Well, the camera arrived on time, and I installed it. This is my fourth HooToo ptz camera, but the first one of this style with the enclosure, that I've purchased. It configured easily. Took about an hour to get it set up and tested for the features I use, and about 30 minutes to mount.There was a quality control problem, which was somewhat easily solved. Although, it's a "gotcha" and would most likely drive a less experienced person crazy (I'll go over that further down in this review). The physical installation went well, but again, there is one small design flaw that was annoying, and which added maybe ten minutes to the process. However, over all, it was pretty easy and painless.
The camera was shipped and delivered on time. Out of the box, it was in good shape, and all components were there. I was pleased to see a 6dbi antenna, instead of the usual 3dbi that come with these low-end cameras. I did not have to do any readjustments or tweaks to the optics. Picture is Chrystal clear, and the 4x mechanical zoom is sweet. The ptz movement is nice and smooth, too.
Initial configuration of the camera is exactly like all the other cameras in this class (Hootoo, and other brands). Connect it directly to the router, via ethernet, find it's ip, connect and play with it to make sure everything works, and then set the admin password, ssid, wireless security configuration, etc. Then, disconnect the ethernet and test for wireless connectivity. This all went fast and easy.
I then took it out to the location and mounted it. It is a nice compact unit, but it is difficult to get a screwdriver to the screws. I had to remove the camera and housing from the base so that I could get a screwdriver to the mounting screws. Then, once the base is screwed down, remount the camera. Not real difficult, but I managed to lose two of the teeny tiny screws that hold the camera to the base. and now have to find a couple more that fit. Not a huge problem, but annoying!
The primary "gotcha" was the fact that the MAC address listed on the camera housing was not the actual MAC address of the camera! I found that out when I was trying to reserve an ip address , and set port forwarding for the camera (to view remotely, via DDNS). I had copied the MAC down from the one listed on the camera housing, but that was not the same address that the camera reported to the router. The MAC that the router sees is the "real" MAC address. The one listed as "Device ID" in the "Device Status" window (in the on-board management software) is also correct. The one on the case was 100% different (i.e. not a typo, or incremented by one, etc). This is sloppy quality control on the part of HooToo, and will probably prevent many people who buy their product from being able to set up DDNS!
The software cd that came with this camera is not too good either. I installed it just to see what it was, but intend to uninstall it. I don't think it would be real helpful in setting up the camera, and probably will add some confusion for the novice, or someone who has not dealt with these cameras before. Also, the little manual that comes with it is good for comedy relief, but not much else.
And finally, the camera does not see infrared. At night it will only see areas lit with normal light ... So, if you have a well lit area, then go for it.
This camera will work well for anybody that does not have a need for night vision. The 4x mechanical zoom is awesome. For those installing it, remember to verify the MAC via the router and/or with the management software in the camera. Also, the CD and manual that comes with it are pretty much useless, but this is no different than any other security camera in this class (including the more expansive Foscam). I did give 4 stars due to the lack of IR, but all other features of the camera are very good.
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NOTE: My original review of this camera was pretty harsh, because of the lack of night vision. I have changed my review, due to the extremely good customer service of Sunvalleytek. It has been amazing! They immediately went to work setting things right. Paid for the return of this camera, and sent me a replacement camera, which does have night vision.
Sunvalleytek provides good quality products, and superb customer service. I am now very satisfied with this Amazon purchase from Sunvalleytek.
The video quality is grainy. I wish some other people would post a video or snapshots of their camera so I could have compared it against others. I am not sure if my camera is defective or if all of them are like this.
Unboxing was easy. You must unscrew the dome, counter-clockwise, to get the foam out of the dome. It was EXTREMELY difficult to unscrew the dome. I wish I would have read that on here. Putting it back on was easier as I took a dot of dish soap and put it on my finger and went around the threads on the dome and was careful not to cross thread it when I put it back on. Just be aware that the dome may be VERY difficult to get off.
The software that came on the CD was not useful to me. I used the Ethernet cable and plugged it into my router so it would get an IP address. I went into the router and determined what the IP address was under DHCP client list. It was easy to identify as the hostname appeared as ipcam or something like that. I then hit the IP address with my browser (Chrome), logged in as admin and a blank password, and set the network settings. I set my camera to have a static IP, otherwise I'd be playing guess the IP every time my router reboots. Then I went into the wireless settings, clicked scan, clicked scan again, selected my wireless network, set the security settings (look on your wireless router security settings for the correct encryption settings), put in the wireless password (I really hope you have one), saved the settings, put some user accounts on it, and unplugged the Ethernet cable. I then tested it to make sure it worked on the wireless. I then mounted it to a wall, outside.
You will need to drill a 7/8" hole, possibly 1", to stick the cables through. I was a bit disappointed there wasn't a harness you could disconnect so you could drill a smaller hole. I didn't end up drilling a hole and ran the cable up under my eve since I mounted it on a shed building. The camera pans all the way around no problem. You can adjust the left and right endpoints of the horizontal pan by using the two small screws at the top where the top of the dome connects to the mount. I mounted mine to the corner of my shed to get even a better viewing angle. I did this by bending the mounting bracket ears to about 45 degrees instead of the 90 degrees they were originally at. I did that using a vice, vice grips, and then finally mounted one ear of the bracket and then held the camera securely with one hand while tapping the other ear with a hammer to get it flat against the wall. Holding the camera made sure it didn't get the vibration from tapping on the mount with the hammer. Mounting was quick, it only took me less than half an hour. Once it is mounted, get power to it and you're good to go.
One thing I am disappointed in is the vertical pan. It can't pan up past the dome. So essentially I can't get a picture up hill. That is aggravating for me since my camera is mounted at the bottom of a hill where my horses are. It would have been great at the top of the hill! I figure most of them have this limitation, but I thought I would point it out. Technically if the camera were lower in the dome and then allowed to pan upwards more, it would be possible to make a PTZ that could pan up higher, so maybe the expensive ones do. Horizontally you couldn't ask for more. Unless you mounted it to slim pole or hung it by a string, the camera's blindspot is simply your wall, which you don't need to see. The zoom is ok, the optical 3x is better than nothing.
The web interface is easy to use. If you want to use IE to use the ActiveX component, which allows you to record video (that is what I used for the video), then you'll need to go into IE, add it to your local intranet zone or trusted sites zone, and configure the local intranet zone (or trusted sites zone) to prompt for installing and running activex by untrusted publishers. For goodness sake don't do this for your Internet zone for security reasons. Personally I use Chrome or Firefox most of the day so I don't care for the ActiveX component.
I was able to easily poke a hole through my router. The camera only works on port 80 so it is disappointing that your credentials are being transmitted over the net in plain text. Hence, use a password you don't care to lose. I used my router settings to put it on a different port on the outside of my router since I don't like running things on port 80.
Personally I use IP Cam Viewer (by Robert Chou) for Android to view it remotely. All the PTZ functions work with it. I found an article on the Zoneminder forums about getting the HooToo cams to work with Zoneminder, although I couldn't get it to work in 90 seconds so I gave up for the moment.
I will be curious how well the mount and dome stand up over a couple years outside. They seem painted good so let's hope for the best. The dome has a rubber seal so I don't expect it to get condensation in it.
My primary purpose was to add to several other bullet cameras I currently use on two other systems. I wanted to be able to pan around and watch my horses in the pasture while being able to track anything else I wanted. I should also mention I am on satellite Internet since we can't get DSL or cable in the boonies. It seems to work fine, although because of the satellite latency the PTZ is not as quick as if you are sitting at your computer at home. However, it's good enough for me. I'll use the bullets to identify someone if God forbid I had to, and this HooToo to be able to give me peace of mind watching my horses in the pasture.
UPDATE: I did contact HooToo support who offered to refund my money for the camera. I am in the process of obtaining a new CMOS sensor board (the part that captures the image) to see if I can get a better picture from the camera. If so, I will post an updated video and would definitely give the product a higher rating.I bought this camera to use as a barn cam to view my cattle while they are calving. It arrived in good condition and installation was tricky but acceptable for someone with computer/network experience. The IP Camera Tool software that comes with the camera is useful for obtaining the IP address. It is necessary to have DHCP enabled on your router for the tool to locate the ip address. The IPCamClient software that came with the camera is good and allows up to 64 cameras to be attached, and port forwarding to view the camera remotely. There are only 9 preset positions, but otherwise it works well. I found an updated software version on the web that worked better than the version on the disk, which seemed to have some glitches. The picture quality is quite good when there is adequate lighting. Daytime viewing is in color which is accurate, but night time switches to b/w. The IR led lights around the housing cast a limited amount of light in total darkness, but seem to help when there are some lights on. The zoom is a useful feature but could be higher power. Auto focus, white balance, and iris function are good. PTZ control is good wired but a little jumpy when used wireless. Once you have your presets set it works well. I have tried this camera in two locations. The first was outside mounted on a yard light pole. Daytime viewing was good, but nighttime was not bright enough. The second location is in a 40X80 calving barn. With several lights left on this camera is working well, but in total darkness you will only see shadows up to about 20 ft. I purchased a Loftek camera after this one because it looked identical and was cheaper, but the picture quality has not been as good. Overall, this is a good camera for daytime use and with supplemental lighting. The lens is good quality and the camera seems to be well made. It has been operating for about a week. I will update after I have used it for a longer time.Good camera with a decent picture. I mounted this in an upstairs window to keep an eye on my courtyard. The PTZ function works flawlessly. The set-up was very simple. Overall, amazing camera for the price. This is a perfect solution to log into your camera system software online from anywhere in the world and see what's going on at your house/business/etc. Additionally, Sunvalleytech's customer service was AMAZING a lost art in today's world. Overall, pleasantly pleased with the product and the experience. Keep in mind, this camera is not onvif compatible. So if you have a NVR that requires onvif compatibility, this camera will not function through your NVR. Again, this is a perfect online solution camera.The setup for this camera is nearly identical to the other brands on here, and if you run into any problems there's a wealth of info on the forums. It always helps to do some research first, and it can save you a lot of headaches especially if you are not the tech saavy type.
Overall, I was surprised how easy this was to setup. I basically just plugged it into my router via a cat5 to access the web interface, setup the wifi, then moved it to my place of choice. I was happy with the quality of the video and smoothness of the pan & tilt, and the zoom in/out function is a plus. The infrared night vision works great, and for android phones, I recommend the TinyCam monitor pro app for $3.99 which works with the Kindle Fire as well.
Unfortunately, this doesn't have a mic/speaker so look elsewhere if you need one with that feature. However for an outdoors camera, I would say it isn't really needed.
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