Review on Brinno SHC1000 Front Door Peephole Security Camera - Motion Detection & Knocking Sensor - Easy Installation - Extended Battery Life - Clear Image - Wire-Free - Digital Visitor Log - Black by Benjamin Michels

Why did I buy this? I read the reviews and weighed all the options as I live in an apartment building and can't place the camera in a common area like the front hallway. Theft was rampant in my building and delivery was unreliable as delivery times were inaccurate or falsified depending on the carrier to meet deadlines (I'm looking at you Revain Logistic Contractors). I needed something to record deliveries and thieves. Which version did I buy? Brinno Peephole Front Door Security Camera - Motion Detection - Knock Sensor - Easy to Install - Excellent Battery Life - Clear Image - Wireless - Digital Visitor Log - Black (SHC1000) Build Quality: 2/5. The LED block in the door felt surprisingly solid despite being made out of supposedly cheaper plastic. The external "door knocker" that holds the motion sensor was also beneficial. The hammer handle was so light that the internal knock sensor couldn't pick it up when you tried to use it. The plastic is so light that when you pick up the hammer it won't fall under its own weight. As something that's the first impression of who you are, it screams paranoid about budget. You can't "update" the peephole, but I'll get to that later. Installation Installation: 3/5 This includes a peephole wrench that makes it easy to remove the old peephole and install the Brinno. The instructions are sometimes unclear, but after some trial and error during the installation, it worked. The device lost contact with the motion sensor and the built-in hammer, so I had to reset everything several times until everything worked. Functionality: 2/5 Because this device lights up briefly and then crashes. The idea of a peephole camera without having to specifically connect a Chinese spy camera to the Raspberry Pi is a nice solution. It even has an LED screen that lets me see the road at the touch of a button. where is the crash At first the movement worked 24 hours and then stopped. Batteries and resync did not solve the problem. Second, all recordings are located on a microSD card. There is no remote access to the camera. Third, the knock sensor should be set to maximum as the Brinno doesn't always seem to sense knocks. Fourth, the camera itself is limited to a 120⁰ viewing angle. I see neither the carpet in front of my door nor the packages lying there. However, I can clearly see my neighbors in the hallway. The motion sensor is also limited to 120⁰, but that's not a big deal. Brinno take a moment too, ok. 2-3 seconds to start recording. This can be frustrating as most carriers not looking for a signature will fall and run, and even if they knock and run you'll end up with a lot of "blank" frames. What Brinno needs to change: First increase the FOV from 120⁰ to 190⁰ or 200⁰. Any hardware store has them for ≤$15. This device would be incredibly useful if everything worked to have a 200⁰ field of view. Second, make the hammer for the SHC1000 metal or strike handle and partially hit the metal. The quality is poor and just doesn't look, feel or work at all. Third, make a version with Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. While you're at it, give it a bigger screen. I would pay more to tick those three boxes. To be honest I wouldn't even like the LED screen if I could access it from my phone or computer. TLDR: 2/5. The cheap design combined with a limited 120⁰ field of view and a buggy motion sensor make it a great LED peephole at best, but with low security. Device.