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Heimvision HM302 security camera hands-on: Good pan, tilt, and zoom, and remote alert alarm
HeimVision HM302 security camera
pros and cons
- Desktop client
- Multi-user sharing
- Stream directly to the cloud
- Flimsy camera mount
- App often buffers
I like the look of the Heimvision HM302 security camera. It looks very like one of the droids that you would see in Star Wars. The HM302 has a nice feel to it and is a good weight at 8.5 ounces.
Security
It is similar in size to the Netvue Orb 1080p camera I looked at earlier this week, and smaller and less weighty than the SimCam 1S camera. However, it differs in several of its features.
Unlike the Simcan 1S, the Heimvision HM302 is definitely for indoor use only. The SD card slot and Ethernet port are fully exposed, so they would easily be affected by water or dust ingress.
The camera uses an SD card up to 128GB in size, but unlike most of the other cameras I have tried this week, the SD card is not necessary to operate the camera. If you buy the cloud storage function for $69.90 for 12 months, you can stream your videos directly to the cloud -- a nice feature.
In the box, the HM302 comes with screws, wall plugs, and a mount, so the camera can be fixed to the wall. The camera mount is flimsy and very like the mount on the Netvue Orb 1080p camera. Also in the box is a power adapter with cord, an Ethernet cable, and a user manual.
Plug the power lead into the camera, insert the SD card, or connect to the cloud. The camera will start to record and store videos.
The user manual is the best I have seen for a long time. There are step-by-step instructions on how to download the app, create an account, bind the camera to Wi-Fi, or Ethernet cable, and tips on using the camera.
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There are even helpful instructions on how to pan, tilt, and zoom the camera using finger dragging, and pinching. This camera will only support 2.4GHz Wi-Fi broadcasting.
Connecting to the app is easy. Scan the correct QR code for your platform in the user guide or by searching for MIPC in the app store. Add the camera from the PTZ cameras icon, scan the QR code, and connect the app to your home Wi-Fi.
The app has a fairly simple interface and is easy to use. If you prefer, you can also install the desktop client for Windows, Mac, Android, and IOS from the website
This camera has a 3MP UHD image with 2560 x 1440 resolution and a 110-degree field of view and 8x digital zoom. It has a 350-degree pan and 100-degree tilt to cover the entire area with no blind spots.
The camera has motion detection and will automatically take videos or images and save them to the card. When it detects movement or a face, the camera takes photos or videos and alerts your phone.
If you have enabled Smart Tracking, the camera will track the moving objects detected. The camera also has two-way audio so you can have a conversation with someone in the camera's view.
Motion detection will record movement in the house to a specific schedule. Unlike the Simcam 1S, this camera does not automatically turn off detection if it recognizes a face. You need to set this schedule manually. The HM302 also has a loud alarm which you can trigger remotely.
Its night vision IR LED will detect movement up to 30 feet away in total darkness. As soon as light levels fall its night vision activates.
You can also connect the camera to work with Alexa so you can see the live video interface by voice.
The HM302 supports multi-user sharing so everyone can see any detection alerts, and the app will control multiple cameras. I found that manually controlling the camera was a little slow, with lots of waiting time as the image buffered as the camera moved.
All in all, the Heimvison HM302 is a nice indoor security camera, which, for $50.99, will track and move its lens to follow anything it detects.