Amcrest 4MP ProHD Indoor WiFi, Security IP Camera with Pan/Tilt, Two-Way Audio, Night Vision, Remote Viewing, 4-Megapixel @30FPS, Wide 90° FOV, IP4M-1041W (White)

I previously purchased another brand advertised as an indoor/outdoor camera, but had multiple issues after setup and wasn’t able to get reliable support from the manufacturer. My wife has been pushing me to get a replacement and since I’ve had positive experiences with other Amcrest products I own, I decided to give this one a shot. I was hesitant at first because the overall rating isn’t great (4* at the time of my review), but I am so glad I decided to get this one. This review will probably get a bit lengthily, so I’ll add a tldr at the end if you want to skip to it. Before I break everything down READ THIS IF YOU PLAN TO USE WIFI: You will need the included Ethernet cable and your router before you can connect to WiFi. Had I read the instructions before I started setting this camera up, I would have saved time by not installing it in the wall first, rooms away from my router. I read dozens of reviews before making this purchase, and one consistent complaint was the lack of instructions. I can’t say that I agree with most users here; I found the instructions very thorough in terms of actually turning the camera on and setting it up for the first time. I connected via WiFi, but there are detailed instructions for mobile and Ethernet as well. The back of the quick start guide also has links to alternative access methods and physical installation guides. Is absolutely every manual for each setup/installation method included in the box? No, but links to everything are provided in the Quick Start Guide and we’re all ordering this from a computer or mobile device anyway, so why not save the paper and use the links? But I digress… First off, everything came packaged nicely and was well organized. This isn’t something that will necessarily increase my rating, but would definitely count against it if I received a box with a jumbled mess. I found the physical installation itself to be very straight forward, but as mentioned, there is a link in the included guide to help with setup if needed. I ultimately installed the camera on my wall, as you can see in the picture, but there are also rubber feet on the bottom if you just want to set it on a different surface in your home. Note that this device cannot be set up level on vaulted ceilings without purchasing a separate bracket or mounting plate due to the angle of the ceiling. If you have flat ceilings, or choose to install on the wall like I did, it will install just fine with the included hardware. The included USB to micro SD cable is very long and had no problem reaching my wall outlet from the mounting position just under my ceiling, so that was also a plus. I mounted the camera before I connected it to WiFi, which was a mistake, but it was easy to unscrew from the bracket and take into my office where my router is to connect with the included Ethernet cable. The Quick Start Guide does a great job of walking you through the steps to get the camera connected, and once I had the app downloaded and entered my WiFi credentials, I was able to bring the camera back into my living room and operate it with no problems. When it comes to using the camera and app, I recommend going through the tutorial that pops up when you first log in. If you skipped it by mistake (like I did), you can access it again from the main menu. There are A LOT of features, and even after going through the tutorial and playing around with them, it’s easy to get lost or forget what function is “hidden” behind another icon menu. That said, all the functions and features seem to work exactly as they should. I did find the tracking feature a bit quirky at first, but this was my fault and not an inherent issue with the device. When I first tried tracking with the camera, it kept wanting to pan up to my ceiling fan (which was on at the time). Even when waving to the camera and walking around, it would start to follow me, then immediately go back to the fan. As soon as I turned the blades off, it tracked me perfectly. There’s also an option to set the tracking sensitivity, but the standard settings worked well once the fan was off, so I didn’t play around with them. Another thing I really like is HD mode. I attached pictures to my review of Standard Definition “SD” and High Definition “HD.” I only pictured a small section of the room the camera captured for privacy reasons, but there is still a big difference. Accessing, operating, and recoding the camera from the phone app works really well, even if the menu options themselves are a bit clunky. The privacy mode is also nice to have when it’s just my wife and I at home and we don’t want to feel like we’re being watched or recorded. I did not test desktop access because I don’t plan to use it. If there’s one negative I could give the device itself, it’s that it’s pretty big and conspicuous. I didn’t purchase this to be a hidden camera or anything, but it would be nice if it was a bit smaller, or was at least all white and didn’t have the black “Amcrest” logo printed across the front. tldr; I am very impressed with this camera, both from a function standpoint and the price point. Having mobile access and control, as well as the ability to record, were must haves for me, and this device delivers. The camera could be a bit more discreet, and navigating the app can be a bit unintuitive in some instances, but this thing is packed with features and everything works exactly as advertised. Overall, this was a great purchase for an indoor security camera.

The overwhelmingly best feature of the Amcrest 4MP ProHD Indoor WiFi Camera is the ability to set-up and use it over a LAN without 3rd party intervention. The Ethernet port and HTTP access allow the user to fully access and control the camera without depending on the Cloud, third-party services, or even Internet access (so long as HTTP access is available through a local router). Many cameras now require an external account to allow set up, maintenance, and/or access for their product; and I have been burned by that paradigm when the third-party goes out of business, no longer supports the appliance, or starts charging $$$ for its use. The 4MP ProHD checks all of the boxes for my purposes with a clear image, strong night vision that sees the entire room, motion detection with advanced features (region definition, sensitivity control, etc.), and multiple storage options (card, FTP, NAS). The camera has a depth of options that allow users to customize it for their needs, like independent Ethernet and WIFI definition (I have them each on different subnets), static IP, and user-defined port assignments for HTTP, RTSP, and HTTPS. For all of the many positives, the technology appears to have some limits of which the prospective user should be aware. First, it appears that the camera should be set to allow DHCP address assignment until after the SMTP server is set up. The camera would not initially connect to any SMTP server (I tried four, each from a different provider) when a static address was assigned. However, once the SMTP server info is entered, tested, and saved under DHCP, the IP address can be set to a static value; and email subsequently works fine. Second, it appears that the camera is only compatible with the NFS NAS protocol. (No SMB, for example.) Finally, I have not yet been able to connect with my FTP or NFS NAS servers using the camera. My servers are running on Linux (Ubuntu). I suspect that the Amcrest 4MP ProHD camera is built on an architecture that is (somehow) incompatible with the Linux permission structure (but I don't know this for sure). I can work around this limitation because the RTSP access appears to work just fine. Despite these issues, the quality, features, price, and, most especially, the ability for direct and independent control make this the best camera on the market for my purposes.

Review of the Amcrest IP4M-1041W Decent value for not a lot of money and Blue Iris support I've had the older version of these cameras for almost 3 years now and have used them in spots where mounting a regular camera would be problematic and they have worked well enough for me. This camera will be used in my kids playroom to keep an eye on them when we're not down there with them. Unfortunately, this camera is NOT able to be used with the Amcrest Smart Home app which is a shame as (although not perfect) it is much nicer to use than the Amcrest View Pro app(maybe this will change in the future?). I set this up via the Amcrest View Pro app, but am not a huge fan of the UI in the app or the quirky issues it faces. The app works, but it's far from great. Instead I use Blue Iris and for anyone who doesn't know, Blue Iris is a video camera software that supports most types of cameras. It is what I use for my home and it allows most types of cameras to be added via ONVIF. For $59.99(price at time of writing this), this is a decent little camera for security or to use as a baby/kid monitor, but honestly the ASH-21 might be a better choice for some people as it has the newer Smart Home app you can use. If you use it with a separate software like I do then the app doesn't really matter and if you can pick it up on sale then it may be a more solid option. It's still good for anyone that wants to be able to keep their video storage locally and not rely on the cloud as it has an SD card slot. However, it also offers cloud storage too so you have a choice either way. It can be wireless or wired which is nice for an easy install and portability or for someone that can plug it into their network to keep WIFI traffic reduced. Night time visibility is also pretty good, same as most other indoor cameras with night vision so no problems there. It has an auto tracking feature which is pretty cool in theory, but I think I will turn it off as it needs a little work software wise. It tends to jump around a lot to center a subject even when they're still in frame and I don't see much (if any) adjustment you can make and it doesn't self center when the motion stops. I've seen cameras like the Yi Home cameras that do this very well in comparison. I think auto-tracking is kind of gimmicky at this point anyways for lower end cameras and ends up being a nuisance instead of a good tool. It's better most of the time to get the camera far enough away to capture the entire area you need or have two angles. In the end, it is a solid camera and my other two have lasted without issue for over 3 years so I can't complain.

May not be a problem if you rely on cloud storage, but I'm not a cloud storage guy and prefer to keep any footage recorded locally on the sdcard. The camera fails to save video recordings if your ISP has an outage. This means the camera is still on, but if you internet goes down, no recordings locally to the sdcard. I have custom rules in my firewall that allow the camera out only ntp protocol to set the time. It cannot go anywhere else. Time and remotely viewing live footage over my network appliance's built in VPN capability are the only reason it has any wan connection. Support is less than helpful with illogical answer such as: "Since it's a wifi camera, it requires wifi to record, even to the sdcard." The camera also supports and ethernet connection, so using their same logic, it's an "ethernet camera" and requires an ethernet connection to work. In reality, it's an internet camera, and requires an internet connection to even do what a camera is supposed to do: record. I have other outdoor ptz cameras that record back to an NVR. They also have an sdcard option and will record to the sdcard regardless of "internet". I picked this camera up as an easy option for keeping an eye on my dog that stays inside my house while I'm at work. If something happens while I'm gone and the internet goes down, I have no recording of it, lol. Off to find a camera that, well, records.

I purchased this Amcrest 1080p PTZ (digital zoom on this specific model) for my 3d Printing and Lasering room. I installed this camera inside my self-built Atomstack laser enclosure to monitor projects while in other rooms. The package arrived quickly and was packaged in safe condition to ensure no damage would occur during transit. Setting the camera up is extremely easy depending on the type of setup you perform. The app "Amcrest" is available on iOS, Android, PC or Mac. I chose to initially set mine up within the iOS app. You can set this up completely wirelessly (wifi setup), by dedicated IP (IP setup), or via POE ("power over ethernet"). Although this is not actually a POE camera, if you are using an ethernet cable but do not desire to setup the IP as a dedicated address, you can still choose this setup option for dynamic IP addresses. This is the method I chose. Setting it up within the app was as simple as scanning the tiny QR code on the back of the camera (make sure you are aware of this before mounting the camera in a difficult location), and setting a new username and password. Ensure that you change the default username and password from "admin"/"admin". If recognized on your network, the camera will appear immediately within the app. This specific Amcrest camera came with a 16gb microSD card, however I saw nothing mentioned about it when purchasing it. When you record video footage, a timelapse, or take photos, it can be stored to the microSD, a NAS on your network (or a SSD/HDD on your network), or to the Amcrest cloud. Each Amcrest camera comes with 30 days free of Amcrest cloud. I chose to not utilize this as I don't like subscription services. I like the ability to pand and tilt the camera and the Amcrest app has several options to tailor the image to my likings. Specifically I like the options to flip the image horizontally or vertically and adjust the colors. There are also options to change the image quality from SD to HD if desired (for limiting bandwidth on slower connections). I chose to set it to the highest possible settings. For this camera that is 2560x1440p @ 8192 kbps (8bit). This is a little strange (but beneficial) since this camera is listed as a "1080p" camera. Overall I think this is an excellent camera with numerous options and at a great value. I would definitely recommend this to others.

So. My goal with buying two of these cameras was to create a locally hosted, private, CCTV system. Mostly for monitoring my front yard and kennel area for the dogs. I don't want any of the cloud backup solutions or access to my cameras from an app that inevitably will leak my information. To put it simply: I. Do. Not. Trust. Corporations. With. My. Data. So, after looking around, I settled on these cameras because its fairly easy to navigate around the cloud solutions. I DID need to download the AMCREST View application to get it initialized. It was functional but limiting and outdated aethetically, but its not a big deal. After the setup has been done you can remove the application. The next step is to go to your router and block the AMCREST phone home pings for a truly offline system. I hooked them up with Shinobi on a Linux machine I have on network. Absolutely worth it. The camera features themselves are great; Two way audio, PTZ, and the option of wither WiFi or hardwire is awesome. The picture quality is better than I need for this function honestly. Setup was a little annoying, but didnt take longer than an hour or so. Please please please everyone who's reading this, take the plunge, get rid of your Ring camera, and take data protection seriously.

Review of Amcrest IP4M-1041W Camera This review focuses on initial impressions and setup procedures. Overall, it is a decent product. The setup process seems to be solid but not well-documented. This review provides some details that may be helpful to future users. 1. My use case: I have a FiOS router providing Internet access. A Ti-Link DECO-series mesh Wi-Fi is connected to the FiOS router through Ethernet. The DECO provides two Wi-Fi networks: the home network N1 and the guest network N2. My goal is to set up the Amcrest camera on N2 network. 2. Amcrest Cloud Access. Following the quick-start booklet accompanying the camera, I successfully set up the Amcrest cloud access. This setup requires connecting the camera to my network through Ethernet, installing the Amcrest cloud app on my phone, setting up an Amcrest cloud account, and linking the camera to the account by scanning the camera bar code with my phone camera (within the Amcrest cloud app). I was asked to change the camera password (apparently, I can keep the default user name “admin” but must change the default password). Note that the camera log-in is separated from the cloud account log-in. The cloud access is unstable (need to return to the “camera list” and restart “live view” every 10 minutes all so.) The video has a significant lag (about 2 seconds or more). 3. Amcrest Direct View. The function allows viewing the camera image while the phone is in the same local network. One needs to install the Amcrest View Pro app and set it up within the app. The Wi-Fi setup did not work for me. Ethernet setup worked with the following notes. A) my iPhone must be on the home network N1 when set up. B) When asked for a camera password, use the new one, not the default. C) The connection attempt may fail. I need to try multiple times. After the direct view is working, the camera ethernet connection can be removed. The direct-view provides high-quality video without noticeable delay. However, the image disappears every hour. One needs to touch the center of the screen to resume feed. This is annoying for my use case. 4. Web-based video access. The installation guide points me to amcrestview.com. That website wants me to download a plugin. But after downloading and executing the file, it still does not work. However, one can log into amcrestcloud.com and watch the video (with the same delay and instability issues as the cloud app). There are other ways for web access, including a P2P connection with the downloaded software, and I did not try those. Be careful that the manual misspells some web addresses, leading to fake sites that want you to download software. 5. Multiple phones can be set up for cloud access and direct view. A new phone just needs to install the app and log in for cloud access. Each phone needs to go through the same process for direct view, which requires an ethernet connection. 6. Camera installment. The camera can be placed on a tabletop or mounted on the wall with provided hardware. The camera has several degrees of freedom in choosing field-of-view. The camera unit can tilt in one direction, rotate, and zoom. The mounting bracket has a pivoting arm. The mounting plate has two screws attached to the wall. The viewing software can rotate and flip the image. However, they all have a limited range and need to work together to provide a satisfying viewing experience. Especially, software 90-degree rotation messes up the aspect ratio. Therefore, do not finalize your installation (e.g., the position of mounting holes) before you test out the fields of view. Overall: this is a solid camera with a relatively smooth installation and setup process. The video and audio work well. (However, two-way audio does not work because of severer echo.) The major problems are: installation tips are not detailed in the documentation. The app does not clearly explain when installation problems occur, requiring a lot of trial and error. The video feeds require a frequent manual restart (every hour). Cloud viewing has a few seconds lag, unacceptable in some situations. Note after posting. I contacted Amcrest support on the frequent disruption of direct view and asked whether there is a setting to get a continuous video feed. The answer is: it's due to the instability of your WiFi network. I don't believe this is true, because I used the same network (same camera location) with a different camera before switching to Amcrest. That camera did not have a stability problem. What's more, I can reliably resume the video feed by touching the screen on my iPhone. So the system should be able to resume by itself after possible disruptions if designed correctly. Additional notes: After some back-and-forth with the Amcrest support, the video stream disruption problem is resolved by setting the wireless IP address to static. This change also allows me to connect the camera user interface (web-based) when the camera is on WiFi only. Since this problem is solved (although the process could have been easier), I am changing the rating from 3 stars to 4 stars. Update 8/18/2023: Soon after my report about solving the instability problem, it returned. I have no way to verify, but I think it is with the Amcrest server. And a couple of months ago (a little more than one year since I bought the camera), it no longer worked. I tried to reset everything, but it fails to connect to my WiFi even when I placed it next to my AP. So I change rating to 3 starts.

I have a bunch of these spread across multiple properties. The hardware is reasonably reliable, particularly for consumer-grade Pan/Tilt/Zoom (PTZ) cameras. My biggest challenge is the user interface (UI). If I recall correctly, the most recent update is several years old now (August of 2023). I suspect that the lack of recent patches leaves these cameras may result in vulnerabilities. Therefore, I recommend against having these devices directly accessible from the Internet, password-protected or otherwise. The remote storage functionality of these devices is tricky to get setup. I was unsuccessful at getting FTP access (not SFTP / SCP -- that's not supported) but I was able to get NFS/NAS connectivity setup. There is no ACME support (e.g., LetsEncrypt), nor is there remote management via an API, so you've to manually install SSL/TLS certificates and keys. Therefore, certificate management is one of the least-fun aspects of managing these devices. Moreover, if you're trying to consolidate multiple camera feeds (e.g., with Home Assistant), beware when using self-signed certificates unless you can configure the library calls not to verify SSL certificates. There are security-related consequences to making that choice. If you're using wireless to connect the cameras to a network, be sure the connection to the access point is strong and stable and the access point is reliable. If the access point is flaky, these cameras tend to get weird and randomly reboot, disconnect, etc. resulting in the camera rotating and tilting as if someone else was controlling it. It can be disquieting. If you use the cameras inside on a window (e.g., sitting on a window sill pointing outside), the IR / nightvision functionality can be suboptimal, especially if you've a film / tint on the windows as the light tends to reflect back in on the camera resulting in very poor image quality. This isn't a problem with the device -- just be aware of how / where you deploy them. Lastly, these devices do NOT support PoE. It may be possible to use a PoE splitter (the camera has a USB-C connector) but I haven't tried it. My workaround to the management interface was to pull RTSP feeds from the cameras and consolidate them in one place (e.g., via MotionEye) where motion detection, storage, feed proxying, etc. is simplified. Each camera gets its own subnet on a physical (i.e., Ethernet) infrastructure network that has no direct access to the Internet. All of that said, I'm pleased with the way the cameras work and with their price-point.