Home

Tag: Outdoor Cameras

  • Top Ten Home Security Cameras

    Top Ten Home Security Cameras

    If you’re interested in home security, odds are that you would like to install a home security camera. However, there are tons of options out there for which one you should pick. Dealing with security companies and pushy salesmen is awful, to boot. So, what are you supposed to do? Luckily, we’ve compiled a list of the top ten home security cameras. If you’re hoping to secure your home, here’s a great place to start!

    Top Ten Home Security Cameras

    10. Netgear Arlo Go

    Photo Credit: Arlo

    This wireless camera works with Alexa and shoots in 720p. It offers both cloud storage and on-site storage, which is a cool plus. It can send you live feed straight to your phone if you pay for the cell service. However, it is pretty expensive: this camera will cost you around $430. That’s a pretty hefty price tag for a device that only shoots in 720p.

    9. Reolink Argus 2

    Photo Credit: Amazon

    This camera is a straightforward if dependable entry. It’s wireless and powered by its own internal battery. It doesn’t have a terribly loud siren, which is somewhat disappointing. It also can’t integrate with smart home devices, which is unfortunate. However, it’s weather-resistant and works great as an outdoor camera. This one will run you $130, which is a great price.

    8. Ring Spotlight Cam Battery

    Photo Credit: Amazon

    Triggered recording and a bright spotlight are two big upsides to this camera. It shoots sharp footage and has a very loud siren, which is great. However, you have to have a subscription to Ring’s service in order to view the recorded video. If you already have Ring devices at your house this one is a no-brainer. It’s also wireless and works with Alexa, making it a true smart-home device. It’s also pretty affordable, running $200.

    7. Nest Cam IQ Outdoor

    Photo Credit: Slashgear

    Nest’s first entry on this list is excellent, shooting 4K footage 24/7. It’s totally weatherproofed, which makes it ideal for outdoor use. It even has close-up tracking and HDR, making it great for those who need to really see what’s happening around their house. It will set you back, though: it runs $350.

    6. Tend Secure Lynx Indoor

    Photo Credit: Cnet

    This camera makes the list for just how darn affordable it is. It only runs around $60, yet it still shoots in 1080p. That’s a great value, but it’s somewhat offset by the lack of smart home integration. That said, it offers free cloud storage and even has facial recognition! It only works indoors, though, so keep that in mind.

    5. Nest Cam IQ

    Photo Credit: Nest

    Another entry from Nest, the indoor version of IQ is also a solid option. It costs a bit less, coming in at $300, but it offers many similarly excellent features. The Nest Cam IQ has two-way audio, letting you talk to people you can see from the camera. It has a ton of great smart home integration and shoots in 1080p. If you’re looking for a solid, if pricey, indoor camera, this is a fine option.

    4. Wyze Cam V2

    Photo Credit: TechHive

    If you though the Tend Secure Lynx Indoor was affordable, check out the Wyze Cam. This camera will run you a bank-shattering $20. Yeah, twenty, as in the same price as seeing a movie and getting some popcorn with it. For twenty bucks you get a camera that shoots in 1080p and offers local and cloud storage. It’s not the most high-tech thing in the world, but it will secure your home. If you’re looking for a simple, straightforward and affordable camera, go with this one. It’s a great deal!

    3. Netgear Arlo Pro 2

    Photo Credit: Storage Reviews

    This expensive but hefty camera is likely the best overall on this list, but it’s far too expensive to recommend to everyone. It will set you back $430, which is a lot, but you get a ton of features. The system shoots 1080p video, is completely waterproof and is wireless. This camera works great both outdoors and indoors and offers cloud storage for free. It even pre-buffers your videos when you go to watch playback! If only it was more affordable.

    2. iSmartAlarm iCamera Keep Pro

    Photo Credit: iSmartAlarm

    While this camera retails for $200, it offers a number of premium features. Mechanical tilt and pan let you feel like a master of security. You also get free cloud and local storage for all the footage you capture! As you would expect, it shoots 1080p and it even offers time-lapse shooting. The only downside to this camera is that it only works indoors!

    1. D-Link Full HD Wi-Fi Camera DCS-8300LH

    Photo Credit: Amazon

    A fully-integrated home security camera that offers 1080p shooting and Alexa support? Yes, please! Free cloud and local storage along with great voice commands make this one of the best home cameras. It even costs less than most of the competition: it’ll only set you back $90. While the other cameras on this list are great, the D-Link Full HD Wi-Fi Camera is the best overall interior home security camera. The only real downside here is some minor distortion from the style of body, but that’s not enough to make this anything less than the best bang for your buck.


  • Top Outdoor Cameras to Catch Porch Pirates

    Top Outdoor Cameras to Catch Porch Pirates

    You’ve definitely seen those hilarious videos where someone sets up an elaborate goof for package thieves. Everyone who has ever had a package stolen wishes the thief had snagged one of those glitter-spewing booby traps from YouTube instead of their actual merchandise. However, not everyone is an adept prankster, and not every package on your doorstep is a decoy for online shenanigans. There is something you can do to protect yourself, though: invest in one of the top outdoor cameras. These outdoor cameras give you a way to catch package thieves in the act and help you to alert authorities to these annoying nuisances.

    Top Outdoor Cameras

    Best Value

    If you’re looking for the best overall value in an outdoor camera, then you’re looking for the Amcrest UltraHD 4MP HD camera. If you’ve got Amazon prime, you can scoop this bad boy up for just $40, and it’s going to outperform pretty much every other camera in that price range while it’s at it. Installation isn’t exactly breezy, though, as it requires an ethernet cable in order to send the images it’s capturing anywhere.

    This isn’t exactly a bad thing, though! Many security experts urge homeowners to use cameras with hardwired connections instead of wireless cameras. Hardwired connections won’t go down due to wireless interference, weather conditions or dips in internet service. If you’re looking for a good storage solution for the UltraHD images this camera captures, Amcrest has you covered on that front, too.

    Amcrest sells both 4 and 8 channel DVR boxes that can track and record multiple camera signals at once. If you’re looking to keep a close eye on what happens in and around your home, these are a great option. After all, a camera alone won’t help you if it’s not recording any images! This way you can ensure the images are recorded and can be given to authorities should someone break the law in front of your camera.

    Best App

    If you’re looking for an outdoor camera with a stellar app, look no further than the Ring Floodlight Camera. You might know Ring for their doorbell technology that has a built-in motion-sensor camera and communications features. The Floodlight Camera is similarly excellent, easily sporting one of the best and easiest-to-use apps on the market.

    The camera itself is great, as it is both motion-activated and equipped with a microphone. That’s in addition to the camera’s speaker, which allows it to also double as a motion-sensor alarm. You can set it up to blare loudly if it detects motion to scare off potential ne’er-do-wells. The microphone and speaker also allow you to speak to anyone you see through the camera.

    The communications angle is great, as it uses the stellar Ring app to allow you to talk to people you catch on camera. If it’s just the mailman or someone you know, you can chat for a moment and see how things are going. If it’s a thief, you can tell them they’re on private property and are being recorded and to get the heck away from your stuff. In either event, this is a great camera for lovers of high-tech apps!

    Best Video Recording Quality

    The LaView 4K UltraHD Bullet Smart IP Surveillance Camera has the best recording quality of any outdoor camera you can find today. When you really, really need to make out the images your camera is detecting, image quality can be the biggest factor. That’s why a lot of security professionals recommend that those people who are serious about security should go with the absolute highest resolution cameras they can find. These high resolutions make it easier to make out features of thieves and intruders, making finding them after the act more likely.

    The LaView 4K camera offers incredibly sharp images, clear pictures and great quality that makes it well worth the price. While you may be paying a bit more for 4K image resolution, it’s important that your images be as clear and easy-to-read as possible. It won’t help investigators find someone if the footage you capture of them is blurry, soft and out-of-focus. Unlike on TV, you can’t zoom and enhance an image after it has been captured!

    LaView offers a package deal for security enthusiasts that includes 4 of the bullet cameras and 2 dome cameras, as well as a 3TB storage device to store the video your cameras take. This is a good thing, as 4K images tend to take up a lot of storage space, and 3TB is a ton of storage!