Review on 📷 Songhe ESP32-CAM WiFi Module with OV2640 Camera for Arduino Development Board (3pcs) by Jim Booth

I bought this on a whim and as far as I can tell it is pins and hardware compatible with the Ai-Thinker ESP32 CAM module . If you have trouble using it, you can probably solve it with one of the tutorials developed for this module (google search). Here are some tips that can solve many of the problems that other users are complaining about: 1) The default firmware creates an access point on the device that you can connect to and view the camera image. It works, but it's useless for anything practical. You need an FTDI programmer to install the new firmware and do something interesting with it. 2) Don't try to read the silkscreen on pen labels, they are too small and poorly printed. Just use one of the pinouts available online to let Ai-Thinker ESP32-CAM know what's what. 3) To put it in programming mode to download new firmware, short GPIO0 to GND *BEFORE plugging in the programmer, it is grounded for the entire programming process (use a jumper cable or similar). It must be grounded before the ESP chip can be powered. Once downloaded, remove the pin, click reset and the new firmware will boot. Works for me every time. 4) Apply power to the 5V pin to program it. Your FTDI programmer must have a 5V pin. The 3.3V pin has problems. It gets 4 stars instead of 5 because it really should contain at least a guide to programming, a pinout, and a better description of how the stock firmware works. But I can't beat this price. WiFi camera for less than $10? What an amazing world we live in!