FOSCAM Outdoor Security Camera,G4 Full HD 4MP 2K WiFi Security Camera, Alexa Compatible, AI & Motion Detection, Free Cloud Service Included, 65ft Night Vision IP66 Weatherproof,Black

I’ve got a bunch of Foscam cameras, both indoors (the cheap baby cameras) and outdoors. I’ve used one of their 1K HD outdoor cameras pointed at the sky for about 8 years and it still works perfectly. These are popular cameras for weather enthusiasts using Weather Underground because they have a lot of firmware and software features that allow you to integrate these cameras into other platforms, beyond just the Foscam cloud services. They are a great value for the money! Image quality and night vision are excellent!My only complaint is that you must purchase a separate cloud subscription for each camera as they no longer offer a blanket option for all your cameras, similar to that being offered now by Ring and many other manufacturers. Hey, Foscam…PLEASE FIX THIS!I have also installed Foscam cameras for friends with great results.I don’t want to post a photograph of my entire yard but I will include an image from my older Foscam camera (#1, my SkyCam) where you’ll see my flagpoles. I’ll also include an image from a and less expensive Foscam 1K camera (#2) that I added in January and have now pointed at the sky. (This camera is mounted next to the 2K camera being reviewed here.) My 3rd image will be this specific 2K camera *cropped* (#3) so you can compare the resolutions.This 2K camera has a bit wider viewing angle than some of their 1K cameras, but the iPhone app seems to crop some of the image on the left and right, so what is seen in the app doesn’t seem much wider than their other outdoor cameras. (I’m hoping a future app tweak will fix that.)I ordered this specific camera model to install on my garden house to view my backyard and house. I ordered another brand of microphone for audio since this outdoor camera doesn’t have a built-in microphone. (I’ve reviewed that microphone separately.)This camera has worked flawlessly for the last few months and the only issue has been the occasional spider that decides the camera is a great place to build a web because the infrared LEDs are attracting insects. Whenever that happens, I grab my electric leaf blower and shoot a blast of air at the camera and the spiderweb is gone.Foscam is one of the more reasonably priced Chinese brands, however they are very innovative and have been around for quite some time. They also manufacture some very high-end imaging products (thermal, etc.) for commercial environments, so they are not just another company selling cheap copycat cameras.Their smartphone app is excellent …well-designed, easy to use with many features. It’s a perfect app for monitoring multiple cameras and it’s easy to add shared access for individual cameras for those wanting friends or relatives to keep an eye on things.I’ve also used inexpensive Foscam “baby cameras” in each room to monitor an elderly parent. The baby cameras are like 33 bucks each (sometimes less) and are perfect for monitoring each room in your house; a much better solution than the big name brands! (I have a Ring Pro doorbell and seven of the battery-powered Blink cameras so I’m familiar with other brands). I definitely prefer the Foscam cameras where I have an electrical outlet within reach. However, there are places where a battery-powered camera is the best choice.This review is much longer than I had originally planned but I’ve had such good luck with these cameras that I felt the insight might be helpful to others that might want to standardize on a single camera brand.

I have six of these cameras (five new, one refurb), and three R2's (two new, one refurb).They're built well, are fairly easy to set up, look inconspicuous, and are consistent in working - haven't had any major issues yet, other than the refurb's lock screw not locking in place (more on this later).Setup - I see a lot of reviews stating that the WiFi setup doesn't work. They can be a bit temperamental SOMETIMES, but I have a found that there is a workaround. Connecting the camera to a network cable and going through the installation process will allow the camera to do its thing and become functional. Then, once connected, going into the network settings and switching to a WiFi connection will work. I usually do the setup routine outside of its final spot, just in case there's a connection issue. They do keep connection settings when unplugged and do come right back to life once plugged back in - only the time needed to be synced again.Installation - all depends on how it's mounted. The wire pigtail contains a full Ethernet plug so it is kind of bulky so that needs to be taken into consideration with regards to mounting the camera. The junction box that Foscam offers is pretty nice for this.Customer service - great! Going back to the refurb camera having a busted locking mechanism, I contacted customer service. Zion helped me out and was super helpful in getting a replacement camera out to me ASAP. All in all, the whole thing took a week, and that's with shipping times included. Definitely satisfied there!Few minor issues to bring up --The initial WiFi connection issue.-The stainless cameras DO have an SD card slot built in but it's hidden. In order to access it, you have to remove the outer lens cover (2 allen screws) and then the camera/LED array (4 screws). The slot is in there, I promise. The newer white and black cameras have a little compartment on the body for it. Not a big deal but it could be intimidating the first time. They also use a nowadays rare (FAT32) format so that might be a bit difficult to figure out for beginners.-Translation problems - some of the menus in the phone and computer apps aren't perfectly translated so there could be some trial and error testing of settings to do. Not a big deal to most, but something may not work right the first time.Pro tip - the computer program offers more granular options for a few things than the phone app. It's realistically best to have access to both the computer and phone apps.