With an additional light you can easily see more...
... and this is especially true in the dark, because this is where the light scores and allows more detail and color vision.
► Brand manufacturers are making it increasingly difficult for other camera manufacturers to establish themselves successfully. In order to be able to counter this, the scope of services and the price must be right. Can you expect a good outdoor-capable WLAN camera for currently around A$200, which instead of Full HD (1,080p) has 2K, a light, two-way audio and a generous pan range (355° Pan and 120° Tilt)? offers ? Yes, you can, because I haven't found any real vulnerabilities so far. So if you can do without 4K, you can buy a good device at an attractive price, which tends to cost more from other manufacturers and also offers flawless workmanship and good optics.
►► Summary: attractive appearance, flawless workmanship, no separate power connection required due to the 9,600mAh battery + solar panel(!), sharp photos/videos, two-way audio and with direct recording options (micro SD card), free cloud -Storage (7 days), thanks to the engine. Control extensively rotatable. Overall, this ensures very good comfort.
► There are many good reasons for a camera surveillance system, which is why I have been using various cameras indoors and outdoors for years. The K&F Concept surveillance camera is specially designed for outdoors, although indoors is of course also possible. My previous cameras are used to monitor pets, but of course I also want to know what happens in my/our absence. For many parents in the home, this is certainly a key reason to buy a surveillance camera. I really don't like to think about burglars...
► Currently I mainly rely on two WLAN camera manufacturers (Blink and Reolink), but I also know other systems, e.g. B. by Arlo. There is a lot to be said for a special camera surveillance system with on-site recording options, namely on separate micro SD cards (up to 128 GB). However, private data in a (usually) foreign cloud is not for everyone, even if it is free (here 7 days). Local storage can therefore score points here, as long as the camera and memory card are not lost by thieves. But you should also ensure the best possible reception (if necessary, use a repeater).
Try out several possible locations for attaching the WLAN camera, provided you can also place the solar panel well. So far I have had good experiences (including reception), although any reception problems and jerky playback are not necessarily to be attributed to the camera. DECT telephones and heavily loaded 2.4 GHz networks can also be considered sources of interference.
► Installation: The instructions are very helpful and should be able to fix any problems. Otherwise, a smartphone/tablet is required via WLAN, since the use of the app (“K&F Cam”) is mandatory. Within this, the connection of the camera succeeds quite quickly and you can then get started immediately. Here you can set a few things and call up recordings.
Many manufacturers now rely on well-known apps such as "Smart Life" (or "Tuya" from the same manufacturer). Instead, the app "K&F Cam" (current iOS version 4.2.1) is specified here, although I have not checked whether the camera also works well with other apps.
You have to register in advance in the app (e-mail, password). After this procedure you also have access to the data in the camera (card) and other settings ("Settings"). You also have access to your camera on the go. You are guided within the well-structured and so far stable app, so that the cameras can then be called up separately. On a smartphone/tablet, the whole thing with images/videos looks pretty decent, although you can make appropriate changes to the settings. Fiddle around a bit to try some things, e.g. B. when creating scenes, routines / schedules, within which the camera should be "sharp", or when the light should be switched on.
► What the cameras can do - prerequisites for good reception
Based on my previous experiences with other cameras of this or a similar type, I was not disappointed here either, although I prefer operation via LAN cable indoors for fundamental reasons. A repeater can work wonders with WLAN reception problems and ensure the best possible reception.
The respective image from the surveillance camera is detailed and sharp during the day. If you zoom in (digitally), this is more or less at the expense of the sharpness, despite 2K, because there is no optical zoom. In night vision mode and tending to low light and in the dark, the image is still satisfactory and not faint and blurry. Then black and white without light, but ok
If, on the other hand, the light is activated, you have color and more details even in the dark. This is a certain added value and may also serve as a deterrent...
The area to be monitored regularly must be defined as precisely as possible in advance so that the camera can be used despite the motor. Control does not need to be panned in the main viewing area. Not to forget the important remote access: this worked quite well in the test, as long as you are not stuck in a dead spot, you will (hopefully) be notified in good time if something happens.
► The battery has not given up so far, although the solar panel has always been responsible for charging. Now that the dark season is beginning, it remains to be seen whether this will remain the case with regular use. In any case, the camera is not designed for continuous operation and regularly long applications.
► What else is important? You have to do without an optical zoom here. However, that is not to be expected in this price range and is also not standard. But there is also a two-way audio (intercom function). All in all, a nice performance package.
► Keyword data/theft: If the camera accidentally falls into the wrong hands, the data recorded on the micro SD card will fall into the wrong hands. An occasional data backup (PC or similar) can't do any harm anyway, although the question is what third parties want to do with the recordings... (unless thieves break in and cover up tracks...). A (paid) cloud service is therefore not necessary here, whereby at least 7 days are included as already mentioned...
►►► Conclusion: Overall, the K&F Concept Surveillance camera makes a very decent impression in terms of equipment and also visually. Ensure the best possible reception, because there are many sources of interference lurking in the 2.4 GHz network, which can have an unfavorable effect. If that works, you get a smooth, sharp picture during the day, with a certain wide angle, but also an additional motor. Steering. The resolution in the dark is also good using the lamp, although here too, in addition to the color view, many details can still be made out at a distance.
Note: Alarms ("warning notifications") via motion detection/sounds are possible, ok for my purposes and therefore usable. Remote access also works, which means extra security on the go. Nevertheless, if there are any problems (too many/too few alarms), you should generally tinker a little and avoid moving backgrounds or background noise as much as possible.
Despite the lack of long-term experience, there are also almost five stars from a price point of view (current price just under A$200!), because I really like the scope of services
