Network cameras aren’t for everyone, but they can prove to be very useful to the people who need to use them. Small business owners will find value in having a robust surveillance system that won’t cost them an arm and a leg. Concerned parents can set them as nanny cams to keep an eye on the sitters. Stepping up with a number of notable features is the Compro IP540.
The IP540 is an IP camera that’ll see in the day and in the night. It’s a camera that will pan, tilt, and zoom. And yes, you can access it online, no matter where you are the in the world. What’s more, Compro has now teamed up with Seedonk for some nifty software tricks to boot.
Features and Specifications
You might remember when I reviewed the Compro IP70. That network camera also boasted night vision, but the IP540 is upgraded to include no fewer than 12 infrared LED lights, offering improved visibility in low-light conditions. They’re both megapixel cameras with H.264, but the IP70 was fixed in its view.
By contrast, the Compro IP540 offers complete pan, tilt, and zoom functionality, all of which can be remotely controlled from the included software. You get 340-degrees of panning and 100-degrees of tilting, as well as up to 10x digital zoom. You can choose to mount it either right side up or upside down, making it quite versatile for lobby areas, warehouses, or just about any room in your home.
Among the other features are a built-in microphone, two-way audio support, multiple channel management, mobile device PTZ (pan-tilt-zoom) control, active bandwidth management, motion detection, webmail notification support, and a microSDHC slot for local recording.
Street pricing is around the $250 – 300US price point, but you may have issues finding it as distribution is a bit limited in North America.
What’s in the Box?
Inside the box, you get just about everything you need to get started with this network camera. In addition to the IP540 itself, there is a network cable, power supply brick, power cable, wall mounting plate with screws, VideoMate WL150 USB Wi-Fi adapter, installation CD, and quick start guide.
From what I understand, the Wi-Fi adapter is an optional accessory. If you plan on having this camera set up next to a network access point, the network cable could suit you just fine. In fact, the IP540 is compatible with PoE (power over ethernet), so that could make for a cleaner installation. That said, I do like having Wi-Fi, especially for a product like this where I may mount some distance away from my router.
I saw that you get “just about” everything, because while the device offers two-way audio communication, there are no built-in speakers. If you want to be able to speak to the people at the camera, you’ll need to provide your own speakers. There’s also a mic-in jack, but the integrated mic will usually be sufficient.
First Impressions
There’s no doubt about it; this is a pretty serious product for a pretty serious market. You have to realize that this is quite different from the el cheapo webcam you mind find at the clearance bin in Fry’s. This is a network camera that has been purpose built for surveillance purposes.
The construction is very solid, which is especially important giving the pan and tilt capabilities. There’s even a special note attached to the camera when you take it out of the box, reminding you not to “manhandle” the moving mechanism. Let the motor do the work. Build quality is great. It might be plastic, but it’s pretty thick and strong plastic.
I do find it a little strange that you need to use that 90-degree USB port to use the Wi-Fi dongle, though, since having a Wi-Fi chip built into the base would have been so much easier. Aside from that, I’m digging the range for the panning and tilting, since it really lets you cover just about everything around the IP540.
Installation and Setup
The setup process will take you a few minutes, but it’s very easy to understand. Even if you intend on using the IP540 primarily through a Wi-Fi connection, you will still need to have a wired connection for the setup process. With that in place, you pop the installation CD into your computer of choice and run through the wizard.
The wizard will automatically detect the new camera on the network, getting you to choose it (and showing the live view, as depicted above). From there, you can enable the Seedonk P2P service, which I’ll describe in a moment, and configure the wireless connection.
It does not work with hidden SSIDs, so you’ll need to temporarily make your SSID visible if you want to use that network. After it’s setup, you can hide your WiFi access point again, but I found the wizard to be a little finicky with that connection during the setup process. Thankfully, when it’s all kosher, the IP camera will detect and connect to your preferred network automatically.
Browser-Based Interface
You don’t really need to install any new software on your computer. If your computer is on the same network as the Compro IP540, you simply dial into the camera’s IP address in your web browser, put in your login credentials, and be on your merry way. I should note that while this works just fine in Internet Explorer, you do need a VLC plugin to work with Chrome.
As far as the browser interface is concerned, you get relatively easy to understand controls that are robust enough to do everything you need it to do. If you have multiple cameras on the network, you can switch between them. You can also choose to view the size as 100% of the actual resolution or stretched to fit your window. What’s unfortunate is that if you want a “megapixel” resolution, you have to accept just 15fps. Getting up to 30fps bumps you down to VGA (640×480) at best.
From this main interface, you can control the pan and tilt a couple of different ways: there is the 8-way controller on the left side, as well as the vertical and horizontal bars that surround the video feed. You can also zoom, take a snapshot, communicate (open up the two-way audio), and record.
All of the setup stuff can also be accessed through this browser-based interface, including little adjustments to the camera for brightness, sharpness, saturation, white balance, and so on. It is also here that you can control the activation of the infrared LED lights for low light viewing, as well as setting up recording events and so forth.
It’s all very robust, but most users won’t dive too far into all of these different options. Having the recording events can be very useful though, since you can set the camera to automatically record during the times when you aren’t around to keep an eye on your business.
The Seedonk Instant Messenger
One of the newer changes to the Compro family is the company’s partnership with Seedonk. The software expands on the functionality of the Compro IP cameras, since it allows you to more easily share your video feed with your friends. This is done primarily through the Seedonk Instant Messenger.
You set up an account, just like you would with any other service, but then you are able to share cameras on the fly. This works with regular webcams too, but the network-connected nature of the Compro IP540 means it can work without a computer. It also makes it very easy for you to view your own camera, even when you’re not at home or in the office.
What’s more, there is an iOS app that allows you to view the camera right on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch. That really comes in handy for situations like nanny cams, since you might not have a computer on hand, but you always have your smartphone in your pocket.
Daytime Video Quality
I was not blown away by the regular “daylight” video quality offered by the IP540. The quality is roughly on par with many other VGA and megapixel webcams, though the default settings typically do dial up the saturation and contrast for some greater detail. This comes at the price of sharper edges, though.
Part of this has to do with keeping the bandwidth down to a more manageable level, so that you can have a smooth and steady video stream even if your network speeds aren’t exactly ideal. There is definitely enough deal in the context of surveillance and that’s all you ready need here.
Nighttime Video Quality
Where this camera really starts to shine is under low light and no light conditions. Upgrading from the IP70 that I reviewed some time back, the Compro IP540 boasts no fewer than twelve infrared LED lights. There are six on either side of the lens, lighting up the translucent black plastic portions. What this means, unfortunately, is that the infrared lights are very visible to the naked eye. This effectively nullifies any stealth recording in the night.
Even so, the image quality is positively astounding in even the darkest of rooms. The image that you see above is in my kitchen at midnight with all the lights in the house turned off. You can still see everything, which is a little like Paranormal Activity to be honest. The infrared light does reflect off reflective surfaces though, which can wash out the picture at times.
Closing Thoughts
There’s no doubt about it. The Compro IP540 day/night pan/tilt/zoom network camera is a very powerful and feature-rich option for people who want a relatively inexpensive way to monitor their businesses or their homes. The network connectivity is great and it’s even better than you can control the pan, tilt, and zoom remotely.
It’s a little too bad that you don’t get that level of control when using the Seedonk IM interface, since that’s what I’d be using quite a bit if I happened to be on the road. Setting up through the Compro software for remote access isn’t quite as seamless, but it is an option worth considering too. The low light and no light performance is to be commended too.
An IP camera might not make your list of home office necessities, but if you choose to get an IP camera, something like this from Compro should fit the bill at a relatively reasonable price. I see it listed at about $250, getting cheaper with volume. While it seems competitively priced with competitors, its lack of distribution at larger retailers makes it difficult to get a hold of.
Pros
- Very good low light and no light performance
- Easy pan, tilt, and zoom controls
- Robust interface both via Compro and Seedonk
- WiFi-capable with optional USB dongle
Cons
- No built-in speakers for communication
- Infrared lights clearly visible to naked eye
- Only digital zoom, no optical
- No true HD or widescreen capabilities
Overall Rating: 8.5/10.0
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Compro IP540 Day/Night IP Camera Image Gallery
