What is the best outdoor surveillance camera? And which one has the best value for money? Consumers Association answers.

Outdoor security cameras are also known as outdoor cameras or outdoor cameras. The main difference with indoor cameras is that outdoor cameras are dust-proof and water-resistant. In addition to images, sound, detection, and notifications, digital security is also considered. Of course you don’t want strangers to be able to see through the camera.

The Consumer Association tests security cameras with Wi-Fi or wire, for indoor and outdoor use, among other things, image quality, sound quality, motion detection, and notifications. A total of over 95 cameras have been tested and are currently reasonably available.

Out of more than fifty outdoor cameras tested, the Ubiquiti Cam comes out as the best camera in the test. The camera from TP-Link is the best buy.

Best in the test: Ubiquiti UVC-G4-DOME

This model from Ubiquiti stands out because it can record 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Most outdoor cameras in the test can’t do this and only record if they detect something.

But because of the 24/7 recording, this camera needs an extra box to store everything. And you have to buy this box separately. The system also works only with network boxes from Ubiquiti itself. More affordable cost about 200 euros. With other cameras, cloud storage often works. For extensive cloud storage, you quickly pay 10 euros per month, and you can save with this system.

It is a durable and well-built camera. It has a metal casing, which is somewhat vandal-resistant. The camera cannot be disabled with the so-called pity on WiFi, because it does not have WiFi. The connection is only possible with the network cable and it can also be used directly as a power cable.

The camera displays 94 degrees horizontally and 53 degrees vertically. Good picture and sound quality. Although the image quality is a bit disappointing at night. It detects movements well and you can set certain ‘Detection Zones’. The detection area is the part of the image where he has to monitor the movement. For example, you can exclude a cat flap from detection.

The notifications you receive upon detection are also very good. It notifies you when the network connection is lost. And you can be sure that the camera no longer sends notifications when you are at home. You must have the GPS on your smartphone turned on.

The installation works via the Unifi Protect smartphone app and is not difficult. Usage settings are easy to understand and adjust. You can also set the camera via PC or laptop. The concern for security and privacy is also good. You cannot skip any important security steps during installation and there are regular software updates.

Best Buy: TP-Link Tapo C310

With this camera from TP-Link you are much cheaper than Ubiquiti. It is much simpler to implement, but what it can do, it works well. An excellent choice if you are looking for a simple but good camera.

With this system you do not have a base station, but only the camera. You connect the camera directly to your home network. This can be done over WiFi or using a fixed cable. The camera uses a separate power connection, and the power cannot be supplied via the network cable.

The angle of view of the lens is more limited at 85 degrees horizontal and 45 degrees vertically compared to the Ubiquiti. The camera records upon detection and records both image and sound. Picture and sound quality are good. The infrared image at night is slightly lower quality, but it is still clear, beautiful and sharp.

Cloud storage is not possible with this camera. You can save images to an SD card (maximum 128GB). You have to purchase this ticket separately. When the card is full, it automatically overwrites the oldest images.

Because it is stored on an SD card, it is normal that you risk losing photos immediately if your camera is stolen. However, the mount of the camera seems to be quite strong, so theft will not be easy.

Focusing on digital security could be better. You can set passwords very easy. It is very easy to be broken by others.

responsible

In this column we write weekly about home and technology appliances tested by the Consumers Association. This is a collaboration between the freelance editors of this site and the Consumers Association.

The Consumer Association tests thousands of products every year, along with qualified technicians in specialized laboratories at home and abroad. The products tested are store-bought so that they are not pre-tampered with by the manufacturers.

New forms are tested as soon as possible after submission. How quickly this varies for each product. Best in Test is the product with the best test rating, readily available. This can also be a somewhat outdated model, because the newer one is not always better. Best Buy is the product at the best value for money.

The advertised price of the product is the lowest retail price currently known to the Consumers Association. But prices can vary per day. If there is no known recent retail price, the target price will be quoted.