The price of network cameras has plummeted over recent months and you can
pick up a fixed-lens model for under £100.
Axis has
been around longer than most in this market and produces a range of cameras,
primarily for business use.
And at £315 this model is by no means the cheapest available, especially when
you consider it has no optical zoom or pan/tilt functions.
As you might guess from the antenna sticking out from the side, the 207MW is
capable of wire-free operation over your Wifi network.
You will, however, need to wire it up to your router via an Ethernet cable on
setup in order to enter your wireless network's Wep/WPA security code.
Setup is made reasonably hassle-free thanks to both the printed manual and
intuitive web-based interface. Network newcomers will struggle with some of the
acronyms, but there are clear instructions as to getting the camera up and
running, and viewing the stream over the internet.
The 207MW's image quality goes a long way to justifying the price tag.
Whereas cheaper cameras exhibit poor exposure and detail levels, the 207MW
performs exceptionally. The one-megapixel sensor is also capable of resolutions
up to 1,280x1,024. Although you'll need a pretty fast connection to view smooth
video at anything about 640x480, it means highly detailed snapshots can be
taken.
The lens provides a wide 85¡ă viewing angle, which lends itself to monitoring
a shop floor, while it can operate in light levels as low as 2 lux. A microphone is also built into the camera to allow for
one-way communication, but we found interference, lag and frequent breaking up
of the audio stream to limit its appeal.
Home users and those who have no need for high-quality images will probably
be happy plumping for something a lot cheaper, but if you're relying on clear
pictures and want to simplify the installation process something like the 207MW
would be more appropriate. We'd like to see it under the £300 mark though.
