Looking for recommendation for simple camera

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1

I’d like to add a camera to monitor my home with my Vera 2. I’ve read the forums and online reviews and all of the camera’s seem to have setup issues. Maybe I’ve gotten lost in the weeds.

Can someone recommend a simple reliable camera for indoor use and monitoring via a mac and an iphone?

2

[quote=“Jimbo, post:1, topic:168927”]I’d like to add a camera to monitor my home with my Vera 2. I’ve read the forums and online reviews and all of the camera’s seem to have setup issues. Maybe I’ve gotten lost in the weeds.

Can someone recommend a simple reliable camera for indoor use and monitoring via a mac and an iphone?[/quote]

I recently picked up a Panasonic BL-C210A from Amazon.com (they had it as a gold box deal for $90). It is a 640x480, pan and tilt camera. It is very easy to setup with Vera (there is a panasonic plugin specifically for it).

Pros:
Very easy to use web interface.
Pretty good video, though a bit grainy.
Audio support
Built in website works with Mac with no plugins. Best video on a Mac seems to be using VLC.

Cons:
Needs a PC to do the initial setup of the camera (after that not at all)
No night vision

I have a couple of cheap Trendnet cameras and I like the panasonic much better. I would recommend it.

EDIT: Has HTTPS support. I have not experimented much with the iPhone access yet, but from what I can tell most iPhone apps use MJPEG rather than MPEG-4 or h.264 to access cameras, so bandwidth will be higher.

3

Another option could be a FOSCAM
http://forum.mios.com/index.php?topic=3591.0

It also has a custom built plugin
http://forum.micasaverde.com/index.php?topic=3720.0

And it DOES have nightvision in various models.
http://www.foscam.com/
http://www.foscam.com/buy.aspx
Pricing is similar or in some locations even cheaper than the Panasonics.

  • Henk

[quote=“Jimbo, post:1, topic:168927”]I’d like to add a camera to monitor my home with my Vera 2. I’ve read the forums and online reviews and all of the camera’s seem to have setup issues. Maybe I’ve gotten lost in the weeds.

Can someone recommend a simple reliable camera for indoor use and monitoring via a mac and an iphone?[/quote]

4

I’ve read that the Panasonic BL-2102A does not have good support for configuring on a mac. Is this still true?

5

@automator, you indicate a gold box deal what do you you mean? is it a reconditioned and where did you find it? the cheapest I’ve seen is $119. Mike

6

Gold Box Deals are limited time deals. Some are a daily deal, some are hourly. Go to amazon.com and look for the “Today’s Deals” link on the top of the page.

It was a good deal, so I picked one up, and am pleased with it. I’d like to get an outdoor version sometime.

7

Sorry, I’m only familiar with the BL-C210A. I can vouch for it’s Mac ability, but not others.

8

@automator.app, thanxs for the pointer… as I was looking for the cheaper value I got into looking at the FOSTER camera (black) which was for $89, with IR lights I’m thinking about buying one to experiment /compare against my Panasonic. Mike

9

There are two advantages of Foscam that I found very valuable:

  • they’re very good at low light, even with IR off. I had various inexpensive cameras, for low light Foscam beats them all
  • wide 61 degrees view, while most home cameras do just 41, including the mentioned Panasonic
10

I don’t see how this can be true. The camera is attached to the network itself and not the operating system. All you need is a working browser, it has nothing to do wich OS you are on. In other words, yes it should work on a Mac as well.

11
Another option could be a FOSCAM http://forum.mios.com/index.php?topic=3591.0

It also has a custom built plugin
http://forum.micasaverde.com/index.php?topic=3720.0

I summed the OptiCam FI8918W / Foscam FI8918W thread up. Please be free to share this in the wiki:
Here is a sum of the instruction from the http://forum.micasaverde.com how to install the OptiCam FI8918W / Foscam FI8918W 360 Camera to the Vera2. Especially this thread does it:

http://forum.micasaverde.com/index.php?topic=3591.msg48811#msg48811

Set up the camera following the instructions with the camera.
Make sure it works and that you have the IP, Username and Password.

Download this I_Foscam8918.xml file to your computer http://forum.micasaverde.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=3591.0;attach=3092 that is the impl file especially for the FI8918W

Enter Vera2
Goto Mios developers => Luup files and scroll to the bottom of the page, click Browse and locate the I_Foscam8918.xml you downloaded above.
Click check box restart LUUP engine Go to upload the file and watch that the file successfully uploads. Then click SAVE and wait for the engine to restart.

Copy and paste I_Foscam8918.xml into the impl_file area located under the Advanced tab of that plugin.

The IP should contain the port like 127.0.0.1:80
DirectStreamingURL %2Fvideostream.cgi
URL /snapshot.cgi

Then click SAVE and wait for the engine to restart. You should be all set.

12

You may have a look at www.ipcam-central.com which is a MicasVerde Partner and distributor.

The offerings include IP Cameras, from entrance level to HD with 12x optical zoom, as well as Home Automation.

There is currently a 5$ rebate coupon available for MicasaVerde Customers.

13

I split out the Topic on the Ubiquti AirCam, since it’s probably going to have a life of it’s own. For those wanting that reference, it’s now here:
http://forum.micasaverde.com/index.php/topic,8297.msg49710.html