I’m always happy when I get a chance to try out new security cameras. I use IP cameras for my business and I currently have a couple of Samsung wireless IP (SNH-1011N) cameras and love the idea of wifi cameras, especially when they have good mobile apps. Read on for my review of the Swann ADS-445 Wireless IP Camera.
- Internet security camera packed with features for home & small business surveillance 24/7
- Saves video & HD pictures to an SD card & send email notification when motion is detected
- Remotely Pan up to 350 degrees horizontally and Tilt up to 100 degrees vertically over the Internet or on your Smartphone or tablet
- Easy 3 step set-up using a QR code & your Smartphone or tablet with no networking required
- Hear every sound & conversation thanks to built-in microphone & speaker
- Use the free app to view on your Smartphone or tablet* including iPhone, iPad & Android devices
- Compatible with Android, iOS, PC and Mac
- Share videos & images through your social network at any time with ease
Starting off with the packaging… pretty normal. Inside you will find the camera, Wi-Fi antenna, ethernet cable, power cable, ceiling/wall mount bracket, mounting screws with plugs, software disk, instructions, and security stickers that say “protected by Swann” to keep the bad guys honest.
The physical size is larger than the SNH-1011N or VueZone cameras, which is to be expected considering the pan and tilt abilities. The Swann ADS-445 camera can work via wifi or ethernet. The mounting bracket is well designed and makes wall or ceiling mooting quite easy. The base of the camera has the Ethernet connection, the SD memory card slot for audio/video recording, input and output for mic and speaker, and an external antenna.
This camera tops my other IP cameras with the ability to pan, tilt, and (digital) zoom via wifi on your pc or the mobile app.
After loading the included software and/or downloading the Swanneye app. You can control the camera in any direction, zoom in, and even two way talk remotely. Where the Swanneye app really shines is the way you control the camera, you just swipe the screen the way you want the camera to point. To zoom, just do the two finger spread move you already do on your phone to enlarge the screen. This makes looking around the room very easy and intuitive. You can pan 350 degrees and tilt up and down to about 100 degrees. You can set the software so that motion will trigger an email alert or will start recording. Both features worked as expected. Nice for knowing when folks arrive or leave the office.
I was pleasantly surprised that the video quality is way better than the current Samsung wifi cameras I have. Usually to get good picture quality on my current cameras, I would have to be on wifi signal. If I’m on 4g LTE, the picture of my Samsung camera is less than 480p which is not very useful. The Swanneye doesn’t care if you’re on wifi or 4G, the image is amazing at 720p. I can’t say the same for the night time camera viewing, which claims 32-feet. I really don’t have anything to compare this night vision to, but it was tough to see clearly at night.
So there you have it. This camera Rocks…it’s worth every penny.