Stunning Video—130° field of view, 8x zoom, and 720p HD Video. Night Vision—Keep an eye on things, even in the dark. Optional Sharing—Share your stream with friends or make it public. |
Two-way Talk—Talk directly to people and pets. Intelligent Alerts—Receive notifications for motion and sound. Scheduling—Set alerts based on time of day or your location. |
Mobile & Web Apps—Watch remotely from your devices. Live Secure Streaming—Stream safely with bank-level encryption. Automatic Updates—Get new features with camera and app updates. |
Dropcam + Nest Thermostat
When a user manually sets Away/Home mode:
> Alerts turn on or off, respectively
> Cameras turn on or off, respectively
Works with Nest
Dropcam + Nest Protect
When a safety event occurs (smoke or CO is detected):
> Cameras in your home turn on automatically
> A clip is generated and saved automatically during an event, even if you’re not a subscriber
> User receives a notification of the event on their mobile device
> Event is added to your activity feed and Cloud Recording timeline (as applicable)
Requirements
- High Speed Internet: DSL, Cable, FiOS
- Web Browser: Internet Explorer 7+, Firefox 3+, Safari 3+, Chrome
- Optional Devices: iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, and/or Android Device
- Wi-Fi: 802.11b/g/n (WEP, WPA, WPA2 encryption supported)
- iOS Mobile Setup works with iPhone 4S (or later) including iPhone 5,5C, and 5S & iPad 3 or later
- Android Mobile Setup works with the Nexus 5 and all Samsung devices running Android 4.3 or later
Technical Specifications
In the box:
> Pro HD Camera
> Aluminum stand
> Wall mounting hardware
> 10-foot USB cable
> USB power adapter
- Product Dimensions:4.5" x 3.15" x 3.15"
- Weight: 5.7oz (162g)
- Power: 5V DC, 2.0A
- Camera: Color with digital zoom
- Video: H.264 encoding, up to 720p HD (1280 x 720) at 30 frames/sec
- Field of View: 130 degrees
- Audio: Speaker and microphone
- Night Vision: High-power infrared LEDs
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| Dropcam | Dropcam Pro | |
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| Customer Reviews |
2,304
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2,605
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| Price | $129.99 | — |
| Field of View | 107° | 130° |
| Zoom | 4x | 8x |
| Night Vision | Good | Excellent |
| Audio Quality | Solid | Superior |
| Mobile and Web Apps | ✓ | ✓ |
| 2-Way Talk | ✓ | ✓ |
| Intelligent Alerts | ✓ | ✓ |
| Wi-Fi | 2.4GHz | 2.4GHz and 5.0GHz |
| Setup | Computer | Computer, iOS, or Android devices |
| Camera Color | Silver | Black |
Reviews with images
AWESOME CAMERA FOR COMMERCIAL USE
We have been using high end camera systems in our office building for a number of years. It was recommended that I give this one a shot. I had maintenance install a outlet above ceiling and made sure wi-fi reached to this part of the building. I was concerned how I was going to mount this and not have the picture upside down. I found a setting that allows you to flip the image over 180 degrees which means you can mount the bracket on the ceiling and the image will still be right size up. Nice touch.It only took about about 10 minutes to get this up and running. You can buy on-line storage that will hold all movement for 7 days or 30 day increments which is certainly cheaper than buying a DVR and can be accessed from anywhere.Picture quality is fantastic (see photo). It also has sound capability so you can hear what is going on around camera at all times. You can set camera to record off movement or sound. Nice feature. IF you want to focus on one small area to record you can. For example on the picture below, I can select the area where the glass door is and it will only record /alarm if motion is sensed in that area. You select the area by using mouse and drawing box (or multiple) around what you want to trip recording. You can also select mode where the little LED light on the front of the camera can be set to come on when recording or stay off completely (which I use) Super easy to use.Only drawback is these are indoor cameras NOT outdoor which would be nice to have. You can however, put this close to window (not touching) but close and it takes great outdoor images (tested for several days) Unit generates heat which is why you don't want it up next to cold glass as it will fog up.I plan on installing several more of these throughout the building.
Top reviews from the United States
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Reviewed in the United States on May 10, 2014
Style: NewProduct Packaging: Standard PackagingVerified Purchase
Reviewed in the United States on October 11, 2013
Style: NewProduct Packaging: Standard PackagingVerified Purchase
Top reviews from other countries
Richard Hut
Very high quality
Reviewed in Germany on July 17, 2015Style: NewProduct Packaging: Standard PackagingVerified Purchase
Iain Fergusson
Best cam I've tried (and I've tried lots)
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 22, 2013Style: NewProduct Packaging: Standard PackagingVerified Purchase
B P SKINNER
Excellent camera which works straight out of the box
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 8, 2014Style: NewProduct Packaging: Standard PackagingVerified Purchase
Mark Miller
Warning: not compatible with the BT Home Hub
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 26, 2014Style: NewProduct Packaging: Standard PackagingVerified Purchase
Miklos Nagy
Be careful with this camera before buying it
Reviewed in Germany on August 21, 2014Style: NewProduct Packaging: Standard PackagingVerified Purchase
