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Panasonic BL-C1A-S Network Camera and Pet Cam (Silver) by Panasonic
Digital Photo Product DetailsManufacturer: Panasonic Model: BL-C1A-S Color: Silver Product features: - 10x Digital Zoom, 4 Lux Night View Mode
- Built in Web Server/IP Address
- Up to 15 Frames per Second2 CMOS
- Remote Monitoring from Cell phone
- 4-up and 12-up Multi-Camera Pages Built in Web Server/IP Address
Accessories:
Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Panasonic BL-C1A-S Network Camera and Pet Cam (Silver)Customer Review: Solid basic net camera Summary: 4 Stars
I got this camera as a Gold Box special last year, and have had it in regular use since then. The picture quality is decent for the price, and better than my no-name netcams, even the ones with interchangeable CCTV type lenses. There is a loss in versatility since it is a fixed focus unit with no optical zoom capabilities, but again, for the price, you can't expect all that.
The good:
- decent low light capabilities. It won't stop fast moving objects like a car going by but it will trigger on the movement.
- Excellent control of motion sensitivity. This camera detects motion by changes in the images from one shot to the next; it does not have a thermal or other motion detector, like some higher end units. You can tell it how sensitive to be; my dog yawning won't set it off, but getting up, rolling over, etc will.
- Mailer and FTP functions. First I set it up to FTP files to my webserver; it sent a picture once per minute on a schedule, and also sent a set of consecutive images when motion was detected. By viewing my own web page I could keep an eye on the dogs at home. Now I have it set to email those images to GMail, which also works fine.
- Works with powerline networking; we don't use wireless. Cheap home power-line network adapters let us put the camera wherever there is a power outlet without a bulky access point or a long network cable.
- Both scheduled AND triggered images can be handled.
- Works fine with a decent firewall (I use a Sonicwall) to allow direct access to the camera from the internet, with security.
The not so good:
- The mounting parts are restrictive. A tripod would be better. It can be hard to get this thing mounted and aimed solidly if you don't want to screw it in place.
- The swivel can barely tighten enough to hold the camera against the strain from a normal ethernet patch cord. You may need to tie-wrap the cable to the mount to prevent it from pulling the camera off-aim.
- Digital zoom is a farce; it simulates zoom by losing resolution
The bad:
- The software is windows only. It is entirely possible to use this camera with any standard web browser but the fancy software provided only work with windows.
I am very happy with this unit, especially at the Gold Box price.
Description of Panasonic BL-C1A-S Network Camera and Pet Cam (Silver)Panasonic Network Camera and Pet Cam, BL-C1A-S
Cameras
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