Lorex - 2K Dual Lens Indoor Pan-Tilt Wi-Fi Security Camera - White

LOREX - 2K Dual Lens Indoor Pan-Tilt Security Camera is a remarkably feature-filled device with user friendly controls. The images are sharp, contrasty and easy to manage from my iPhone (it has a similar Android App). Although we have a very good outdoor system and a doorbell camera, the LOREX adds an entire set of unique features that are especially useful indoors. The dual camera setup provides simple tools to manage a broad indoor area with multiple spaces or points of entry and exit. One of these two cameras can Pan, Tilt, and Zoom to maintain visual contact with a pet, toddler or other individual, Tracking can cover 360 degrees. A pet can be deselected is desired. You need to view the camera in action in real time to appreciate how effective and useful this feature is. This alone justifies my high regard for this reasonably priced security camera. But, there is more. The camera has an auto night vision mode and resolution can be selected up to 2K. There is both animal and person detection. The camera is fully operational and provides a full time live view if desired because it is always powered using its USB-C 6’ cable and included power brick. And its memory card is ready to record, immediately. The camera has a privacy mode that swings the camera downward and stops recording. The camera has a CALL BUTTON which, when pushed, initiates a call on your phone. You are able to talk and listen at the camera location and at the phone. There is even ambient lighting as part of the camera body which can be fully controlled and automated in the settings. Recordings can be set using a very easy scheduler feature in the App. If you enable recording, it will used a pre-installed 32GB MicroSD to store still or recorded images. A larger card can be used. [But I’m waiting to hear back from LOREX on how to access it and where it’s located. I am successfully capturing images.] LOREX provides a Cloud Storage subscription for $2.99/mo but it isn’t required or necessary. LOREX provides a compatible, multi-camera storage NVR for more permanent image storage which you manage on your own, locally. Again, it’s not necessary and is a separate accessory available for purchase. The free, downloaded App controls the camera or other select camera systems from LOREX that you you might add later. PERFORMANCE: Images are sharp, clear and brightly lit. Video clips are easy to view with sufficient detail and contrast. They are also easy to manage. The entire process of setting up, using, modifying features is generally intuitive, but a real user manual should certainly be made available. I’m surprised that there isn’t already a comprehensive guide. There’s a lot here, even if it is fairly easy to sort out. The LOREX 2K Dual Lens Indoor Pan-Tilt Security Camera is actually fun to use and has become an immediately useful security and monitoring tool. While one lens is fixed to where I set it, the other is effectively automated. It seems alive! It is easy to recommend.

I am writing this review for the Lorex 2K Dual Lens Indoor Pan/Tilt Wi-Fi Security Camera. I have to start this review off by saying that this camera is a winner. From start to finish, it is the real deal. Let me explain why… I already had two Lorex outdoor cameras. They are now approaching about five years old. Because they are true outdoor cameras, and are left out in the weather year-round, they are of course beginning to show signs of wear. But they still function as well as they did when I first got them. In addition, I already have the Lorex app on my phone. As soon as I unpackaged the camera and had placed it where I wanted it, I began the setup process. I’ve said all that to say that I chose not to view the user manual/quick start guide because I wanted to see just how easy it was going to be to incorporate this camera to my existing setup. I opened up the app, clicked on the plus sign (+), and thus began one of the easiest setups I have ever gone through. From beginning to end, about the only involvement on my part was to enter my wi-fi password. In a matter of a few easy minutes, the Lorex Dual Lens Security Camera was up, running, and ready to go. The real test was whether it would work like it should, that is, would the app interface be good enough to easily operate the pan and tilt functions. It is. The interface offers a virtual joystick to move the camera in what ever direction you want. It really is a 360 degree panning camera, in that it allows you to see a complete 360 degrees. The tilt and pan operations are smooth, quick, and very quiet. The pan motion is not silent, but it is very quiet, whereas the tilt is almost completely silent. I know it depends a lot on the internet connection and wi-fi signal, but my response times, even away from home are almost instantaneous. Okay, so it moves great. What about the camera resolution? The Lorex Dual Lens is a 2K camera (1440p). Now, in all honesty, 2K is less than what many of us are used to viewing as far as other devices are concerned. At standard zoom, the Lorex images are quite sharp. However, once you begin to zoom in, the images do suffer some pixelation and blurriness. A part of me wanted to balk at the 2K, but then I realized that this is an INDOOR security camera, and the 2K resolution is more than good enough to offer clear images of people and pets. But don’t expect pristine clarity when zooming in on that unknown object sitting underneath the sofa. The Lorex comes with a 32GB micro SD card. The included literature did not say what the maximum size card you can use, but an online search stated you can use up to a 256GB micro SD card. The 32GB is okay seeing as it doesn’t record 24/7, but only on alerts. Lorex does offer cloud storage, but that comes with a subscription cost, whereas local storage is free, and in my opinion is more than sufficient. The one feature I was unable to find in the included literature is perhaps one of the greatest features of this device… the ability for someone at home to call you when you are away. With a simple push of the “phone” button located at the bottom of the camera, a person at home can contact you if they do not have your phone number. This may seem a bit baffling seeing as it is an indoor security camera, but if it is going to be used in a place of business, I can see how it might come in quite handy. Accessing and reviewing recorded events is quite easy using the “Timeline” function. A calendar appears, and there is a red dot for any day there is a recorded event. Like I said, it is quite easy to use, and the recorded images/videos are quite good. All in all this is a remarkably good indoor security camera. It tilts, pans, record, offers the ability to call, it has good resolution, and the downloadable app makes everything easy. It incorporated super easily with my other Lorex cameras. And like I said, it is super easy to use. If you are looking for an amazing and feature-rick indoor security camera with pan and tilt features, the Lorex 2K Dual Lens Indoor Pan/Tilt Wi-Fi Security Camera is the obvious choice. I will be recommending this to just about anyone who will listen.

Since I already have a couple Lorex cameras and the Lorex Smart Home Security Center (LSHSC), I thought this 2K Dual Lens indoor PTZ camera would be a simple add-on. However, this camera isn’t compatible with that security system, so you won’t be able to manage or arm/disarm it from that control console. However, this camera works with Lorex’s “Fusion” products so could be integrated into that NVR system; it comes with a 32GB microSD pre-installed for local photo and video storage. This wireless camera has two hi-def 2K lenses: a fixed lens that can be manually tilted up or down by several degrees and a remote controlled Pan-Tilt-Zoom (PTZ) lens with 360° coverage. The memory card slot can be accessed when the camera is rotated fully upward and accepts up to 256GB. The field of view of the PTZ lens is also slightly wider than that of the fixed lens, so captures more area even when they’re pointed in the same direction. The colors in recorded video and images are well-saturated with good contrast (HDR enabled), but the framerate is low at 15fps making fast motion somewhat blurry. The camera needs to be plugged in and is powered via a 6 ft USB-C cable and USB wall adapter. I have the camera placed on a shelf, but you can also ceiling-mount the unit. Setup was simple in the mobile app but requires you to create or log in to an account. Once connected to my WiFi network, I could remotely view recorded footage as well as the live feeds. The app displays the two camera views as picture-in-picture or stacked. The PTZ camera angle can be changed on-the-fly, but the motor is audible as you adjust its position. The unit has built-in 2-way talk with the Lorex app via a call button and a customizable smart LED ring at the bottom. I wasn’t able to get Alexa to show me the live feeds from this camera on my Echo, though I can see them as devices in the Alexa app. The speaker on the back is decently loud and clear though the mic pickup tends to sound compressed and distorted in recordings. You can send “quick responses” through the speaker like the default “we will be right there” or record your own custom message in the app. The speaker and mic are also used for the audible deterrence siren/alarm and sound detection. With sound detection enabled, the camera can send you a notification and start a recording when a noise above the selected threshold is detected (50-90dB), like glass breaking or yelling. This can also optionally trigger a 360° pan of the room with the PTZ lens, but since the camera moves quite quickly and the fps is low, the footage is not very clear. I also thought the deterrence siren could be a little louder. Both cameras have their own motion detection settings, and AI recognition for people and animals are processed locally within the camera and available without a subscription. You can also customize the sensitivity and motion zones separately in order to reduce nuisance notifications. Auto-tracking using the PTZ lens follows people and keeps them in frame of the coverage area which works decently well. There’s also a night vision setting that turns on infrared (IR) lighting automatically in dark conditions, but there’s an audible ‘click’ when these lights are enabled/disabled and images will appear black and white. The night vision footage is bright, sharp, and detailed though motion is slightly grainier; also objects close to the lens tend to looked washed out. The RGB LED ring at the bottom can be set to always on, off, party, panic, or a custom schedule. You can choose from several pre-defined colors or from the color wheel and 5 brightness levels, though the dimmest setting still seems pretty bright, especially at night. Personally, I don’t know how useful it is to go into the Lorex app and enable panic mode for a flashing orange light in the event of an emergency or who’s idea of a party is to have rotating colors on their security camera. What might be useful, though, is the activation of the light ring when a person or animal are detected, if not as a deterrent then at least a reminder to folks that they’re on camera. You can shut off the cameras by enabling “privacy” mode which disables live view, recording, and app notifications. However, there isn’t a way to set active/inactive time periods on a schedule. By default the camera only records motion and sound events or when you manually start a recording from live view, however, you can opt for continuous local recording instead. Just note that this will shorten the life of the SD card and the length of your recording history unless used with a Fusion NVR. As for app notifications, you create a schedule when you want push notifications and whether or not to include thumbnails (up to 120 per camera per day). The camera is cloud-storage compatible, and you can purchase a single or multi-camera plan from Lorex on a month-to-month or annual basis in addition to saving footage locally, which is free. Cloud storage allows you to backup your video recordings for up to 30 days, unlimited thumbnail notifications, and access the uploaded recordings even when your device is offline. You can also share access to your recordings with other users and all recordings are encrypted so that they remain private. Overall, I like this security camera for its HD video and image quality and ease of use. Both lenses have a nice wide FOV plus the PTZ camera has full 360° range. I wish it were compatible with my existing Lorex security system (LSHSC), though it can be integrated into Fusion NVR systems.