Amcrest UltraHD 4K (8MP) Outdoor Security IP Turret PoE Camera, 3840x2160, 98ft NightVision, 125° FOV, IP67 Weatherproof, MicroSD Recording (256GB), IP8M-T2599EW-AI-V3 (White)

This is a 4K ethernet networked security camera. I have used wifi cameras from Google (Nest Doorbell), WyzeCam, Ring, and the Unifi networked Power over Ethernet (POE) cameras. This camera will be compared against the Unifi networked cameras as this is also a hardwired camera.Basic Facts:This is a 1/2.5inch 8mp CMOS sensor with a 2.8mm fixed lens. The camera has a 112 degree horizontal field of view. The housing allows the camera to pivot 360 degrees around or 78 degrees up/down (all manual).It has an ethernet port that is 10/100.The security camera has a microSD card slot that supports cards up to 128gb. The unit can be managed by any NVR software that supports ONVIR or through an Amcrest dedicated NVR, or through Amcrest Cloud. I would recommend using a dedicated NVR or NVR software on a dedicated computer. The MicroSD card should be used as a fail safe instead of a primary means of storing and playing back camera footage.This camera gives you the option of H.265 or H.264 compression. For the low price of $109.99 it’s nice to see that it comes with H.265. The Unifi G4 Pro (4k sensor) at $450 does not offer H.265.The camera also has a build in mic to record sounds with video. There is no speaker with this unit, but that is consistent among networked security cameras. They are intended to record and not serve as means of two way communication like many wifi cameras sold by Ring, Nest, Arlo, etc. They do one job, record video, and do it well.Build quality: This is a solidly built security camera using all metal housing. The camera housing is able to generously pivot providing me flexibility in mounting options. With Unifi cameras, the camera itself has an ethernet port to plug in your own cable. With this camera, there is a cable permanently attached for 12-18 inches, and at the end is the port. The box comes with a connection cover to help with waterproofing. Normally, I would be concerned that this hardwired ethernet cable would be a point of failure on something that sees more use and abuse, but given that this is a security camera which will be installed once and not moved, I feel reasonably comfortable saying that this approach to the ethernet connection will not create a device longevity issue.Other than that, I saw no issues from this early review. I will update this review in 3-6 months with any new observations. The Amcrest 4k camera was tested inside for 1 week, and was installed under an eave so I cannot comment on its waterproofing.Image Quality:I have used the Unifi G3 Bullet camera and the G3 flex. Both of these Unifi cameras offer good daytime quality at 30fps. This Amcrest camera with 4K resolution blows away the Unifi cameras during daylight hours, even though it is only at 15fps. In smoothness, I can’t tell a difference between 15fps vs 30fps or it is so small that it does not bother me. If your goal is automatic license plate recognition, I would do a bit more research to see whether you need a beefier 4K security camera with 30fps (more opportunities per second to read a license plate clearly). However, for my use, to look at our property and the street in front of it, this camera works perfectly.I read online that for security cameras, the most you should put them at is 20fps, and anything more than that is wasting hard drive storage space. I was skeptical of the claim and never bothered to test it because I have enough space on my storage drive. Using the Amcrest 4k turret security camera, I can confirm the 15fps limit at 4k resolution is not a hindrance to my uses and I imagine it will not be for you if you have a typical use case: monitoring your home or business.This Amcrest 4K POE camera was partnered with the Sighthound Video software which immediately recognized the camera and took only a few minutes to set up. I would recommend finding the camera’s IP address, logging in, and then changing the default password. The default username and password are admin and admin, respectively.Looking at daytime video quality, I am absolutely blown away by the 4k image quality for only $109.99. It is significantly better than my 1080p Unifi cameras. The Unifi G3 bullet is $150 and the G3 flex is $79 for cost comparison purposes. Ubiquiti also sells a 4k camera called the G4 Pro for $450. It has a 4k image sensor and records at 24fps.This camera includes a microphone. The microphone is adequate but I would say the unifi microphones or the one included on the Nest Hello doorbell are more sensitive. That may not be a bad thing — those microphones are so sensitive in the Nest and Unifi cameras that they pick up noises from 500+ feet away.The only real downside of this camera I see is that the night vision could use improvement. It is in general difficult to find a camera that can mate night vision and a 4k sensor and it holds true here. There is a lot of noise in the image, and night vision on my 1080p Unifi camera looks better. The IR led on this camera is fine for about 30ft. 164ft as claimed by the product manufacturer would be a stretch, but I doubt you would ever use 1 camera to look for objects 164ft away. The same is true for the Unifi cameras - they are good for up to 30ft away. For normal use, this camera’s IR led is more than adequate. Moreso, most 4k security cameras in the consumer/prosumer product area range from $200-500. Given this product’s low price, you could add an IR flood light for $20-70, or normal flood lights to improve the night time illumination of your area. If you add an IR flood light, it will aid in black and white illumination. If you add a normal flood light, it will make it easier for the camera algorithm to switch to color-mode, turn off the IR LEDs, and record a more vivid image at night.Overall: This is a great security camera priced extremely aggressively. For the price, $109.99, most consumers would expect a 1080p or 4mp camera. Instead, this is a 8mp/4k security camera recording at 15fps, IP67 weatherproof, microSD card slot for backup storage, and a wide temperature operating range of -22 F to 140 F.I have been looking for a 4k camera to monitor the intersection in front of my home as it sees a lot of traffic with people taking turns fast. There have been a few instances of drivers nearly hitting children, or they have hit our landscaping. The Unifi 4K camera at $450 is too much even though it gets good reviews. Many Hikvision and Dahua 4k cameras hover around $180-$220. This camera, for $109.99, hits 90% of the mark compared to the unifi camera for 25% of the price. It does not offer a motorized lens, and it could benefit from better night time video quality. However, I did not anticipate using the motorized zoom lens. So, for 1/4th the price of the Unifi camera, I can recommend this as a suitable alternative. I used the Sighthound Video app to record video but BlueIris is another popular alternative. The daytime video quality of the camera is superb and works well in a variety of lighting conditions from straight-on sunlight to cloudy days. License plates are easy to read and faces have more detail compared to my 1080p security camera.I would like to review this Amcrest turret 4k camera against Amcrest’s bullet camera, which is a bit cheaper at $89.99. However, if you are in need of a turret style camera, I would strongly recommend considering this.

The first camera was bought at some random liquidation warehouse. The camera and Amcrest Cloud has worked flawlessly since then (probably 4 years). The need for an additional camera arose and so I decided on this one opting for a wider field of view than my first which was a rectangular/brick looking camera. This camera's spec sheet says ~125 degrees and I think somewhere in the description here it's mislabeled.Important notes:- The camera has to be rotated manually; it doesn't appear to be controlled remotely.- Camera initialization is a must. I used the desktop download configuration tool from the Amcrest website. You pretty much have to check the user manual ONLINE from the Amcrest website for the login credentials as it doesn't mention anywhere in the product-provided resources. I believe this initialization is a must because when accessing the camera via Amcrest Cloud, the drop-down resolutions to choose from doesn't match the ability of the camera, so it'll zoom in. I had to reset the resolution a few times via the config tool till I realized I shouldn't be touching the resolution.- installation sticker template has 3 holes, whereas the brick cameras require 4.Pros:- color and night vision are very useable.- audio is recorded too- plastic housing is of good quality.- With Amcrest Cloud, you can set 4 different zones to trigger recording. I'm not tech savvy using the local config tool to set up boundaries, but if you are adept to it, you can actually draw the boundaries which is cool, but I'm not sure if it translates over to Amcrest Cloud.Cons with the service:- Not really a large issue after thinking about it, but the logins for Amcrest, Amcrest Cloud, and the config tool all use independent login credentials. I'm not tech savvy too so I just have all of my recordings go to the cloud. But if you know how, I'm sure it's easy to connect it to your local storage system.- Pricing can get steep when using Amcrest Cloud.Overall, there is some ease of use, though the provided materials don't really give you all of the instructions. Installation is straight forward, thankfully they tell you (with an arrow or word) of what part of the tray and camera is "up". Sticker template and screws are provided. Use the config tool to initialize your camera and additional cameras. If the need for additional security cameras come up, I'd easily buy another Amcrest. They also have branded switches.