Mini Spy Cam Recommendations

[C855B]

The first one is intriguing although it's difficult to gauge the size from the pictures. Then there's that "warning" that the phone app is for preview and not for remote viewing. Second one is 480x720, so it's not HD, and the dimensions listed in the specs don't make sense relative to the graphics. I wonder where they're getting that "4K" from?

The disclaimer for the first one might be because MP4 and h.264 are licensed formats and at that price they aren't about to pay for licensing. I wouldn't be surprised at all that the modes are there and getting to them might be hackable like we did with the other one.

[Jbub]

@C855B
Mike, I found some other WiFi cameras.  Not only the guts are smaller than the one you experimented with (these should fit in a typical N scale loco), this one also has an integrated LiPo battery (which should act like a really good Keep-Alive). I wonder if those are hackable to stream live video without a need for their smart phone app?

 Here's a one that ships from USA (but currently out of stock):
https://www.ebay.com/itm/HD-Mini-Wireless-WIFI-Spy-Camera-Hidden-DIY-Module-Home-Security-Micro-Cam-DVR/353368837176

Here is the same unit, but ships from China:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/KM-Wireless-Mini-IP-Hidden-Spy-Camera-WIFI-HD-4K-DIY-Home-Security-Camcorder/402360891867

What do you think?  Their phone app is called "Little Stars"

I love how the chinese one says 4k in the title but the "dpi" or resolution is 720 by 480 which is nowhere near 4k

[peteski]

The first one is intriguing although it's difficult to gauge the size from the pictures. Then there's that "warning" that the phone app is for preview and not for remote viewing. Second one is 480x720, so it's not HD, and the dimensions listed in the specs don't make sense relative to the graphics. I wonder where they're getting that "4K" from?

The disclaimer for the first one might be because MP4 and h.264 are licensed formats and at that price they aren't about to pay for licensing. I wouldn't be surprised at all that the modes are there and getting to them might be hackable like we did with the other one.

I bought both of them. They both are identical. As far as specs go - you know that those have to be taken with a large grain of salt.  With Chinese-made electronics sold on eBay,  specs ore often pulled out of a hat.

They are a narrower than yours. The lens also doesn't seem to be as wide-angle as the one you have, but it is much smaller (easier to hide inside N scale shell).
The dimensions of the unit are; L 2.1" x W 0.7" x T 0.36".

[C855B]

Specs? What specs? 

Good deal. The 0.7"W is where the rubber hits the road. I'll watch for availability on the US shipper and pick one up when they have 'em again. Have a feeling it'll make it across the ocean first.

[peteski]

Specs? What specs? 

Good deal. The 0.7"W is where the rubber hits the road. I'll watch for availability on the US shipper and pick one up when they have 'em again. Have a feeling it'll make it across the ocean first.

The one shipped from US arrived within a week.  The one I ordered from China took longer, but not outrageously long.  I think it was about 2 weeks.  Actually the postage label seemed to indicate that it was shipped from UAE or one of those Middle Eastern countries!  I already chucked the envelope, so I don't recall, but I do remember being surprised by the printed postage label. Although, that label might have been applied over another label, so the package went from China, to UAE, to US. Who knows . . .

[Maletrain]

I know that the "specs" are really just a cut-n-paste job by a marketing guy who doesn't speak English and never used the product, or even understands what the specs mean, but:

The specs says 10 fps, which I assume means 30 frames per second.  Considering that people tend to see motion as fluid around 30 fps, is this camera going to make videos that look OK?

[peteski]

I know that the "specs" are really just a cut-n-paste job by a marketing guy who doesn't speak English and never used the product, or even understands what the specs mean, but:

The specs says 10 fps, which I assume means 30 frames per second.  Considering that people tend to see motion as fluid around 30 fps, is this camera going to make videos that look OK?

At this point the specs are not anything to even consider relying on.  I have not played with mine (I'll leave the fun experimenting to Mike).  I bought it just to find out its size (since that spec is not even specified correctly).

[NtheBasement]

@jereising posted the best quality footage I've seen, with a DJI Pocket 2:
 

[drgw0579]

I bet that while it seemed like the train was going fast when viewing from the engineer's seat, you were going about have the speed than if it was being run by someone in the aisle using a conventional throttle.  I've run trains across the Colorado Model Railroad Museum's OC&E layout (HO), and it's much more interesting running from an "engineer's cab".   If we could just get a camera that was built into an N scale locomotive shell, model railroading would change forever!  I'm still pursuing the Raspberry Pi 0, having given up on the ESP32 boards.  Or if there was a source of DJI
Pocket 2 guts that could be adapted...

Bill Kepner