Whether you want to keep an eye on the kid’s room or you are worried about break and enters and other security concerns, a security camera can find a home in almost every house and business. For many, the price of a decent camera has been a barrier, but camera quality has been improving and today, I’m going to introduce you to a great little camera that is affordable enough for nearly anyone!
Wyzecam v2 for $37.49 CAD
When I first heard about the Wyzecam and it’s incredibly low cost I assumed it wouldn’t be worth bothering with. After all, camera’s with similar capabilities tend to start at about $200. Surely then, this sub $40 ($20 USD) device must cut corners, be low quality or full of bugs. Still, the price made me think that even if it WAS junk, it didn’t hurt to try it out. After a bit more research to make sure I wasn’t just throwing money away, I decided to order a few Wyzecams and set them up to monitor Y-Not Headquarters. When they arrived I was pleasantly surprised. They were simple to set up, and the Android App was surprisingly polished. In the months since installing them, I have only found one complaint – the camera’s feed can only be viewed from Android or iOS devices. There is no web interface which I feel is a big drawback, but not enough to sully the overall experience.
So What Can the Wyzecam do?
I wasn’t exaggerating when I compared the Wyzecam to cameras in the $200 range. It can be compared to the indoor Nest Cam and in some ways it outperforms it! I’ll leave direct comparisons to people who have tested both – like this writer. Since I’ve been testing the Wyzecam (and it big brother the Wyzecam Pan) I’ll focus on what it can do:
- 1080p Full HD
- Live Streaming to iOS or Android
- Night Vision
- Motion Detection and Alerts
- Smart Sound Recognition including Smoke Detector and C02 alarms
- 14-Day Free Cloud storage
- Continuous Recording to Micro SD card
- 2-way Audio
- Time Lapse
These features are pretty standard in the more expensive security cameras available and the one stand-out feature for me is the 14-day cloud storage. Most other camera brands offer that type of service as an additional monthly charge. Many cameras also don’t include a MicroSD slot for continuous recording.
At this price point, I think that every home and business should have at least one security camera. However, if you are taking your security seriously one Wyzecam is probably not enough. One security camera of any brand isn’t enough. You should have a number of cameras covering different location and angles, and they should be supplemented with other security equipment, but a single Wyzecam is a great start and better than nothing at all.
Where Can I Get One?
Y-Not Tech Services does not sell Wyzecams. It’s just a cool product I found. For Canadians, amazon.ca seems to be the best option. You can pick one up here. Or check out the Wyze Cam Pan. As a reminder, Y-Not Tech Services is not affiliated with either Wyzecam or Amazon.
