Home CasaVerdeSmart ,,,,, Foscam R2 and Foscam FI9900P are two cameras to monitor the house from the smartphone that we have had the opportunity to try in recent weeks. They impressed us not only for the high quality of the materials but for the functions offered, for the fluidity and reactivity of the system and for the associated software, among the best we have ever seen.
Foscam R2 is designed for interiors
Of the two, R2 is the smaller and is designed for indoor use. In fact, it is not waterproof and the lines are very soft, furthermore you are not obliged to hang it on the wall but you can also simply place it on a flat surface such as a table in the center of the living room or a shelf near some books. The white color of the plastic that makes up the camera chassis goes well with modern furnishings and the shape appears very “familiar”: it will be due to the name R2 that recalls that of R2-D2, the robot from Star Wars with which – with a little imagination – some slight similarities can be found.
Measurements: 7 x 12 cm Weight: 270g
It connects to the home network via WiFi (in this case there is an antenna to mount) or via an Ethernet cable. It is powered by a charger included in the package and a microSD must be purchased separately for storing the recordings.
Foscam FI9900P can be installed outdoors
The FI9900P camera is instead built to be used mainly outdoors, therefore it is waterproof and able to withstand the elements. The whole body is made of sturdy metal and is necessarily used by fixing it to the wall with two plugs (included in the package).
This camera also connects to the home network via WiFi or to the router via Ethernet cable and power is required (there is a charger with a two meter long cable).
Measurements: 5.7 x 6.6 x 16.2 cm Weight: 310g
First configuration: never been so simple
Several manufacturers already offer a simplified system for installing cameras at home, but of all the ones we have tried today, the Foscam system is the simplest of all. Just install the application (for iOS or Android) on your smartphone, create an account then click on the (+) button to add a camera and scan the QR code below it to start the pairing. In a few minutes we have added both cameras to the system.
The application
Our experience of using the application was also positive. The interface is among the simplest ever, despite the multitude of customizable functions. The main screen shows a pane for each camera with a preview of the shot and three buttons to respectively access the cloud functions, manage notifications and access recordings.
From side menu you can manage the account, contact technical support, purchase and manage the cloud plan and little else.
Selecting the preview of a camera you access the relative control screen . Five buttons separate the five main functions available. The first, marked by some directional arrows , allows precisely to move the camera in all directions (R2 only), zoom IN and OUT and adjust the focus. As for the R2 camera, the only one capable of moving the frame, it is also possible to activate presets for some automated movements: with a click the camera will begin to look around with cyclic movements, offering a complete overview of the entire room in which it was placed.
The symbol Camera take a picture, that Video starts recording a movie and the symbol Microphone allows you to activate the smartphone microphone to talk to who is in front of the camera using the built-in speaker (R2 only). The last button, marked with three dots , allows you to access three further screens. One offers access to the movement recognition activation / deactivation system, the second allows you to manually activate the day and night mode or program the activation of one and the other based on specific times, the third allows you to overturn the shooting in the event that the camera is to be positioned upside down.
The gear finally allows you to access the settings of the selected camera. From here you can read device information, perform a firmware update, customize alarm, video recording and security system settings, as well as synchronize date and time.
FI9900P, zoom out 
FI9900P, zoom in 
FI9900P, photo capture 
FI9900P, video quality 
FI9900P, video recording 
FI9900P, day mode 
FI9900P, night mode 
FI9900P, motion detection 
notifications 
motion detection 
files stored locally 
menu 
R2, zoom out 
R2, zoom in 
R2, zoom tab 
R2, automated movements 
R2, photo 
R2, video 
R2, day 
R2, night 
R, motion detection and sounds R2, reverse the shot 
room settings 
main screen
How are they doing
Both cameras record videos in Full HD, with a truly remarkable quality even when zoomed. They are equipped with infrared to ensure excellent night visibility even in complete darkness: the slight glow of a window is enough to illuminate a room “in the day” and record any suspicious movement (up to 8m for R2, 20m for FI9900P) .
In addition to the video quality, we liked the control system. The application is really intuitive, at any time you can take a look at what the cameras are shooting, move the frame (R2) when necessary (300 ° on the horizontal axis, 100 ° on the vertical) and thanks to push notifications we will always know when motion is detected.
In practice, by placing them at the entrance to the house and garage, we will always know when a family member leaves the house and when he returns. And if you do not want to be disturbed by notifications, you can also temporarily disable them by having an internal history with all recorded movements, not only through video recordings but also with a textual history of the movements detected (with date and time included). Only a few seconds pass between the movement and the notification and not a single one is ever forgotten.
Subscription, what it offers
By purchasing the cameras you get 6 months of free subscription for some additional services on the cloud, including backup of recordings. The only one that can store files locally is in fact R2, which has a slot for microSD (up to 128GB): however, in the event of theft, a cunning thief could break the camera and take the card away.
The subscription thus becomes necessary (but not mandatory for the functioning of the cameras, notifications and management via the app): there are several plans available starting from 49.99 euros per year that ensure cloud storage for the last 7 days. registration (€ 129.99 for the last 30 days), whose files will be encrypted and accessible only for those who own the account data associated with the cameras.
Conclusions
Purchasing one or the other affects the environment in which you intend to install the camera. Both offer the same functions and the fact that they can be connected to the same application allows you to keep an eye on your home, inside and outside, with just one app. Night vision, notifications, motion detection, local file storage (with the cloud for subscribers), two-way communication, offer everything you are looking for today in a product of this kind.
Of R2 we particularly liked the automated system that moves the camera making us control the whole house without touching the app (imagine an iPad on the office desk constantly connected to the house).
Retail price
Foscam R2 (for interiors) is on sale by the official Italian distributor of Foscam (LookAtHome di Latina) on Amazon for 149.99 euros. Foscam FI9900P (for outdoor use) costs 134.49 euros.
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