Review Foscam X5 indoor camera

Rob Coenraads

The Foscam X5 is a white security camera for indoor use. The camera is supplied with a two meter long power cable and adapter. The camera can be mounted upright or on a wall or ceiling. Communication is via an RJ45 LAN connection or via WiFi. The image recordings take place via a 5MP sensor on an SD card or in the cloud with HD, FHD or QHD resolution and 15 fps. The camera works in conjunction with the Foscam app. The image is 89 degrees wide and can be controlled remotely via the 350 degree pan/70 degree tilt facility. This can be done via a button in the app or by controlling the live image. For in the dark there are four infrared LEDs that illuminate up to about eight meters. Two-way audio is available to allow conversational communication.

Installation
An account must be created for the installation. The installation is done via the Foscam app by recognizing QR codes. The camera uses WPA security and is easy to install in a mixed Wi-Fi 3/Wi-Fi5+ network.

Artificial intelligence
You can detect people, animals, vehicles and packages via artificial intelligence (AI), supplemented with facial recognition. In addition, person recognition based on a human shape can be detected by the camera. A monitor schedule can also be set.

Detection and Image Storage
When motion and/or sound is detected, images are recorded in the cloud and/or on the SD card, with a recording time of about 45 seconds. The sound detection is instant and the person detection takes some time or stays off. The slot for the SD card (max. 128 GB) is hidden under the lens. For the cloud services (for a fee), Foscam uses Amazon Web Services (AWS), with many different functions and retention periods. It supports the Onvif protocol for connection to a NAS and you can connect it to Foscam Network Video Recorders (NVR).

Practical test
The image from the camera looks reasonable at night to good during the day for this price range and indoor use. During the night hours, the LEDs provide sufficient light to detect a recognizable person up to a distance of about five metres.

Product: Foscam X5