Review on 📷 Amcrest UltraHD 5MP Outdoor POE Camera: High-Definition Bullet IP Security Camera with Waterproof Design, Wide Viewing Angle, and Powerful Night Vision by Garrett Flores

UPDATE 2: I've upgraded my rating to 4 stars based on the fact that they worked for a month. So far I am very happy with the performance of these cameras, the image width, depth of field and clarity deserve high marks for a camera at a reasonable price. Once I figured out how to manipulate the mount so I could point the camera where I wanted, everything went smoothly. I initially thought the lens hood was too short, but it seems to work well enough, although I still think they should lengthen the setting by half an inch. My setup was very detailed and time consuming because I wanted to make it clean and maintenance free. I used a good quality solid copper cable and a PoE switch, made sure there were no exposed wires, and tested the open source NVR software to complete the setup. Amcrest has a good tool for installing or configuring cameras (Amcrest IPconfig) but I would like them to update their surveillance software to include different configuration methods for web access in addition to the paid subscription model they may have or will appear. on from. In short, this project was fun, I still have 2 more cameras to install, but I'm sure everything will go as smoothly as the others, just make sure you use a good cable and a PoE switch. I've posted a photo to show how it looks installed, at first glance they aren't obvious, it took my neighbor a while to notice they were there and they weren't too happy, which to me that icing on the cake was. UPDATE: Before I sent them back I sat down and looked at them closely to see if I could use them as planned. Well after a bit of research I found that you get a lot of flexibility in camera positioning if you do the following. Remove the locking screw from the white sleeve (fixes the base to the camera ball), be careful to hold the camera head as it will become very loose2. Slide the white sleeve toward the camera, you need to manipulate the camera to make the sleeve have the maximum stretch3. Once you do this, you will notice the base rotate (you may hear or feel a click)4. Adjust the base to the desired position, then slide the bushing back to its original position and insert the set screw 5. The bushing has a rubber seal which you may or may not see depending on the bushing travel, just make sure The gasket is in place when assembled6. Now mount the camera, make the final adjustments and tighten the set screw. I increased the rating by 1 star because I think the camera still looks good, but the lack of instructions on how to fine-tune the positioning is undocumented (or what I could find) and was a source of frustration and wasted time in the process search for alternatives. The bad first: 1. Unless you plan on putting this camera in the right spot, don't expect any adjustments other than up and down (maybe). If you plan to place the monitor off-center in the viewing area, the ball mount does NOT allow for horizontal and vertical alignment to center the viewing area, eliminating blind spots.2. If you need to change the orientation to get the right adjustment, there is a risk that the cable will point up inside the ball joint, allowing rain and snow to collect and enter the unit or backbox.3. The recess in the base for cable routing also restricts the installation position. If you align the slot in any position other than the down position, you will definitely encounter a chamber or junction box with water and snow. The sunshade is too small, almost unusable. They don't connect at gigabit speeds, which means every port on my expensive GB switch that they connect to is a waste of resources. I suspect some of the video delays are the result of low line speeds. Pros: 1. If you are one of the lucky few who are lucky enough to place the device where you want without any adjustment, consider yourself lucky. The units are heavy and metal and appear to be well made.3. I only turned on one camera before noticing the poor design quality mentioned above, but the image seemed sharp BUT with noticeable lag.