AnpvizCCTV Camera HD 1080P 4-in-1 (TVI/AHD/CVI/960H CVBS) Security Dome Camera, 2.8mm-12mm Varifocal Lens Analog Video Surveillance, Day & Night Indoor Outdoor Waterproof IP66 (White)

I bought this camera to replace a “bullet” camera that I use attached to my Night Owl security DVR to watch the inside of my back door. As a wide angle camera it worked great out of the box with perfect focus, but I wanted a camera with zoom so that I could tell whether someone had left the deadbolt disengaged or not. This camera met those needs, and I can now tell via camera whether or not the door is locked. The ability to change modes via dip switch on the end of the power pigtail was nice as opposed to dip switches on the camera body.If you have never used a dome camera before it may seem awkward to mount, but if you remove the allen hex-head set screw and unscrew the retaining rings everything comes apart and you can easily screw the base onto the wall or ceiling surface. In my case I used standard #8 wood screws because I was going into the stud behind the drywall instead of using the supplied screws and anchors.Since dome cameras are spheres they don’t have a marked “top” or “bottom”, but if you look at the camera lens you will see a photocell among the IR LEDs, and that side marks the bottom. Remember that and you won’t mount it upside down like I did the first time.Focus was touchy when the camera was zoomed all of the way in, adjusting with 10-15 degree turns to get it perfect. You will want to make sure you can see the monitor when you do. In my case I just set a laptop where I could see it and was able to get everything mounted, aimed, and focused in about 5 minutes.Infrared performance was marginal. I could see the IR LEDs glowing in the dark, but the old bullet camera had a better night picture. It isn’t a problem for my application, but keep that in mind if superior night vision is required.5 stars because of the night vision, otherwise I would have given it a 5 star review.

I've been putting together CCTV systems for my house since 2012. I'm currently on my third system, each time I've upgraded the DVR quality, or number of cameras (Went from 3, to 4, to 6)Right now I have a Cobra 8 channel (w/four cameras) from Harbour freight which is a HD-TVI and AHD compatible system. The cameras it comes with are ok, I just don't like the whole "bullet" style. Therefore I've sought out dome cameras.In the past, I've purchased fixed lens systems (typically 3.6mm) and a pack of M12 lenses of various focal lengths. While this approach works in principal, in practice it sucks. Each time you want to change the focus, or focal length you have to dissemble said camera; that gives the chance of breaking something, introducing moisture, dirt etc. Further, there is the issue of constant changes in temperature, weather etc which can cause CCTV camera lenses to go out of focus.Enter the varifocal camera system. This one is the fourth varifocal camera I've owned, and was purchased to replace one that finally died after five years of use.Setup is fairly easy, but keep in mind that varifocal cameras are physically larger and heavier than typical dome or bullet cameras due to the extra glass and mechanism - so be sure that your surface can support the heavier weight and larger footprint these cameras require. To remove the camera from the mount, just use a tiny allen key to loosen the lock screw, and then untwist the retention ring from the base. Mount the base using only two screws and then feed the cables through - leaving the camera hanging from the mounting base before adding the last two screws. If you tighten down right away you won't be able to pass the cables through later on without loosening a couple screws.There is a guide booklet which tells you how to set the DIP switches (Some may have a 4-way joystick instead, in case they change which particular model they ship you) just select your system type and let it rock. If you get it wrong, you may not get a picture but you can't do any damage by selecting the wrong DIP switch locations.The camera is very easy to set up once you get it mounted, firstly set up your focal distance (zoom), twist it in whichever direction you want - if you see the lens closest to the front (What you can actually see) coming closer to the glass then it means the angle is getting wider, if it retreats back into the camera that means it is zooming in. The picture will be horrendously blurry at this point. This is where you want to adjust the focus screw (you won't see anything move, but the lens inside is moving) you will want to either have someone with a good eye watching your monitor to let you know when things get sharp, or have your phone set up for remote viewing with your DVR already (which is what I do)Once you have your focal length set up and sharp, aim/rotate the camera to the position you want. Then it is a simple matter of tightening the retention ring. TIP: The threads on the base and retention ring are bare aluminum or poorly painted at best, you'd be very wise to add some sort of lubricant to the threading before you set it down tight. I see no need in tightening the locking screw, in fact it provided a bit of trouble when trying to remove the camera that this one replaced. Further to that; I did not lubricate the threading on the previous camera - so removing it was very challenging (and not fun, considering I'm two stories up a house on a ladder)TIP #2: If you're doing a new install and haven't run the wires yet, I'd HIGHLY recommend installing Cat5e Shielded and Direct Burial cable, terminated with RJ45 connectors (ethernet jacks) and then running it through a Balun connector. Firstly this future-proofs your infrastructure if you decide to upgrade to an IP camera system later on. Secondly, the cable quality itself is leaps and bounds above the crappy ones that most DVR's come with. I learned this the hard way and rewired my entire setup (which I'm much happier with, just wished I would have done it from the start)TIP #3: No matter if you use BNC cables, or the balun connectors with Cat5e, it would be a very wise idea to coat the connector areas with liquid tape. I can't say I've ever had a failure because of the elements getting into the connectors, but they do rust up and get crud in them, and that can lead to a frustrating problem if you decide to disconnect the cameras at a later date.I can't speak on the longevity of this particular brand of camera. Typically they are just private label cameras, but if they do have Sony CCD chips, and are reasonably weatherproof they should give you years of use.Although these varifocal cameras are a bit more money (Around $38-50 USD compared to about $18-25 for fixed lens cameras) you will certainly find them useful if you find out later that a certain area would be better served with a wider or tighter angle, or you need to adjust the focus later on.The picture quality is above par for the OEM ones included with the CCTV DVR, night vision is great too. The housing itself is metal and has various rubber gaskets and caulking at cable entry points to prevent moisture problems.The customer service responds quickly, so A+ for that as well.Disclosure: They do offer a $5 USD coupon for leaving a review. However, it should be noted that there was no requirement as to what rating would be required to acquire said discount - so that's decent.

Nice little camera, picture is sharper than my 2mp cameras I bought just a few years ago. Three tips, 1) loosen the ring with the included wrench before trying to open. The reviewer that had an issue didn't do this. 2) It's manual focus, just keep that in mind. Easy to focus but you need a second person to help. 3) Set your picture to AHD via the toggles before you install if your DVR supports this for the best picture. Thanks. Will be buying more to replace other old cameras.

I have an older cctv analog dvr and I bought this to replace a bad camera. First thing I noticed is it is a lot bigger than my original cameras but the picture quality and wide field of view is great! I had to use 960H mode for my system but I plan to eventually upgrade my dvr so that isn't a big concern for me; that it has dip switches on a pigtail outside the camera is nice for changing later.In the 960H mode I wasn't able to change the zoom but since the field of view is perfect for me know I don't really care. I did have to change the power supply to one with more current; currently I have a 2 amp supply but that may be overkill.I like the camera a lot so will probably be buying one to replace another bad camera in my system.

As with another reviewer, I was unable to separate the mounting base from the camera. Customer service was unable to provide help. It's on its way back to Amazon.UPDATE: After returning the camera I received an email showing how to remove the mounting ring. The instruction is "please steadily hard press down the camera from top, will make the ring to twist much easier."