1.8.2018

I've been using two Circle2 cameras for several months now, and I'm largely impressed, with some reservations.As our house is occupied for much of the time, we're not using them as security cameras, but use them to watch our garden, especially to see what happens during the night!Our version comprises two cameras, each with a poisable base, and a single window mount (which can be used with or without the standard base). The bases and window mount have a long integral USB cable, which can't be replaced by a cable of different length. Each camera comes with a (fairly large) USB power supply.Setup was straightforward, though I spent some time trying out different settings to see what worked best.Turning off the LED indicator is quite important for monitoring garden wildlife. (The cameras have a Window mode that does this, and disables the IR light, though these can be set separately too.) It looks as though when the camera has its IR light on, there's a visible red LED; but this doesn't seem to bother the wildlife.I find that ensuring that the camera is level is quite tricky; it usually requires adjusting the position whilst looking at the live feed; and there's often a delay (sometimes several seconds), so feedback is rather slow, and it's easy to over-correct!I think that the cameras' wireless connection is "inherited" from the mobile phone when they are first connected with Bluetooth; so it's important to ensure that the phone is connected to the best access point for the camera. I suspect that initially our cameras were connecting to our router rather than our network extender. We had problems with the cameras becoming disconnected, and then connecting to the wrong access point. Since then we've installed a mesh network (Tenda Nova) which seems to work much better. Changing the camera's wifi connection requires it to be reset, which can be fiddly as it has to be done under power, but the reset button on the outer case has to be lined up perfectly with the reset button on the inner case, which can be tricky to do.One camera is usually window-mounted. The supplied window mount is very good, but as we don't leave it permanently stuck, we don't use the adhesive strips (two sets supplied, which wouldn't last us long!) but we use the window mount in combination with the normal stand (on a box against the window), and a blob of BluTack to ensure the mount stays flush with the glass. The window-mounted camera can be configured to sense IR, but can't use the built-in IR lights (as they'd reflect off the glass); luckily, Logitech have thought of this. As it happens, we have a security light outside our window, and when the camera is in IR mode, the image gets "blown out" whenever the light comes on, which means the first few seconds are over-exposed; so we have the camera's night vision disabled, and it relies entirely on the security light at night. This has the advantage that it produces colour videos at night, though they can be rather grainy and motion-blurred.The second camera is now almost permanently outside, and is turning out to be the more useful of the two. Powering it is an issue: we have a weatherproof power socket, but the supplied power adapter is far too large for it. Luckily, my original Kindle power adapter does fit (it's the size of a standard UK plug), and does seem to power the camera OK. This camera is set to Auto IR, and will cast its own IR illumination when it gets dark. The camera takes several seconds to adjust to sudden changes in light level, so can be affected by our security light (but not as badly as the window-mounted one, which is closer to the light). A big advantage of the outside camera is being able to record audio - I have a lovely clip of a juvenile fox whimpering submissively to an adult, and foxes lapping at the birdbath can be incredibly noisy!At one point, I sat the camera on a garden table with some seed scattered immediately in front of it. It did record birds coming to feed, and though they were only a few centimetres away, they were still in focus.The outside camera has (accidentally) survived severe downpours, so I've no worries about leaving it outside for extended periods. Occasionally it gets knocked over by birds trying to perch on it!I may consider getting the battery pack so I can try out the camera further from the house; though I've read reports that it may not work so well, e.g. that it may not start recording until a few seconds after it is triggered.Video quality depends on the lighting; in poor light, or when there's a large contrast in strong sunlight, it can be terrible. Rapid motion tends to blur. But sometimes the results can be fairly good, to the point where I'm happy to take frames as stills. I think that overall, the quality isn't as good as the Hive View, but the Circle2 cameras are better in so many other respects.I've had some problems with recording glitches, where the video skips a few seconds, sometimes as much as a whole minute. This happened even when the camera was in the same room as our wireless router. Our router and our broadband service are pretty high-spec, so either there's an issue between our ISP (VirginMedia) and Logitech's servers, or the servers themselves aren't up to the job. When I turn a camera on, I sometimes get a message in the app saying that "video experience may not be optimal due to a poor connection between the camera and our servers". Once when watching live view, I saw a fox walk along the side of the house, but to my great disappointment the video playback (and downloaded video) omitted a big chunk. This suggests that the problem is not with camera itself. Is the live view streamed via Logitech's cloud service, or is it more direct? I don't think I've ever seen gliches in the live view, though sometimes it can take tens of seconds to start.When it's windy, the camera (or Logitech's service) reacts to swinging foliage and produces many false positives. Sorting through these to find the real hits can be painfully slow; I wish there was a way to fast-forward through each clip. It can be difficult even to pause a video, and clicking on the "timeline" is extremely hit-and-miss. Yes, the Day Brief is a sped-up summary, but it's difficult or even impossible to pinpoint the times of key events (sometimes it just doesn't show the timestamp), and it has certainly failed to include clips that are important to me, so I would have missed them if I hadn't trawled through the clips manually as well. The DayBrief contains footage that's not otherwise available to view/download - I've seen timelapse footage of the moon, for example. There's no way to define an on/off schedule, which would have been useful.Upgrading to one of the paid services may provide a better interface, but I'm not sure. (One advantage would be the ability to define "target areas" in the image, so the camera only reacts to sub-regions of the view. Not having paid, I'm not sure how well it works.)The ability to download videos (even with the free service) is great; this was missing from the Hive View until fairly recently (and only after my Hive View stopped working).Overall, I'm fairly impressed by the Circle2 cameras. I've previously tried a Hive View camera; I think its video may have been better quality, but in all other respects (including longevity!) the Circle2 is far better.

25.4.2018

We have previously had a Nokia Home security camera. The Logitech Circle knocks this out of the park on almost every feature.Perhaps I should start with the one area that Nokia scores and that is basic design. The Nokia camera looks class, and can be plonked down on almost anything. The Logitech camera looks flimsy, plastic-y and cheap.It is none of these things in practice.The kit I have comes with two cameras and a separate window mount (in addition to the standard mounts). The packaging is very good, with each camera and each mount in separate boxes. You can buy extra camera up to a total of four (I think) on any system.Set-up is pretty straightforward. Download the app and follow the instructions.If anything goes wrong you can reset everything and start again. Within 5 minutes (probably less) it will all be working.The pack I have was the wired camera and to be honest the lead could be longer. The recommended height for installation is 7ft, but you only get 10ft of lead, so unless you install right above the plug socket and 7ft high installation is impossible. The camera can be screwed to a wall, or be free standing, and comes with all the necessary screws etc. The camera is apparently shower-proof but for external installation you’d need an electrician, obviously. That or buy the wireless camera instead. The window mount allows the camera to be stuck to a window using sticky pads. You only get on spare set of these pads, so make sure experiment a bit before sticking the camera up.But onto the crucial question – how well does it all work? To a great extent the performance of any camera like this will be dependent on the app as much as the hardware, and over time apps can be improved, but at the moment (April 2018) Logitech leaves the (slightly more expensive) Nokia for standing.The picture is delayed by a couple of seconds but is sharp, and the video flows well without any jerks, and shows near 180 degrees in front of the camera. Sound quality is okay – it could be louder - but it does not break up like the Nokia. Replay of recorded incidents (the camera detects movement and sound and records automatically) is almost instant – and it very cleverly records from a second or two before the movement (so it rather impressively records lightning flashes!) – replays also leave the Nokia for dead. Output can be watch on the linked device – or on a dedicated, password controlled, website (the Nokia limits you to the device alone). You also can pinch-zoom in and out, and set the camera up so it alerts movement or sound, with an option for “movement zones” in the picture. You can record movement for up to 24 hours on the free setting, or 14-31 days with a subscription that is massively cheaper than the Nokia and download both still and moving images very easily.Sound is two-way so you can remotely scare the heck out of any poor unsuspecting person who may be near the camera!Switching between cameras is easy – and the second or subsequent cameras could, in theory. be put on a totally different network in a totally different location.The night vision is pretty impressive – though this does not work with the window mount as the camera’s infrared light bounces back off the glass and blinds itself. It would make a very good baby monitor, despite not being sold as that (the Nokia ironically is sold with that as a possible use, despite being terrible in practice).Overall, it’s pretty impressive. If installing outside, or in a porch, then go for the wireless cameras, but within the home the slightly cheaper wired cameras are more than adequate.I also have to say that I do have a pretty good wifi, which will have helped picture quality. If your wifi is not strong, or not strong in the area of your house where you wish to install a camera, you may want to install a signal booster for best results – but that would apply to any wifi-based device.

23.4.2018

I've been looking to get security cameras fitted in my home for some time so was happy to give these a try.Firstly, everything comes very well packaged and in individual boxes within one larger box. All boxes are clearly labelled for identification.My first issue was the vague printed instructions within the packaging. Take my advice and ignore these printed instructions. You can use them for assembly purposes but for actually setting up the connection, just download and install the "Logo Circle" app from the Game Store/App Store.Connection was an absolute breeze. Run the app and follow the instructions. Both my cameras found the wifi signal immediately and connected without any issues.*One they were connected,

17.5.2018

These cameras are great and exactly what i have been looking for. They are small but offer high resolution and FPS in day time (1080p/30fps) and also a night time low light mode. Sound capture is also offered and there is also a speaker on the camera you can talk through. Great to tell off the kids when you are in another room.The packaging is excellent there are 5 boxes within this box and you will need 4 of them depending how you mount the camera. There is one window kit in the box and two mounts for the cameras. So depending on your choice one of the mounts or the window mount will be untouched.Unpackaging and putting the bits together on the camera is quick and well thought out.

4.6.2018

These are really great security cameras, I have previously reviewed one small stationary camera which sits on a book shelf or other surface, indoors and while it was a great camera in terms of recording, both audio and visual, it was not as good as these cameras, which are also weather proofed (can therefore be an indoor or outdoor camera) and one is window pane mountable, so all three are more versatile in terms of stationing/placement.The cameras can not be said to be inconspicuous, since they have wide, flat surfaces, whether window pane mounted or otherwise, however, they still remain compact, small recording devices. In fact, I was surprised that they were as compact as they appeared to be but they are not covert security cameras,

29.4.2018

There are two cameras that are delivered inside a cardboard box decorated with photographs and useful information: When you open the box there are 5 smaller boxes; two contain a camera; One contains a window mount and the other two contain wiring including a three pin and two pin plugs with instruction leaflets of how to mount and install.The window mounting contains a flexible window camera cover (a real pain to get onto the camera) a window mount (even bigger pain to get onto the flexible cover) and window mount with 10 feet (3m) cable; USB adapter; fixing screws and 2 spare adhesive strips which holds the camera to the window.

28.3.2018

Things have come along way since I last setup IP cameras.My preference was to add Unify G3 cameras to my unify network. However I didn't fancy sifting through all the setting up required for recording on a NAS drive - the unify NVR is very good but at £365, the two cameras at £120 plus another network switch that was starting to get expensive.I bought the circle for its window mounting but never used it instead opted to mount them outside on the wall. Despite a relatively large property the 180 degree view on these means possible entry and exits to the premise are covered.Resolution is good and IR is great across the back garden.

30.12.2018

Been running my cams almost 2 months now. Using both with window mounts with front looking on to my driveway and a fairly busy road. Rear facing a quieter road and back garden.Probably most importantly they are extremely reliable with only Boxing Day running a bit slow but probably just everyone on my exchange enabling internet devices and updating at the same time. Setup was incredibly easy and worked straight away which is very different from the ring system I ended up returning. App very intuitive and works great. Easily swap between cameras and cycle thru events and change settings. Picture quality is great as well as the 180 degree lens.

1.5.2018

It works!That's the most important thing to say about it. Everything else detracts...Instructions are woefully inadequate. Just reassurances that it takes literally minutes - it would, if the instructions explained what to do, e.g. to install an app from the App Store. Yep, absolutely basic steps are missing. I couldn't get it my smartphone (Motorola G4+, a darn good phone) to communicate with the device. The trick was to exit the app, go to bluetooth and manually accept the connection. None of this is in the instruction sheet - not even that it works by using bluetooth to setup the device, telling it how to connect to your WiFi. Simple when you know what's going on, but they didn't have the decency to clarify at all.

1.5.2018

For a home security package this is pretty good. You can download an app for the iphone or android which is good.You then need to connect the camera to the app and set up a user ID etc. It is a bit fiddly doing this bit. I experienced a few delaying in the syncing and it does take quite a while to finish set up.I have both cameras plugged in as their are the wired versions. one is stuck to my patio door, the other sitting nicely on my kitchen window.The app allows you to monitor real time action (with about a 5 second delay). You can even jump back a few seconds and whilst testing this I was captured putting rubbish in my bin - not looking my best either!

14.5.2018

Getting the cameras up and running was straight forward although the vague instructions may leave the less tech savvy a little confused. Once the phone app is installed, adding, naming and changing the settings is simple.Viewing the live and/or recorded video on a PC web browser could not have been easier as all it requires is a username and password and you are there. The default picture quality of 720 lines is more than acceptable day and night, even in 180 degree wide angle mode. The 1080 line setting is incredibly clear but will require higher bandwidth. If you have poor Wi-fi bandwidth you should find the 360 line setting okay for most applications.My 10 day free Circle Safe service has ended and I am now on the free basic service which gives you access to only the last 24 hours.

4.6.2018

Night vision is excellent and video quality is HD. Setup is super simple using the logitech app, kudos to the logitech programmers.I was worried about using this on my back garden window as the wifi reception is poor their - even my laptop and mobile struggle to stream HD videos. But the apps customisation came in handy. I lowered the video resolution to 720p and it streams great now.You can talk via the camera. The volume out the camera is clear and crisp, although the volume out via the smart phone app is really low, I increased the microphone sensitivity again via the app and it helped to reduce this issue.1 flaw I see in this product is that any intruder may be wearing a mask.

29.4.2018

As with all items of this nature if you go in with realistic expectations of what it offers you'll find that it's fine as a bit of extra security.It's relatively easy to set up and in no way do you need any kind of "advanced" technological expertise. If you have a smartphone, can download an app and know how to connect your WiFi to something you'll be up and running in no time. After that it can be a little bit fiddly getting everything "working" but it's no great hassle.The claims are the that units are shower proof but as they are wired this may mean you need specialist electricians involved if you are going to put them outside. I wasn't getting into that hassle and suspect if you want to put them outside,

25.2.2019

The most astonishing thing about this camera is how quick it was to set up. It's a case of installing an app, and then following a few on-screen instructions. Adding the Circle to your home network is shockingly easy.After that, it simply works - the app itself is very intuitive. The camera itself has an extremely wide field of view, and the 1080p image quality is great.I really like the design of the camera itself - it's hard to tell from photos, but in person, it's very clear that the build quality is good and that this is the sort of item that you wouldn't be ashamed to have somewhere in your home. I also like some of the technical features a lot too - like how it records video if it spots motion.

3.5.2018

There is a lot to like about this two camera kit. This is a review of the wired version. I found it easy to install and hook up to my home WiFi network. I have one mounted underneath the gutter (single storey property) overlooking the driveway and the other window mounted.The picture quality at 720 is very good indeed.The 24 hour free cloud history is excellent and being able to download a brief summary of key events is excellent too.The two issues to mention are 1. The cameras hog my bandwidth. I have a poor internet connection by modern standards - too far from the exchange to get fibre. I think that is why the camera has gone to recording at 720 rather than 1080. 2.

Logitech Window Mount for Circle 2 - Reviews

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