Amcrest 5MP POE Camera, Outdoor Vandal Dome Security POE IP Camera, 5-Megapixel, 98ft NightVision, 2.8mm Lens, IP67, IK10 Resistance, MicroSD 256GB (Sold Separately), Cloud, NVR (IP5M-D1188EW-28MM)

I was looking for a camera to go alongside our Nest video doorbell 1st gen and was looking for a high quality camera with ONVIF support and a wide viewing angle, and since it would be low to the ground in an urban environment a tamper proof dome camera was generally the only option. This came up and I saw others’ photos and got two, both 20% off with a coupon (for a total of just under $100). If you get more than one, check around because I saw a “2-pack” for about $110 (at the time the coupon and buying two individual ones would be cheaper). After getting it installed I noticed just how awesome the camera really was. I did wish it was higher than 20 fps but it’s not gonna capture many action shots. I wound up using the other camera to mount it to a junction box with conduit on my roof 3 stories high, to replace a 2MP 1080p bullet camera and once again HUGE improvement and excellent quality. My only gripe, is the seemingly weird IR blowout. I’m not sure if it’s because of the way I angled the cameras within the dome, but the IR in both seems to reflect off the dome or something and back into the lens causing a slow fogging effect until the image is completely washed out and unusable. However the camera’s low light/ambient light performance is phenomenal and with some adjustments to its exposure and gamma you can change in the camera’s settings, it looks amazing still. It also has a substream at D1 resolution which I use for a live feed in our living room. The pricing doesn’t scream “I got some cheap cameras”, there is true value in these. Overall, I’d buy again if we are looking to upgrade some of our other cameras.

As part of my job as an IT System Administrator professional I have experience working with lots of technologies. When it came to installing a surveillance system on my home I knew exactly where to turn for my home. About a year ago I installed 6 of the Amcrest 5mp turret cameras. Fast forwarded to today and they are working great! I added the Amcrest 5mp dome camera which I am providing feedback for today. I found this version of the camera to be quite similar to the other Amcrest cameras I have, in fact it shows the same firmware version as my turret cameras. I really like how these newer cameras can show the live view in the web browser natively. I placed this new camera in my chicken coop in such a location to watch the egg boxes for the hens. I followed the instructions in the box and quickly was able to add it to the other cameras I have using the Amcrest ViewPro app. I would suggest that Amcrest includes a page in the manual on how to add a camera to an existing installation. The documentation included with the camera only had setup instructions for new installations. It would be great if part of the setup procedure also would set the system time on the camera. During the first week of testing the camera never checked in with a time server automatically and remained set to its default time reporting the year 2000. I had the camera up and running on the Amcrest ViewPro app within 5 minutes of opening the box. The camera has performed flawlessly for the time I have had it. I installed a 2gb SD card for local recording and I also use an installation of Milestone xprotect installed on a PC in my house for additional DVR functionality. Adding the camera using ONVIF was simple and straightforward. I really enjoy the quality of the image in low light. The sensor is REALLY good! I did find it curious that the torx driver included was for security torx fasteners; however the screws on the camera housing were standard torx and not security torx. Security torx screws would have been a nice addition and made this camera a little more tamper resistant.

I purchased this cam to use in my back yard so I could keep an eye on my shed and the kids when they are playing outside. First off, I use this camera with a local Blue Iris DVR so I haven't used any of the cloud functionality and can't speak to how it works. Right out of the box the camera is easy to set up. I have some older Amcrest cameras that I purchased around 3-4 years ago and this camera is significantly simpler to mount and aim. The cord is still rather large so if you're drilling a hole in a wall / ceiling to pass the cable through, you have to make a fairly large hole (5/8" or so). Not really an issue since the camera will cover it, but if you ever decide to remove the cameras you'll have a large hole to fix. Blue Iris compatibility is great, no issues at all. The biggest surprise is that I was expecting this 5 MP camera to have significantly better resolution compared to my older 2 MP cameras. Unfortunately, that doesn't seem to be the case. Both the 5 MP and 2 MP cameras look roughly the same to me. The 5 MP camera may have a slight edge when zooming the image, but it's nowhere near as much of a difference as I expected. Having said that, for $50 I'm not expecting to read license plates. Overall, I would say these cameras represent a good value. They're simple to install and, based on my other Amcrest cameras, are reliable. If you're looking for a good general purpose camera to keep an eye on your house and don't need super high resolution (i.e. ability to read license plates, name tags, etc.) then this will serve you well. Other commenters have noted that the night vision may be lacking - in my installation I have a light so the IR LEDs never get used so I can't speak to their effectiveness, but as you can see from the attached photo the night quality is pretty good when you have some lighting.

Product Packaging: • Box is perfect with specs, information and sealed. • Well packaged and arrived with no damage. • Comes with mounting hardware, a sticker guide and waterproof ends for the network cable. (I appreciate that these match the color of the cable/camera (black) so it doesn’t stick out.) Instructions: • Quick start guide is great and very clear Functionality: I can make all of the necessary configuration with any browser. Currently using Chrome. Saving is very important as I make any changes. Customer Service: None needed, official website documentation was sufficient. Overall experience: • Completely honest, I am not a fan of dome cameras but decided to give this one a shot • Connected to my network quickly and joined it to my BlueIris server. • Very surpassed at the size of this camera. It was actually smaller then I expected but it is very solid. Image: • The wide field of view is fantastic to see. The image is crystal clear and the coverage is amazing. I am now able to adjust some of my other cameras since there is so much overlap now with this wider angle which is awesome to be able to do. Night Vision: • The night vision kicks on and looks amazing when needed. • I only need about 15 feet of it and it produces that perfect Playback: • I like the option to select file type when looking at recordings. This makes it much quicker to sift through all the videos of the day that motion or AI has seen.

IP5M-D1188EB-28MM Review This Amcrest PoE 5MP Camera comes with a 2.8mm lens and 1/2.7" image sensor. Which is good for overview area recordings. The standard resolution is 2592x1944 @ 20FPS. Others are: 2688x152p @ 30FPS 2048x1536(3MP) @30FPS 2304x1296 @ 30FPS 1920x1080 @ 30FPS 1280x720 @ 30 FPS While the higher resolution prodcues a clearler picture, the lower 20FPS produces a smearing effect with anyone walking fast by it. I found it better at one step lower at 30FPS. At the 1944 resoultion, it offers a pretty good picture in color and in B/W with th IR lights. The 2.8mm lens provides a wide-angle view, allowing you to cover a broader area and capture more in a single frame. I put mine in the garage, where as my 3.3mm one is in the driveway. Setup was very easy. Plugged in my Ethernet cord into this camera from my PoE switch, and another ethernet cord back to my NVR. LOgged into my NVR and added the camera with ease. To adjust the pan/tilt, it needs to be done manully. There are no additional features built-in feature into the camera like AI-Person or vehicle detection. No IVS. It has regular motion detection that you can adjust for sensitivity. Main selling point is the plastic cover over the camera for "vandal" protection. I'd persoannly like to see 1944 @30FPS in future models. Amcrest sells great cameras for your needs at a great price. Research and find the one you need for your purpose.