Panasonic BL-C140A Outdoor MPEG-4 Network Camera (Silver)

This review is going to be somewhat technical and I'll mention some other choices. I've installed more than 10 Panasonic network cameras across the product line; so how does this one compare? The whole series is rock solid reliable. As far as the practical use as an outdoor cam, the BL-C140A is a middle of the road compromise. As other reviewers have discovered, the night time image quality is not very good. The BL-C140A has a 1/4" CMOS sensor which produces a little bit better daytime image than the 1/6" CMOS on the popular BL-C111A and BL-C131A models. If you're looking for a cam to mount in an outdoor location that is protected from direct moisture (like hanging under a sheltered roof eave) then I'd recommend the Panasonic BB-HCM511A instead. The BB-HCM511A uses a CCD sensor (vs. CMOS) that produces a richer dynamic range of colors during the day, and has much better low light sensitivity. It can still show the scene under moonlight, whereas the BL-C140A would show a pitch black view. If you truly need an "outdoor" camera because it's going to be exposed to the rain, then the BB-HCM531A is an excellent outdoor model. The only difference between the BB-HCM511A and BB-HCM531A is that the BB-HCM531A comes with an extra plastic cover for the connectors in the back. Panasonic charges more than $200 for this piece of plastic, so it you're crafty you can make your own weatherproof cover for the BB-HCM511A cable connectors and save some money (hint: silicone sealant works). Note that if you don't already have a POE enabled switch, the BB-HCM series doesn't come with a POE injector so you need to order that separately. Coming back to this BL-C140A model, the other thing I didn't like is that the POE (Power Over Ethernet) is proprietary instead of using the industry 802.3af standard. So if you have a POE switch then it won't be able to use all the neat power management features. The BB-HCM series however does support the 802.3af POE standard. If your budget is just enough for this cam, the BL-C140A still a wonderful unit. If you can afford to pay just a little bit more then check out the other models I mentioned and you'll get a superior night time view. Here's another tip, if you want to have the camera view on your desktop all the time in Vista or Windows 7, go to the Microsoft Windows Live Gallery and search for Panasonic to download the CoconutView Sidebar Gadget. Then you won't even need to open the browser windows to get a peek at what the camera is seeing.

It's great that this camera comes with a POE adapter so you can power it over an ethernet cable. However, it doesn't work with standard POE switches, which is a pain. If you already have a POE switch (like I do) then you can't power this camera from that switch, you still need to use their (included) power block. Ugh, just what I need, another little transformer wasting electricity in my basement.

Also, it's a pain to setup on Mac or Linux. After about 30 minutes of trying to find the camera on my network by looking at my router's DHCP table, I finally pulled out an old dusty Windows PC and ran the setup routine. It found the IP address for me and that was enough. Once I had the IP address, I was able to configure the camera from my Mac's browser.

Hey hardware manufacturers, please use standard mechanisms to setup your hardware. You know, like DHCP and HTTP. Not everyone has a Windows PC around to run you buggy setup software.

Buy Panasonic BL-C140A Outdoor MPEG-4 Network Camera (Silver) Now

I researched every cam out there before buying the BL-C140A from Amazon. I mounted it under the eaves of our garage above a motion-activated halogen light a super idea from one of the Amazon reviews. Installation was very easy basically plug & play and everything worked right out of the box. The included PoE (power over ethernet) means you only have to run a Cat5 cable to the unit. I mounted the small PoE converter 50' from the cam and it works great. (Note; The manual says not to exceed 98' from the cam to the converter.) Pic quality is excellent. The included viewnetcam.com website means you can monitor several cams on one page over the internet for free, which is really sweet. Panasonic has by far the best bang for the buck when it comes to security cams for homeowners, IMHO. I'll be buying several more of these in the near future for sure!

Read Best Reviews of Panasonic BL-C140A Outdoor MPEG-4 Network Camera (Silver) Here

This is by far the cheapest outdoor IP camera out there that does power-over-ethernet (POE). As a plus, it include its own POE injector, saving an additional fifty dollars on buying one separately. So far it works well, except the image gets very noisy in the dark. However, I'm very satisfied with this camera for the price.

The next cheapest outdoor one with POE is the Toshiba IK-WB15A IP Security Pan/Tilt/Zoom Camera, which I also own and costs over twice as much, but is superior in nighttime image quality, and include pan/zoom features. However, the Toshiba camera is also much bulkier and obvious when mounted on the outside of the house than this Panasonic camera is.

Want Panasonic BL-C140A Outdoor MPEG-4 Network Camera (Silver) Discount?

This was my first network camera to set up surveillance at my home/shop area. DUring the day time the picture is great. At night, I had to help it a little by installing a dual flood quartz security light system about 3 feet from it. This combination works pretty well. The security light is motion activated and brightly lights up the area where the camera is focused.

The PTZ features aren't something I feel I need, so the price is right on this camera. The power injector is included which is a nice touch, and it was easy to install. Very nice, neat mounting stand. Well designed, and just a great overall camera. I recommend it highly.

Save 5% Off