Security camera systems used to be expensive but they have become much more affordable recently and anyone can install those cameras outside of their home. I started using security cameras a few years ago when some packages delivered to my door were lost and I couldn’t figure out who stole them, or maybe the carrier delivered them to the wrong house. The products keep my mind at peace because they do not only deter porch pirates but also scare burglars away. In this post, we are checking out a low-cost product, the Winees Spotlight Camera.
Disclosure: We received the camera in exchange for the review. We tested it to make sure the review is honest and unbiased.
Unboxing & Testing Video
Features & Performance
Inside the box, there are just the camera, a power adapter, and some screws to install the camera. It is quite easy to set it up, you can place it somewhere above your front door or garage door. Its body is IP65-rated for water resistance, so it won’t be damaged under the rain. The only limitation is that the system is not 100% wireless, so it requires to be plugged in to a power outlet all the time. That would be great if Winees added a solar panel and battery to power up the camera. However, we can’t expect much from a budget product like this one. Also notice that you should install the camera within your Wi-Fi coverage because it would need the Internet connection to connect to your phone.
Once completing the installation, you can install the companion app to set up the camera. You will be able to adjust all settings, control the camera, view live stream or previous recordings. The Winees features a wide-angle lens and moreover, it features 360-degree rotation, so you can use the app to turn the camera to the left or right to look around. Similar to other security cameras, it has features like person/pet/package/vehicle detection, glass break detection, and smoke/CO alarm sound detection. However, my favorite feature is the bright 400-lumen spotlight which is triggered by any detection. This feature is very helpful to deter burglaries and home invasions.
You can save the footages locally in a microSD card but it is not recommended because a thief can easily take it out and destroy all those footages. Therefore, Winees also offers free cloud backup for 6 months so that you can get access to all recordings even when the camera is destroyed.
The app is quite easy to use, just make sure your Internet connection is strong outdoors so that all backups are saved properly.
The Winees supports the resolution of up to 2K (2560×1440 pixels) but I set it at HD resolution to save the Internet bandwidth and storage space. Even at the lower resolution, the picture quality is still sharp and clear under different lighting conditions, as you can see in the images below.
Overall, I think the Winees F103 is a good value as it offers a lot of features while the price is quite affordable at around $50. You can find out more information on its product page.
