Camera To Watch Dog At Home For Sale (2024 Update)

TL:DR – This camera feels sturdily built and has fantastic functionality for its price point. The app is easy to use, but it's not without its flaws. I would absolutely recommend this product for someone with a similar usage situation. — I settled on this camera during my hunt for a security-typed camera that needed to have a specific set of criteria for usage by my parents on their property: 1) Inexpensive (less than $50 per camera) 2) No monthly subscriptions required 3) Wireless data transfer 4) Outdoor capable 5) Ability to view feed from a mobile phone The Wyze Cam v3 fit the bill for all of these. My parents were in need of a new camera/system for observing different aspects of their rural property including an overview on their pet chickens. They were running a fairly-antiquated camera system that utilized a wireless (non-WiFi) connection to a main handset receiver that allowed them to view the camera feeds. The system only allowed up to 4 cameras to feed to the handset, and none of the feeds could be viewed from a mobile phone… or even from out of a certain wireless range of the handset itself. I had only recently been able to get them set up with 5G-based WiFi (literally no wired internet services available to the property, so even this was a blessing to get), so this opened up a new set of options to choose from. They don't have a much in the way of disposable income, but they also refuse to let me buy things like this for them. I did a considerable amount of research for cameras under $50 from notable/trustworthy sources. After finding the Wyze Cam v3 to be well-within that price point at $36 per camera (along with the claims of it meeting 2-5 above), I bought one and tested it out once I received it. I was thoroughly surprised with what I got. Each camera comes in a box that's so tiny from the outside that I thought "Oh, there's why it only cost $36… this is a gimmick and actually requires something else to function." I'm glad to say that I was wrong. The only things you need to get it up-and-running are a mobile phone and a WiFi connection. It can stand on its base without needing mounting (if used indoors, for example), or it can be mounted directly to a metal surface (magnet in the base) or to a wooden surface with a screw. Getting the camera set up is incredibly straight-forward once you download the app. All of the instructions are easy to follow. I would recommend, however, that you do the initial setup under indoor lighting as I had significant difficulty trying to get the camera to recognize a QR code on my phone's screen under natural sunlight. Once the camera is registered on your account/with the app, you can unplug it from power and move it around to the final location without having to do the setup again. There is an optional monthly subscription if you'd like to accrue cloud-based uploads of events/activity that occur on camera, but it is not necessary. Each camera has a micro-SD slot for physical storage making the cloud-based service even less of a consideration. The WiFi connectivity is good and fast. My father planned to put a camera inside of a sheet metal barn detached from the house, but I was skeptical that it would work without a WiFi signal extender. After connecting the camera to the account inside the house, he moved it to the intended location (about 65-75 feet from the WiFi router and through a standard wooden wall and a sheet metal wall). There were no issues at this distance with these obstructions. Of note, the route does utilize WiFi6, so I'm unsure how much of an affect this would have over a "standard" WiFi signal. The cameras appear to be purpose-built for outdoor usage with no discernable areas for moisture to get it (save a speaker at the bottom of the device). The camera itself has a small cord with a female micro-USB shrouded in a rubberized material. Using the supplied standard male micro-USB cable (for connecting it to power) creates a seal with the rubberized collar that I would feel confident is truly water-proof under standard conditions. The power plug itself is NOT water-resistance in any fashion and must be utilized indoors or away from any potential rain or water sources. These cameras aren't super-detailed due to being only 1080p resolution, but that kind of goes with the price point. With this in mind, I (and my parents) are still very impressed with the sharpness that they're getting compared to their old system that was only 720p. My biggest gripe with these cameras is actually a shortcoming with a function within the app. Specifically, the app touts an ability to set an activity zone. Oddly enough, I was surprised to even see the function when I was looking around in the settings. This is a base feature and doesn't require a subscription to use. The problem is that it doesn't work at all when set. Further reading led me to believe that this is a bug in the software that Wyze is aware of but still has yet to resolve. There are several funDontDoIt

Nice inexpensive pack of 2 cameras. The wyze v3 cams are advertised as outdoors, but they still need to be plugged into an electrical outlet with an included power adapter. While the camera is rated for outdoor use, the power adapter is not. The cameras themselves are rated for outdoors because of its IP rating for being able to withstand water splashes, rain, etc. Depending on where outdoors you might be putting this, you may be better off with a wireless battery model (those however need to be recharged from time to time). More on this further on in review. The cameras themselves are very small, and about the size of my fingers. Super discreet and tiny, which is a good thing unless you are visually trying to deter someone. You can adjust the camera off its base up and down and side to side. The base of the camera is where you can wall mount the camera with a screw if you want, however I love that there is a magnet on the base of it too so you can mount it on something metal without needing to drill a hole. It also comes with a metal plate with adhesive backing so you can stick it up somewhere that isn’t metallic too. Camera has an SD card slot so you can actually continuously record video to it, without having to pay for a subscription. It can also just record motion events that it detects to the SD card. Downside of this is that if a thief sees the camera, they can just take the entire camera with them. Viewing the footage is done through the Wyze app on your phone, playing back directly from the SD card in the camera. Wyze app is pretty well thought out, and offers recording options, viewing options, 2 way conversation functionality, motion sensitivity control and much more. Camera has a built-in alarm, but it is not very loud. Camera video looks great either in day or night. Night vision works really well. I was surprised how well the picture quality was in the dark. While the camera works without any kind of paid subscription with an SD card, you can sign up for a wyze Cam Plus subscription trial for added features and cloud storage for a very inexpensive price compared to competing camera brands. My only gripe is that I wish that they were wireless. Had they been wireless they would have been perfect for outdoor use in virtually any scenario within reach of my router. As it is in my living situation, I don’t have an outdoor outlet close enough to where I want the camera that would keep the power brick safe from possible rain/snow, or even a potential thief just yanking out the cable. Overall, for the money these are a great set of very small and discreet cameras for most consumers. Just think about where those cameras will be installed as they are wired power cameras.blah

Having cameras around your property is always a good deterrent for thieves and is also just a great way to keep an eye on your property when away. I had 4 Wyze v2 cameras hooked up when the offer to test the Wyze v3 came to me. This review will be pretty short and sweet as most people are now familiar with Wyze cameras and how they operate, but I’ll try to detail the standout features of the cameras and the Wyze services that are offered. Overall impressions will be up first, followed by a breakdown of my experience with the cameras. Overall impressions: Wyze is still a leader in the budget home security and automation market. The Wyze v3 cams offer great performance in any lighting condition, fantastic basic features, and an sd card slot for local recording. The Wyze app has improved over the years and holds it’s own now with other video monitoring apps out there. Unfortunately, a lot of advanced functionality is behind a paywall, but I have found that most people will find the free Wyze cloud service to be enough for their needs and if you pair the camera with an sd card you can get around some of the limitations by recording continuously on the camera itself. Wyze has always been a leader in the value market for home security and automation, this doesn’t change with the Wyze v3 cameras. They retail at a very affordable price and come in multi-packs like the white ones I received. The marked improvements over the v2 cameras are weather resistance and color night vision. The build quality of the v3 cameras is much better than the v2 and the camera looks and feels like a much nicer product than the previous iterations. You’ll receive everything you need to install your Wyze v3 in the box and should be able to mount the camera just about anywhere that a power source is available. I have my cameras set up on the eve of my garage and on the outside of the house in the backyard area. These two areas are exposed to weather constantly and the v2 cameras took a beating in these spots. Those old cameras came down with yellowed plastic and dirt-filled SD card slots, but they still worked. These v3 cameras come with a cover for the sd card slot which should eliminate one of those issues, but only time will tell how well they hold up to the elements. Installing the cameras was as easy as mounting them on my existing magnetic mounts from my v2 cameras. If you’re installing these for the first time, it’s really as easy as mounting the magnetic mount with the included double-sided tape and attaching the camera to it. I’ve had no issues with the cameras falling or even shifting due to weather or wind using these magnetic mounts. If you want something more sturdy, screw mounting is also available. Setting up the cameras is also easy with the Wyze app. It’s a matter of scanning a QR code and following the setup procedures. A firmware update will most likely be needed, but after that, the camera shows up in your Wyze app and you can adjust settings, detection zones, alerts, notifications, and other settings like night vision. You also receive a free trial of the Cam Plus service that does allow you to add enhanced recording and other features to the camera like AI detection of persons, vehicles, etc. The service offerings by Wyze at the moment are a little confusing and a little expensive in my opinion. They are offering services on a per-camera basis, which is fine if you only have one or two cameras, but in my situation, I have 6 cameras and the cost is just a bit higher than I’m willing to pay. I do not use any of the enhanced services and have purchased sd cards for all the cameras so that I can locally record continuous footage in case I need to review something that doesn’t fit in the recording windows that the free service provides. Mind you, the services offered by Wyze will most definitely be helpful and utilized by many people, but they just do not offer enough to justify the price for me personally. I commend Wyze for giving us the option to add an sd card to be able to store continuous recordings though as some cameras, especially in this price range, do not have this feature. Well-lit areas will see the camera excel with the camera’s higher frame rate and crisper video quality, the v3 exceeds Wyze’s older offerings in every category. The Wyze v3 performs like a camera twice as expensive and I don’t think anyone will be disappointed with how it functions. Sure there isn’t any fancy zoom feature, it can’t rotate by itself and it doesn’t have a laser that shocks intruders, but it does have a siren now and records video in the direction you point it at. Detection settings are all adjustable within the app and work well to minimize notifications in areas that you don’t care about. The night vision is much improved on the v3, allowing for color night vision in certain scenarios. I like to leave all the night vision settings on “auto” as the setting seems to work quite well for me. The 2 cameras I have situated outsideKMed

I like the price point of this camera, but it doesn’t work well even to be mid-grade price. It only detects motion about 25% of the time. I mainly got them for motion detection and recording so that was a huge disappointment. The video is semi consistent when it does decide to record, but it doesn’t record the entire motion encounter. In addition, the motion sensor hasn’t worked at all since I got a notification about my trial expiring soon (it hasn’t expired yet though.) The app is a little glitchy but is otherwise easy to navigate and the quality of the image and video is decent which is why they got 2 stars here. To be transparent, I didn’t do much research into these before I bought them, and to add to it, they were buy one get one free so I was pretty excited to buy them. Just know for this camera, you will need to sign up to a monthly Amazon subscription for cloud storage. Please consider before purchasingSimone

This security camera will show you live feed without a subscription! I got lucky enough to get 4 cameras for the price of 2 during Prime Day a few years ago, so I could install in the bedrooms and areas of my house where my little kids tend to play alone, so I don’t have to run from room to room to find out why they are being soooo quiet. If you’re a parent you know your concern starts when your kids are being way to quiet! It can sit anywhere, with without being plugged in and you can pair it to your phone via app and watch from anywhere in the world!!! As long as there's stable Wi-Fi inside the home. I watched my living room for 18 days while visiting my family in another country. This camera has the ability to record as well but you need a subscription to store the recordings on the cloud! Very clear picture with ability to zoom in (on your phone) and night vision is well lit black white. Best of all, this camera allows you to hear speak through it. It's also a fantastic way to monitor children and the elderly without having to run inside all the time to see if everything's alright! I believe the subscription gives you Alexa voice command when you register your blink on Amazon.com. Best camera, good picture, great features, very dependable and easy to install! The only issue (and this is the only reason why I’m not giving 5 stars) is because if the room is completely dark and you check the camera (especially if it is in your kids bedroom), a blue light turns on (it won’t make it bright, but if you’re facing the camera you will notice something is on even if your eyes are closed). It will also beeps while you’re checking the camera, so it can be distracting if your child is almost falling asleep… but other than that, absolutely nothing to complain about.jessica.p

First off the price is right. relatively easy to set up minus a few issues with it not recognizing my wifi. perfect size to hide in places you want monitored. Video quality is lacking a bit. one feature that would be a good add is not only being able to flip the video up side down but rotate it so you can mount it on a wall and have the video rotated to be level. the motion detection is bit useless. all night long it will record a pesky moth but during the day I can walk past it in front of it and it won't record. I have it set to the most sensitive setting (maybe that's why the moth is always showing up) but it misses other movement. if there is a way to fix these issues I would consider giving it a 4 star rating. this definitely isn't going to help you identify a burglar who broke in but will at least help see when someone is in your house when they are not supposed to (if the motion detection works)Stop making landfill

I purchased this Pet Cam for my mom so she can see her cats when she is away. I set it up in only a few minutes. I plugged in the camera, downloaded the app and followed the instructions. So easy. No fees required to watch your felines. You can talk to your pets, no fees. The picture quality is awesome. I highly recommend this Pet Cam to anyone who wants to check up on your pets while you are away. I love it so much that I'm going to buy one for myself.SweitzGirl

this little camera works so well! I was a little concerned since it was only $40 but wow it's amazing! its so nice to be able to check on my little pumpkin when I'm at work❤️ excellent customer service as well, I had a little issue with audio and it was fixed within minutes of sending an email, thank you petcube☺️Julia

Best Cam for pet parents, no doubt about it !! Offers all we caring maniacs need. Play options, night vision, video recordings, interaction with them via voice, super easy to configure and connect.gabylin11

The device itself feels flimsy, but while that is one thing, the absolutely horrible UI of the app the company has you use is something else. It’s almost obnoxious to use. While the camera works just fine, the functionality of the app that you have to use almost makes it feel not worth it.asmiller92

The camera is surprisingly quick and clear. The treat dispenser is a bit noisy so you need to acclimate some dogs to it first, but it works very well!kchristenson27355

We own a dog and bird that do not get nearly the attention they deserve. So, we were thrilled to receive our Petcube Play. If you are in the market for a wifi camera to look-in on your pets, I would highly recommend this one. The camera is not perfect; however, so there are a few things you should know before purchasing. Positives – Great HD video quality. – The App (at least on our iPhone) is top quality. It has never crashed nor behaved badly. – Set-up was extremely easy. – Two way audio is clear with only a slight second delay. – The automatic alerts always work, even when the app is not open on our devices. – The laser light is bright and can be moved remotely. – Multiple settings for everything! Pretty great to be able to fine-tune the experience without complication. – The Petcbue comes with a long power cord and the 5 watt usb connection uses very little power. Negatives – The actual build quality of the cube is good, but not the greatest. I would be somewhat nervous if the cube was dropped onto a non-carpeted floor. – The laser light is a little tough to calibrate in order to have quick and fluid control. -If you imagine your pet chasing a very fast moving light as though you were holding and moving a flashlight – well, it just doesn’t work that fluidly. – The refresh rate was not the greatest. If I had to guess it was probably about 5 frames per second. Comparable to that of security camera I would say. Perhaps our slow-ish wifi is to blame. It looks like that the app is updated fairly often so the some of the negatives that are software based are periodically improved with updates. In conclusion, we personally are very happy with our Petcube play. We mainly use ours for our bird but wouldn’t mind purchasing a second to be able to check-in on our dog when away. We have used a couple of other wifi cameras within this price range, and so far this is the best.david_w

First I want to sat that this Petcube is smaller than I thought which is great for putting it in more places around the home. The build quality is solid and there is a nice rubber base so that it won't slide around on you. The first time I used this product I was blown away. I was able to go into the app on my iPhone and I was able to see my entire living room with the wide angle camera. At night the camera goes into what I like to call night mode where even in pitch black you are still able to see the video feed. I used the built in laser pointer to play with both my cats and my dog and they loved it. I was also able to either take a picture of what I was seeing or record video. Which I can then later share with friends and family. You also have the option to turn on two way audio so that you can talk to your pets while you are away from home. What I like the most about it is that I can sort of use it like a security camera for the home. I can check in from time to time to not only check in on the animals but also to see who or what is going on in the home. I would recommend this product to anyone that travels and wants to keep an eye on not only their pets but also check in on the home for security purposes.Edbo316

If you have a pet you should have a camera like this. It gives you that piece of mind to leave your pets at home. It works great but sometimes video is blurry. I've been playing with the settings and just doesn't want to come in. I've noticed my phone getting really warm when I'm looking at the live feed. So I'm sure that's a phone thing but it just makes you think. We had some issues with installing it and using the app with 2 androids, but was really easy set up for the iPhone. I love the function of not being notified. It's annoying to have it keep having the motion detection on when you have a house full of people. After about 3 weeks of playing with it I finally figured out all the settings. I finally got our other devices set up and after that it was good to see that all the devices were still getting the blurry video feed. The wide camera makes it able for me to see my kitchen, living and dining room-so It makes it easy to check in often. Love the speaker to communicate on the other end and vice versa. I would totally recommend this to anyone that's worried about what their pets or little people are up to.RoGo76

The camera is great on this device, when it works. I have it connected to a 2.4Ghz but 99% of the time it says it is not connected. After weeks of messing with it I just gave up. Another issue is that in order to see your pets you have to keep it pretty low to the ground. The lid for the treats is not secure and my dog just takes her paw lifts the lid and and eats the treats, so there is also that. The only reason I give it 2 stars is because during the 1% of the time I could get it to work it worked well.Crazyquilter

Simple to use and set-up. The app runs almost everything and lets us watch the dog on different camera modes depending on the time and need. We use regular kibble in the treat compartment and it shoots 4-8 treats about 1 meter, giving us a great sightline to see our dog gobble them up! We use the camera regularly to monitor our dog while we are away, we clearly hear her whining and use the speaker to correct her/give commands with ease.LukasM

I was excited to get the treat dispenser as I work 12 hour shifts and my dog is home alone. I was so disappointed that the treats kept getting stuck in the rotating wheel. I also bought one for my grand-dog and they had the same issues. I did like the camera, but it kept saying I was offline. It wasn't worth all of the aggrevation.ASHley25

I was skeptical to buy this as there were no reviews. But I'm so glad I did! I love it. It's easy to use, easy set up and I can check on my home and cats from anywhere. Great price too!Stacerey

Can't make a good review of function bc my cat ripped it off first try. Clip is weak. Could not find. Could be ok if you drill holes through and use wire/cord.tche5306

Very good for cats curious. Small size, so not the scares. Obstacles in floor are important.Very good for curious cats. Small size so dont scare them. Floor obstacles are important.Berenice

Couldn’t get camera to connect with internet. After hour texting with customer service I gave up. Wouldn’t waste my time with this camera!Rod

The camera works well, and is light and portable. Audio is strong and clear. I hooked it up with an ethernet cable to bypass the 5GHz wifi issue. As with other Netvue products, I can't wait for a desktop/laptop version of the app. Would definitely recommend!tressa

Love it! Nothing to dislike! I have 3 of them! It has Motion Detection you can turn on and off! You can purchase the Mini SD card and view your motion detecton or you can look in at anytime with Wi-Fi.Kent