EmpireTech Ultra Low Light 4MP 1/1.8" CMOS Starlight IR IP Camera Vari-Focal 2.7mm-12mm Lens,Built-in Mic,POE and ePOE,Vehicle and Human Detection,AcuPick,SMD 3.0, S3 Version IPC-T54IR-ZE Black

Ok - so I did a lot of online research on security cameras prior to this purchase.My requirements were large sensor, clear image, robust housing as well as easy to install and manage.I also wanted them to be budget friendly and these cameras ticked all my boxes.The purchase and delivery was flawless.I had one support question, which the Empire Tech team responded to almost instantly and I was up and running.NB:These are proper ONVIF compatible cameras and connected to my Blue Iris management server easily with zero fuss or bother.These cameras are low-light capable and require some minimal illumination source for best performance at night.They "do not" work in zero light situations.They "do not" have internal LED lights or IR illuminators.They come with a static IP address and if your subnet is different, they won't show up when doing an IP subnet scan. You may need to use the camera config tool to find them on your network and change the default IP address.

This is a fairly inexpensive camera, but don't let that fool you. The low-light performance is amazing. You really can get good images at night with no other illumination other than a partial moon. With a full moon out, it's super crisp and clear with well-defined shadows. It can see better in the dark than I can, at least.I added an external IR illuminator to keep bugs away. A cheap illuminator covers my very large front yard and makes a clear image at night. It has built-in IR, but I don't use that. I used the varifocal lens to dial in my exact field of view that I needed. Easy as can be. The mount is petty sturdy and simple.I connected it via PoE.

I had a couple Wyze cams and was looking for something a bit more capable and not tied to wireless. After some research I found Empire Tech and bought the IPC-T5442T-ZE, a PoE IP camera. As you can see in the photo, night clarity is phenomenal! The scene is lit almost entirely by the cameras' IR lighting, just a bit of LED light from a security lamp mounted well beyond the left side corner of the house.Andy, the owner of Empire Tech, personally answered a couple questions I had, responding very quickly helping me get the setup dialed in. Nice to know there is excellent, responsive customer support behind my purchase. In addition, shipping was very fast, two days after order the camera was in my hands.As I get further into my setup, I'm looking forward to purchasing more equipment from Empire Tech. I highly recommend Andy and Empire Tech!

Descent camera for the price. They are quick and easy to setup if your fairly tech savy. They operate on poe (power over ethernet) but they come with the option of using an injector for power, which is pointless if your running cat 5/6 ethernet then just use poe (a powered switch). I only wish the imaging sensors were larger, they are 1/1.8, which is about 1/2 an inch (0.555in). You'll probably have to tweak the settings for a while at night to get the best performance in your night time lighting conditions as they vary per location. Day time is pretty easy as the sun offers plenty of light to fill the imaging sensor. Empiretech is good about providing firmware updates if you contact him for it.

I received the camera in working order. Works as expected and bought it with the amcrest matching wall mount. Fun project to get it all hooked up. Picture is excellent. Camera worked first time it was connected without issue. Had some trouble while mounting it due to a set screw that was a bit loose in the threads and got jammed without even taking it out. I was able to reach 'Andy' and they are working to get me a new piece. I appreciate them reaching out to me on that and offering to take care of it. Despite the issue, they are fixing it so its still worth a 5 star to me.

I replaced a lower resolution bullet camera with this one. Motion detection was also greatly improved over the bullet cameras well.I had to upgrade my PoE switch to a gigabit switch, which also greatly improved performance of another Empire Tech camera purchased last year. I seem to have problems with mics but I think that’s an ID10T error.

I use this outside attached to my shed in Florida. Within a few months the image became blurry from condensation/water inside. It would dry out eventually and work again but will not any longer. Too much water.

This is a great POE IP camera for the money! EmpreTech is where it's at for varifocal cameras! I will buy a few more at some point. The camera works great with Blue Iris.