Amcrest UltraHD 5MP Outdoor POE Camera 2592 x 1944p Bullet IP Security Camera, Outdoor IP67 Waterproof, 103° Viewing Angle, 2.8mm Lens, 98.4ft Night Vision, 5-Megapixel, IP5M-B1186EW-28MM (White)

These are my initial thoughts after getting it setup and working with my NVR (PorConnect A800+), but not installed.I got this camera to replace an AvertX camera that bit the dust after a disappointing short almost 6 years in use. The AvertX system from Costco came with 4K HD POE cameras (8MP). This system has been great, but in the last year 2 of the cameras have died and one more seems a bit on the way out. The replacement cameras from AvertX are $280. So, I hadn’t replaced those cameras immediately until I looked into my choices as I wasn’t really eager to spend $600 for three cameras.This camera feels real solid as far as weight goes, equivalent to the AvertX cameras that came with my system. The camera housing is metal. The mount is plastic. A couple things to note, that I have discovered as part of setting this up in my house for later installation outdoors:1. This is not a 4K camera and the ratio is different. The ratio with my Avertx cameras is 16:9 (3840 x 2160) like true HD. This camera is 4:3 (2592 x 1944).2. It is a little tricky to get the password changed. The AvertX software would not connect directly to the camera. I had to connect the camera Ethernet cable to my switch and then power the power injector dongle with a 30-year-old wall wart Radio Shack AC Adapter (Cat No 273-1662) set to 12V that had multiple connectors one of which actually fit the dongle. With that setup, I was able to use the Amcrest recommended network config tool (Amcrest_ConfigTool_Eng_V3.20.10.T.180715) to get the IP address of the camera and put that in my Chrome browser to directly connect to it. Once this was accomplished, I could actually change the default user ID and password. There are a lot of other settings in there as well, many of which are not accessible from within my AvertX user interface to the camera.3. Since this is not an AvertX camera, it appears I do not have the ability to change many of the settings of the camera using their software. See the pictures showing what is available with the AvertX camera vs. the Amcrest camera. Also, note that the AvertX camera capture has a Connect Directly to Camera link while the Amcrest does not.4. So far, I have not been able to figure out how to connect directly to the Amcrest camera while it is connected to my AvertX NVR. I have not tried any of the phone apps that Amcrest mentions in their documentation. So far, I have had to do the process in #2 to connect directly.For an almost $250 price savings (after taxes) over the AvertX camera, I am happy so far. It looks like I am giving up some setup conveniences for that savings and we’ll only know if it is worth it once 5 or 6 years have elapsed, to see if this one lasts as long. There are 4 AvertX cameras left and one of those has already changed as far as video quality goes. It may be on its last legs although the first two to die just quit without warning. The Phoenix desert heat has got to be brutal on these things. If this one works out over the next few months, I will probably feel more comfortable splurging for the Amcrest 4K version of this one (IP8M-2496EW-AI-V3) which seems to be regularly priced at about $100.I’ll update this review with my longer term findings after a few months.

The picture quality is more than enough for me, and I even turn the resolution down a little to have more time stored on my nvr, but these cameras produce clear video at high or low settings. This camera definitely has a starlight image sensor as it continues to show perfectly clear color video until its completely dark outside. The nightmode (black and white with IR lights) is good but as this only has 2 IR lights it will probably only sufficiently illuminate 20-30 feet at night.The firmware for this is outstanding as well. It has HTML5 video playback when you access the camera directly through an internet browser (no plugin or flash is required). It has all the necessary settings that I was able to get the camera to communicate and work great with an outdated Grandstream NVR. So in other words it is very customizable and follows the onvif standards close enough to play well with other equipment.Amcrest is an American company but these cameras are made by companies in China that often are closely tied to the Chinese government. So I would advise using a firewall to prevent the cameras from accessing the internet. And use an NVR or NVR software like blue iris to view the video from cameras. Amcrest only releases a couple of firmwares per model which makes me believe that they spend a lot of time making sure their firmwares are stable and checking for any holes before distributing them. I don’t see the lack of firmware as an issue because their firmware are very stable and aren’t lacking any features.I cant speak to the long term quality which is often a problem with cheaper cameras, but in terms of hardware and features this will be the only camera I buy going forward.

The price and quality of this camera makes it a good deal compared to more expensive brands. You are going to get a higher resolution for a better price. The setup of this camera is straight forward: Plug it in, run the app to find the camera, add in to the app, and view. You can hook this up to a NVR or just a regular switch to view Live Video.The App for mobile devices is practically the same you will see across other brands, but seems a bit better, is easy to use, and setup. Follow the instructions Amcrest provides with the camera andSetup took no more than 30 mins to have live viewing on your phone and/or Computer. I tested the Power-over-Ethernet (POE) and the Power directly to the camera if your switch doesn’t have POE, both worked great.I have the Camera hooked up to a Network Video Recorder (not Amcrest brand) and it works great, which is a big plus if you are looking at switching brands. Great to see that Amcrest is ONIVF compliant.Only Con is the IR light is not the best for a large outdoor areas at night, if you are trying to illuminate a large area in dark hours try to find a model with more than 98ft IR Distance. Amcrest has models with 131 ft. and 164 ft. IR distancesPros: Price, image quality, ease of setup, ONIVF, need to buy Ethernet cableCons: IR isn’t the best, Amcrest watermark on video.