I already have several security cameras that are powered off via a hole drilled through the wall, but I wanted a camera in the back of our house and the only mounting location that would do the right recording area is not to have a power source available so I needed a fully wireless camera as this came complete with a solar panel which reduces the number of charges required which I ordered.
When opened, this security camera kit comes with everything needed to install it on a wall, post or fence. The main camera is a separate unit from the solar panel. If the camera is shaded, the solar panel can still be positioned on its own mount facing the sun. A small cable connects the two units.
Build quality is about average so I would put this in the range of a budget camera that says it's waterproof so it can be used all year round. I cannot comment on value for money as this is listed as unavailable at the time of writing.
I would recommend doing a full charge via the USB cable before attaching and setting up. Then the solar panel should help maintain the battery level depending on the position and the number of sunny days. I've found that the solar panel doesn't work at all on cloudy days, so a lot depends on where you live and if it's south facing.
Once the camera has been powered on, it can be paired and set up in the free app that can be downloaded onto a smart device. I had no problems pairing at all, although I did this before taking the camera outside to be mounted so it was close to my router and phone. That way I would recommend it.
As this is a battery powered camera, many of the normal options that come standard with an AC adapter are not available. Most of these are designed to increase the amount of time between charges. The main feature not available on a battery camera is the ability to take steady shots, which is understandable as that would drain the power pretty quickly. The recordings for this are all made from the motion sensor which, when triggered, will start recording for a set time. Movement and recording times, as well as various other options, can be accessed through the app.
I always prefer recording locally to the cloud, so I fitted a 128GB SD card and formatted it ready for use. If required, this provides the option for cloud recording at a low monthly cost.
Since this is a PTZ camera, it can be panned and tilted in any useful direction from the smart device. The image can also be zoomed but I find the quality drops so I wouldn't normally use it.
Overall this is a very nice budget security camera kit with the added benefit of including a solar panel which reduces the number of charges. This must be taken into account when comparing prices. The HD picture is at 1080p and streams without too many hiccups, this depends on the router setup of roughly. Along with a fairly decent daytime image, this also has an automatic night mode using infrared, which again is clear enough to be able to spot identifying features if needed. I found this to be far better than some other budget cameras I've used that could only see at night what I could see looked like blurry ghosts lol.
If you can't run from mains power or just need the convenience of a cordless option, you can't go wrong with this set. However, I will say that a mesh option is always the best way to go, if at all possible.