Q-See QM6008B-2 High-Resolution 600TVL Cameras Black

You can't beat the Q-see quality/value ratio. I paid 80 dollars for a two pack and ended up ordering two to replace some k-guard 420 TVL cameras. There is a 4 pack available but at the time of writing this, the 4 pack was 299! You can really tell the difference between 420 and 600 tvl. I would say about the difference between VHS and DVD quality; not HD but decent enough to make out faces much more so then the 420.

I have mine mounted underneath the eaves of my roof above some motion security lights; I cannot tell the difference between when the motion lights are off vs on, the night vision is that good. (There is a little clicking noise when the camera activates the physical B&W filter, I'm not sure how reliable that will be over the life of the product, but it sounds well made if that makes sense) However, my roof line is pretty short so the eaves are only 10 maybe 12 feet above the ground and during the night the IR blasters are so powerful they really blow out white areas and the camera has to self adjust which it does, but probably not fast enough to catch the face of an intruder. I would say it took .5 maybe 1 second to adjust to the blow out. That being said, this only occurs when someone is really close to the lens, so if your camera is mounted up high I don't see this being a problem. The quality is very good and will help in identifying faces.

Included in the box are two 60ft cables, decent quality, and a BNC to RCA adapter so you could plug the cameras straight into a monitor with RCA in for testing.

There is also a little tip sheet indicating first use may show a really dark picture. To resolve that you have to put your hand over the lens for 10 seconds to "calibrate" the camera... I did not have to do this and they worked right out of the box.

The main reason I bought these was to upgrade from 420 tvl to 600 tvl but I was very impressed the build quality of the cameras over my previous k-guard ones. The cables are routed through the mount so its impossible that they can get cut. However there is a routed slot in the base to route the cable out the bottom if your installation doesn't permit the other option. The glare shade is removable and adjustable but there are no slots that it slides into or locks into place in any way. It just kind of "hugs" the contours of the camera body, but it is very snug and I don't see it coming off accidentally.

What you see in the amazon picture is what you get, a very nice darker shade of silver (anodized?), very bright IR blaster, good quality auto-focus 600 tvl sensor (if a little slow to adjust) and excellent build quality at this price point. I highly recommend them!

These are absolutely great cameras for the price. Quality is much better than 400 line cameras. Video is sharp both at night and during the day.

But, if it were possible to give a 4.5 instead I would have dinged them half a point for the mounts. Getting correct aim is more of a challenge with the supplied brackets then a ball-type joint would have been. There are three different joints you have to play with. If you're at the top of a 24' ladder trying to get the aim correct, it's a little challenging. But the video quality is worth it (since I didn't fall and kill myself in the aiming process :).

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UPDATE: 12.18.12, My review was written when these cameras were purchased at seventy-nine dollars for the 2-pack. At that price I would still consider them a five star camera. However, the price has jumped to one-hundred-forty-nine dollars for the pair. The previous price did count for at least one star. Luckily I bought another pair before the price increase.

The cameras are well made and appear vandal proof. All metal construction with removable shield that I painted white to make them a bit more stealthy (see pic).

60' cables and power adapter are included making these cameras truly plug and play. 600 TVL provides a decent image but don't expect crystal clear images at distances over 50 feet. The IR works but is somewhat grainy at 60+ feet.

I use these with a Q-See QS458 8 Channel DVR. They are too sensitive at level 1 so I backed them down to Level 2 sensitivity. No more false recordings from the palm tree in the front yard.

Installation is moderately easy for a DIY'er. To make them truly vandal proof you need to pass the cables through the middle of the mount that way they cannot be cut. Or mount them high enough to prevent cutting (see pic).

By piecing your surveillance system together, instead of buying a kit, you can save money and get better cameras. These 2 600 TVL cameras, plus a QS458 DVR w/ 1tb HDD Video Rated was only $321. I bought the DVR w/o a HDD so I could add a better HDD than what is normally included on the kit deals.

While I was up in the attic running camera cables I also ran an extra CAT5 cable from the router to the DVR. This puts the surveillance system on the network allowing us to view the cameras from anywhere, even our Android phones.

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This Q-See bundle is a fantastic value because you get 2 cameras, not just one. For non-professional-grade monitoring at a low cost, I would definitely recommend this product. The cameras are constructed of metal and are quite sturdy. The cables are Y shaped on both ends, and color-coded and labeled as to which end connects to the DVR and which end connects to the camera. One small AC adapter powers both cameras. I used a BNC to RCA adapter to connect the cameras to my TV. The cable routes through the base and then through your wall, so it can't be cut from the outside by vandals or intruders. Setup was quite easy and I was ready to test out my cameras within 10 minutes of unboxing. I didn't have to calibrate the sensors.

I tested the camera in normal household lighting, dim indoor and outdoor lighting, and total darkness. Under normal lighting, faces were easy to recognize. Under low lighting or darkness, the camera switches to infrared mode (color drops off) and faces become a bit harder to distinguish, but not by much. This isn't a problem unless you are trying to identify the faces of total strangers from more than 20 ft away. Clothes and other features are still clearly visible and sharp. There's no lag or interference, and what surprised me was the camera being able to catch specs of dust floating around in front of the lens! (My basement is dusty).

I put one of the camera in a room of total darkness and panned it around. The infrared sensors worked impressively. I saw all my furniture and clutter in bright grey scale, with no loss of clarity. Aiming it down an unlit corridor, I got about 30 ft of clear visibility towards the back of the house. For outdoor monitoring, effective range varies a lot with lighting conditions and obstructions. You'll have to play around with placement to get the best angles and performance from the infrared LEDs. For best results, you shouldn't have any objects in your line of sight close to the camera, as the infrared will bounce off these surfaces and blow out the image to white. I had some rose bush branches near my lens, for example, which limited the range of the camera. After repositioning to a clear line of sight, I got a good view of my neighbor's porch about 30-35 ft away. I think this is the ideal radius for outdoor night-time monitoring with the Q-See. But again, your mileage may vary.

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had a haze and circle at night-had to return cameras-not clear -very disappointed-have to shop around again-will try to increase TVL ,this one was 600 TVL.see if that makes a different