Welcome to Night Vision Store!

   

Quarantine
Directed by John Erick Dowdle

When a news crew decides to trail a brave fire-fighting team, they never suspect that the first call for help they respond to that night may be their last. Now they're trapped in an apartment complex sealed off by the government. With no way of escape, they find themselves surrounded by frightened residents who are infected with a deadly mutant virus. What happens next is only known because of the footage they left behind.

Based on the Spanish-made chiller [REC], Quarantine is an effective piece of scare machinery that derives most of its terror by viewing the action from the perspective of a cameraman covering a routine emergency call that blooms into a nightmare. Jennifer Carpenter (Dexter) is a TV host who accompanies a firefighting unit on a disturbance call at a decrepit apartment building. Once inside, the group discovers that the tenants are infected with a disease that has turned them into ravenous cannibals--and that all possible exits have been sealed off by a government-issued quarantine. As POV horror goes, QuarantineThe Blair Witch Project with the super-sized shocks of Cloverfield (without its nausea-inducing camerawork), and it largely delivers in both departments. Characters are stock at best, and the relentless jumping and shrieking gets wearying before the end credits, but the cast is game, especially Carpenter (a world class screamer, as established in The Exorcism of Emily Rose) and Jay Hernandez as one of the firemen, and the technical aspects (including some gruesome gore) are top-notch. -- Paul Gaita

Dumb Behavior
This should have been an excellent film because viewers already know the actors are very good from watching The Practice, Dexter, and other shows. The script portrayed the reporter, firemen, policemen and others to behave unprofessionally and sometimes in just plain foolish ways which made it hard for viewers to relate to them or the movie.

Movie Spoilers

Someone is experimenting with a rabies type disease in the attic of an apartment building. Max, a dog belonging to 5 year old, Briana, gets the disease possibly from an infected laboratory rat. Briana's father takes the dog to the veterinarian leaving an infected Briana and her mother at the apartment. The little girl or her dog infected an elderly woman and her dog. The elderly woman is screaming and acting crazy so police/firemen are called to the scene taking along a reporter and her cameraman along for a story. The city quarantines the building while everyone is in there because the Max the dog at the vet clinic attacks everyone and the dog is wearing a tag with its address on it so they know where it lived. Police, firemen, reporters and apartment renters are trapped in the building while the city police tell outside reporters everyone has been evacuated. There is a veterinarian in the building who says tears, saliva and fever and death occurs to anyone bitten.

Pro
1. The cameraman, Scott Percival was a true professional. He hung onto the camera through it all and even put it down still rolling at times to assist his fellow survivors when they were attacked including his reporter co-worker. He even continuously comforts his hysterical reporter co-worker who pays him back by deserting him.

2. The last fireman Jake is also professional and courageous. He was going to kill an infected woman when trapped in an apartment with others and another idiot prevented him from doing so. That woman attacked them all later. Fireman Fletcher is also a hero.

3. Firehouse mascot Wilshire the Dalmatian and his stop, drop and roll routine if caught on fire was educational and amusing.

Con
1. The last policeman Danny Wilensky acts completely unprofessional. This guy initially pulled a gun on the fireman, reporter, cameraman and renter when he finds them trying to escape. He knows people are dying around them and if bitten, they are infected and he foolishly wants to obey the order of a superior officer who turned off the electricity to their building and lied to the city saying they were evacuated. This policeman sees people getting bitten and sees little Briana bite her mother. He stupidly handcuffs the infected soon to be violent mother to the staircase endangering anyone coming up and down the stairs. Then he runs after little Briana KNOWING she is dangerous and infected and says "take my hand".when her mouth is bloody and she is crazed. He had the gall to act surprised when she bit him.

2. The young professional female reporter Angela Vidal is truly pathetic. She never helps anyone who gets attacked especially towards the end. Yet, she expects the cameraman and the one remaining fireman to help her when she is attacked. She screams and jumps at every sound giving away their position and clings to the men. Her Blair Witch filming towards the end was only missing the snotty nose. The film photo above shows 2 hands and no weapon. She is in a lab with glass equipment, chairs, and lab chemicals and all sorts of things that can act as improvised weapons but she just whines. It was truly disgusting for a modern professional woman to behave this way. There was a kind of satisfaction when she didn't make it either.

3. Too cliched. The mother over reacting to the idea that her quite clearly infected 5 year old be isolated in other room was just too cliched. If this woman had other children, she would not have acted like this and as a mother she should have wanted to protect the other children and people in the building. She could have stayed with her daughter in isolation. Instead the mother fights off the others from getting to her daughter and the mother gets bitten/infected and the infected child runs off to attack/infect others later.

A tense and chilling horror film...
I really liked "Quarantine" despite the number of people who bash it. Yes, it's an example of a serious and debilitating problem in the US horror movie genre right now in that it's a remake of another movie. I'm sure most horror fans like myself are tired of seeing unnecessary remakes of classic horror movies we've already seen and are ready to see some original stories being written. However, when the film in question is a remake of a foreign-language film and it sticks to the original concept and story, then I don't have so much of a problem. And so it is with "Quarantine".

Yes, it's a remake of the Spanish movie [*REC]. Since the two films are almost identical, I prefer this one since I don't have to take my eyes off the action to read subtitles. "Quarantine" is a claustrophobic, tense, and chilling little film and I enjoyed it very, very much. Jennifer Carpenter put in a great performance, as did the rest of the cast, and if you enjoy good horror movies you will enjoy this one. Is it a milestone in the horror film genre? No. But then again, milestones are few and far between, hence the term. I *can* tell you that "Quarantine" is the most memorable horror film I've seen since it premiered in US theaters and pretty much kept me on the edge of my seat once things kicked into gear.

My only qualm with the DVD release is the price. $19.95 for a single edition DVD with so few extras? Come on... Not cool, guys.

Cheers

B

Far better than the previews would lead you to believe.
Quarantine is a much better movie than its previews would lead you to believe. Previews make it look like people are trapped in an old building with zombies running amok in it. Maybe they came up from the sewers.

In fact it follows a reality TV reporter who is following an LA fire crew on calls. They go to a building when neighbors have reported screams coming from the apartment of an old lady. What follows is the outbreak of a savage, mind destroying disease where tenants and first responders find them sealed in with those already infected, by the CDC.

Like Cloverfield and Blair Witch, the film is shot from the single camera view of the reality reporter's camera man. Unlike those films the camera work is clean and does not distract the viewer. Watch the long shot when a call comes as the camera man has to follow the reporter down a hall, a flight of stairs and into a truck and realize it was all done in one take without cuts. The first 20 minutes of the film are the `reality show' walking around the fire house, talking to members of the fire crew and setting the stage by letting you meet the key players in the film. This is clearly the set up but it doesn't feel stilted. You don't feel like saying `get on with it" because you care about the characters. Carpenter, as the on air talent is likeable and believable, going from bubbly on air talent, to real reporter as things turn serious to scared human as she realizes just how deep in they are. And she takes the viewer with her.

Previews make this look like just another zombie film. There are certainly elements of that in Quarantine but for the genre it is so much better than much of the competition. They even have an explanation, scary in how reasonable it is, for what is happening. Is it "Sound of Music?" of course not. It is a horror film, but one in which the director has taken a lot of care to make the whole thing frighteningly possible.

   

Amberdriver/Nightvision Sunglasses- 2 pairs


Amberdriver/Nightvision Sunglasses- 2 Pairs New lightweight metal frames. Two pairs included in each box: 1 pair Amberdriver 1 pair Nightvision Amberdriver is the ultimate protection for your eyes against the sun's harmful rays. Its High-Tech optical design, filters the sun's eye damaging rays: ultraviolet and blue rays. The comfortable designer fit makes AMBERDRIVER perfect for all purposes, leisure, sports, and driving. AMBERDRIVER Sunglasses 100% Ultraviolet protection Year-Round eye protection Comfortable designer fit Ideal for Driving, Sports, and Outside activities Blocks glare and blurring blue rays High-Tech optical design filters out both blue and ultraviolet rays Free Case Nightvision is an amazing product that will improve your vision at night, especially when driving. The special optical design reduces harsh light and enhances dark areas creating a brighter more uniform field of view. Great for cloudy days too! NIGHTVISION Reduces blinding glare from lights Cuts out distorting blue rays Better sight at night and in the worst weather Improves vision at night Comfortable Designer fit Great for cloudy days AMBERDRIVER AND NIGHTVISION are manufactured under the strictest quality control measures and are made of durable high quality materials

• Amazon Sales Rank: #141419 in Apparel & Accessories
• Brand: TVTimeDirect

   

Lorex LW2201 Weatherproof Ultra Digital Wireless Surveillance System
From LOREX

The Lorex LW2201 quickly connects to any TV/monitor, DVD recorder or Surveillance DVR. The small micro receiver can accept 3 additional cameras and has a built-in quad processor so you can see up to 4 locations at the same time. The Ultra Digital Wireless camera's weatherproof construction makes this ideal for outdoor as well as indoor placement and is equipped with a microphone for audio back to the TV or recording device, as well as the ability to see over 40ft. with zero light. Ultra digital technology ensures interference free video from household appliances and FHSS technology ensures privacy.

• Amazon Sales Rank: #4338 in Camera & Photo
• Brand: Lorex
• Model: LW2201
• Dimensions: 7.80" h x 3.20" w x 11.20" l, 3.00 pounds

Simple security with room for expansion
The Lorex LW2201 Weatherproof Ultra Wireless Surveillance System works as well as advertised. I only have a few minor gripes about the system.

The set-up is incredibly simple. Just plug the power supplies into the camera and into the receiver, screw on the antennas, and plug the A/V cables into some kind of monitor/TV. My camera was already paired with the unit, so I didn't have to do anything else. Pairing the wireless unit with the camera, or another camera is simple, just push 1 button on the receiver and a big yellow button on the camera and it's good to go. They claim the pairing function securely connects your camera to your receiver so that no one else can grab hold of your camera's frequency, but I have no way to test that. I'll just take their word for it. The unit comes with a small arm stand for the camera, and a couple screws to mount it. You might need extra screw mounting pieces if you want to mount it into something like brick, though. Regardless, set-up and installation is a snap.

The image is very good in daylight. However, the night vision is only "acceptable" quality. The far-red LED lights create a bit of a halo effect around the center of the camera's lens. So everything in the center of the image looks clear at 20-25ft or less, but the stuff on the periphery of the center of the image is a little darker and fuzzier. Still, you can see what's going on. Also, be sure to note that you can see the red LED lights of the camera. This is good if you want everyoen to know that you have a camera, but if you want a more stealthy hidign spot for your camera, it's definitely going to give it away. The mic works well at about 25 ft or less, but after that it definitely tails off.

So to sum up the problems: I think the night vision image is a little bad at the edges of the image, the mic isn't all that great at longer distances, my unit had one dead LED bulb on it (I don't think it really affected the image quality by itself), and the far-red LEDs are not truly infrared so you can see them with the naked eye.

The problems I stated are pretty minor in nature, though. The Lorex system is solid and you can expand it to include 4 total cameras, and even view them simultaneously split-screen in your monitor. Overall, I recommend this unit for a simple security solution.

Very decent for its intended purpose.
I live in apartments with windows facing the parking lot. For some time now, I have thought about hooking up a webcam of some kind and pointing it out the window towards where I parked. The logistics of running a long USB cable from my computer to the appropriate window prevented me from doing it that way. A wireless WiFi webcam might be the perfect solution, but not everyone has a WiFi network (and these cameras can be a bit pricey).

The Lorex LW2201 is an interesting compromise between legacy equipment (old fashioned cameras) and modern wireless technology. The camera itself is designed to be usable outdoors, meaning it is in a rugged metal enclosure complete with an adjustable hood that slides forward to cover and protect the camera lens. It is a color camera, but in low-light conditions, it clicks in to "night vision" mode and the image goes to black and white. A ring of infrared LED lights around the lens light up, allowing you to see an image even in complete darkness. There are no wires -- the camera has an antenna that attaches to the back, and a power cable that plugs in to an AC adapter. Bolt the base somewhere, run the power cable, and you are set from that side.

Elsewhere, a tiny receiver -- about the size of a deck of playing cards -- can be plugged in, and an antenna is attached to allow it to receive video from the camera. Video and audio outputs come out of the receiver (cables are included) and then run to a monitor or TV, or in to a recording device. If you just wanted to keep tabs on your car overnight, you could use a cheap VCR and let it record in 6-8 hour mode.

Overall, setup of one camera to the one receiver is very simple. The receiver can support multiple cameras, and can be set to flip between the cameras (full screen), or split the screen up to display four images at a time. I cannot comment on those features, as I only have the one camera. A button is pressed on the receiver to get it in to a scanning more, then you have to press a button on the camera within 30 seconds to let them sync to each other. It seems easy enough.

The camera does have sound, so if it is mounted outside, you can hear a bit of what is going on, but don't expect miracles. It's not quite as sensitive as a home movie camera typically is. So, overall, you have wireless color (in light) or black and white (in darkness) video with sound, transmitted to a receiver within a few hundred feet.

Now, the downsides:

First, range is very limited unless you have an open area with no obstructions. I hooked the received up to a TV in my livingroom, then tried to use the camera in the bedroom connected to the same wall that the TV is against. Even though the range was only about 15 feet between camera and receiver, signal quality was too poor to lock on. This was due to the bedroom having several large metal shelving units which obstruct the signal. If the room was empty, I doubt there would be such problems.

Video quality is also quite poor. The camera sends a digital picture that looks more like a YouTube video than a video camera image. You can toggle between high speed but low resolution (thus, motion is good but image is blocky), or a slower high resolution image. In bright light, the high resolution image looks very good -- a bit "digital" but totally watchable. The frame rate slows way down, though, so it comes across looking like a traditional security camera clip you'd see on a TV news program.

Overall, the camera seems well built and designed, but wired cameras I have seen provided a better picture than this wireless system. However, in situations like mine, a wireless solution is a MUCH easier choice. As long as you can tap in to power, you can mount this camera anywhere within range and get a totally usable image without any wiring or network configurations.

For my specific uses, though, I think my next effort will be with a WiFi camera. Since I already have a network which completely covers my home, that may produce better results than this dedicated security system.

Instructions were clear, packaging was nice, and setup was simple. It does what it does, and the wireless "plug and go" is very neat. Just keep in mind the designed use -- picture quality may be worse than you expect, and range may be more limited than you expect.

Overall, a very good product for it's intended audience.

So far so good, but....
I already owned another Lorex package product which included 4 of these wireless cameras and a small 7" lcd display with wireless receiver. After about 3 months of use, the display failed completely, while the cameras continued to work. Lorex support was less than outstanding on dealing with the display issue and I have read other reports about reliability concerns. So, in an attempt to remedy my problem, I bought this setup which gave me an extra camera and the small wireless receiver. The receiver will connect to most modern displays via the included connector cables and thus provide the same 4 panel view that the Lorex wireless display had. In this way, I now have a reliable display that is larger, brighter and easier to use than the Lorex version. The receiver allows for single channel (full screen) display or a quad view of all four cameras at once. It also allows for easy pairing and has a selectable view mode of lower quality for simple viewing at higher fps, vs. a higher VGA quality with lower fps. I find the higher quality more useful and the lower fps is not troublesome for my purposes. It would be simple to run this unit to a DVR and record also, though I have yet to do so. As the available light diminishes, the cameras quickly (too quickly in my opinion) go to black and white mode. The night time view distance is obviously much less, but sufficient unless it is complete darkness. I'd say it comes close to achieving its claimed 40' distance at night, but with much less detail. Overall, the units perform as advertised with minor complaints - except reliability. The reason I gave 3 stars is mostly for reliability issues and customer service I've experienced with Lorex. In the future I would not buy their units with included LCD's, but get something like this with a receiver that provides the quad view for my own monitor.

   

ATN Infra Red IR450-B2: Night Shadow
From ATN

ATN Infra Red IR450-B2: Night Shadow

• Amazon Sales Rank: #291703 in Sports & Outdoors
• Brand: ATN
• Model: ACMUIR45B2

   

Sharx Security VIPcella-IR SCNC2607 Wifi 802.11g IP Network Camera with built-in Web Server, Microphone, IR and Moonlight Color Night Vision
From Sharx Security

This Wifi b/g wireless IP camera has its own built in web server. You can view the video from your own home network or you can configure your router to view and control the camera from computers or cellphones on the internet, without dependence on any third party web sites or subscriptions. With the built-in microphone you can listen in. Excellent MPEG4 or MJPEG video quality at a full 640 x 480 resolution with up to 30 frames per second for fluid, natural motion color. For viewing or recording a single camera no software is required besides just your browser. For viewing or recording multiple Sharx IP cameras the included MultiView software for PCs supports up to 4 Sharx IP cameras simultaneously. Truly amazing to see the streaming video on your web enabled cell phone. For frequent use we recommend to upgrade your cellphone service to unlimited data, which costs just $15/mo extra on the ATT network. You can see motion even on non-3G phones like SonyEricsson w580i. If your phone does not support video you can see automatically refreshing JPEG images. At home, you can use this camera with your laptop or iPhone as a baby or pet monitor, and the very high light sensitivity in "moonlight mode" allows you to view out from a window to see what's happening in the street as long as there is some background light available. This camera has infrared night vision which can see in total, absolute darkness. Like any infrared sensitive camera, the daytime colors are subdued and can appear unnatural especially on plants and vegetation. For eye-popping, gorgeous daytime colors please select the less expensive Sharx SCNC2606 camera if you do not need night vision in total darkness. Wireless operation supports WEP, WPA, WPA2 encryption. On routers with UPnP feature the camera can set itself up automatically, and on routers without UPnP (such as Apple's Airport series) the camera can be set up with our step by step instructions.

• Amazon Sales Rank: #3182 in Camera & Photo
• Color: Black
• Brand: Sharx
• Model: VIPcella-IR SCNC2607
• Dimensions: 3.30" h x 3.30" w x 1.20" l, .40 pounds

Actual video from Sharx VIPcella-IR SCNC2607 IP Network Camera
Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R3N1RIMM96O8CK Sharx Security VIPcella-IR SCNC2607 Wifi Wireless 802.11 g Cell Phone enabled IP Network Camera with built-in Web Server, Microphone, Infrared and Moonlight Color Night Vision

Great for baby cam + iPhone!!!
If you are like us and many new parents, you may have purchased an inside-the-house video baby monitor - such as the Summer. In this day in age, however, an even better solution is one that works both inside your house AND outside your house on your cell phone or at work!

This Sharx SCNC2607 is amazing and perfect for our baby cam. Great picture during the day and absolutely awesome images at night when there is no light in the baby's room! This was exactly what I was looking for when looking at the more expensive solutions such as Axis, Sanyo, etc (which were going to cost me over $500!). I was concerned that the Sharx would be of lower quality but I've been very pleasantly surprised...

Here are some benefits we've found by having the Sharx SCNC2607:
1. When Daddy is at work, I can keep a small window of the baby's room on my screen to see my little girl whenever I have a spare minute!

2. We have the camera setup as an icon on Mommy's iPhone so she can easily click on the camera and view the baby's crib. Whenever Mommy is away (and the Nanny, Grandparents, or Daddy is watching the baby) she can view into the room and see her little girl. Even inside the house we found that Mommy carries her iPhone around with her and its more convenient to have 1 consolidated device rather than also carrying around the Summer receiver.

3. We setup the Grandparents with an secure account to be able to look into the webcam and see their granddaughter anytime... We actually turned off the audio though to ensure we maintain some privacy in our conversations within the baby's room :)...

4. Screen size using the Sharx and the iPhone is 2x the Summer screen and has a much larger viewing angle.

So how hard is this to setup? I'd rate it on the moderately technical side. If you have any experience setting up a wireless network at home then it should be a breeze but you need to configure some things in your router. You'll take the camera out of the box, plug it directly into the router, run their little IP Finder software, then go into the camera and setup passwords, user accounts, etc. On the router (I have a Linksys), you'll need to go to the Applications & Gaming tab and setup Port Forwarding so you can securely tunnel into your home network to see the camera. Not difficult but I can see how someone with no experience may struggle a bit. Good news is that the camera comes with one of the best installation guide's I've ever seen that walks you through it all and even gives you steps to setup your own URL (through DDNS).

There is one thing you should keep in mind when going with a webcam instead of an inside-the-house monitor - the webcam is a `passive' device. Meaning you need to go to the webcam on your iPhone to see the camera. The inside-the-house versions that are `always on' enables us to put the baby to bed and listen to the monitor when she wakes. You can enable audio on the webcam but you still need to have it up on the iPhone to hear it (and likely Mommy is doing Facebook, etc). If I were to do this over again, I would simply buy a cheaper audio-only inside-the-house monitor to hear when the baby wakes up and use the Sharx for the video whenever I want to see the baby. (Or I could go old school and just listen for the baby to cry but what type of a techno-daddy would I be then :)?)

I'll finish with the customer service I received by the guys at SecurCam. One word - fantastic. I first purchased the SCNC2602W. However, I didn't realize that this camera didn't work with my iPhone or non-Internet Explorer browsers. I contacted the folks at SecurCam and they explained the issue and very quickly helped me out by selling me the 2607 even before the product was officially launched! They've been awesome at responding to my technical issues, have a great online support setup, and flat-out great products. In the day in age where everyone is cutting back and outsourcing their support to overseas - these guys set a new standard in personalized support. I'd not only purchase additional cameras from them, but if they went into business on other items I would not hesitate to purchase them also. Keep up the great work guys!!!

Excellent Choice

I recently purchased the SCNC2607 IP-Cam to use as a video server that I could access from within my home on my PC's and iPhones, as well as to access the video from anywhere outside my home LAN if I want.

Not requiring any special software to access this camera is the single most important item for me. If you want to be able to log into a camera from anywhere in the world, on any machine that has a connection to the internet and a web browser of some type, this is the one. There is also an included application called "Multi Live" which allows you to view up to 4 cams in one window.

The camera itself was pretty easy to set up, and the image quality is superb! No tricky setup decisions are necessary by the user to decide what type of streams are available to whoever logs into it from whatever platform. If you log into it on an iPhone through Safari, the iPhone negotiates with the camera server software and automatically appends the URL with the "/en/mjpgmain.asp" extension. If logged in from Internet Explorer, the basic URL automatically appends the "en/avmain.asp" extension. All you need to do is type the URL of the camera into your browser and the rest is taken care of automatically.

Safari on the iPhone will not process the audio stream, but this is not a problem with the camera, it is a limitation with Safari. I have read that Safari on a Mac computer will also not process the audio stream. I have tried various iPhone applications to process the audio stream, without success. But the designer of IP Vision by TTrix software has written me that an upcoming version will process audio. I have also tried this camera on a Sony PSP-3000 with the current firmware version (installed on 02-10-09) and current Flash update, but the device chokes up on memory limitations and can only process the jpeg still image. Some tablet PC's and/or WiFi portable media players like the Nokia N810 or Archos 605 might work, but I haven't tried them.

The default image quality settings don't need to be tweaked to lower quality settings unless your upload bandwidth gets maxed out. For one login to the camera (over the internet from work) I was able to use the maximum quality settings and didn't see or hear any problems. My connection at home is cable internet with about 128 Kilobyte upload and 5 Megabit download, so I was worried about upload speed. With 8 users logged on, there could be issues requiring some settings tweaks, but that's more than most people are probably going to be worried about. If you connect within your LAN then you don't need to be concerned with upload bandwidth, because the data isn't passing through your modem.

There is a color setting, moonlight setting, and night vision setting, but I choose to let the camera do what it thinks it needs to do and have left these controls in automatic. The night vision works even in absolute darkness, and the image is crisp and clean. There is a setting for motion detection, with variable parameters to offset alarms or recording from occurrences like ceiling fans or a bird flying past a window.

When viewing the camera on your browser, you have some easy control buttons available to take snapshots in either .bmp or .jpg formats. You can also record to your hard drive, in the .asf format. Recording can be stopped and started with the "Record" button, or started with the button and stopped by a maximum file size input that anyone logged in can specify. These picture and video controls can be run by anyone you authorize in either the admin account or any user accounts you set up.

The user accounts (an account created that is not the admin account) has no access to your settings for the camera, so it's a good one to send to Mom and Dad or your crazy aunt. When they get to the logon screen, if they choose "Enter" they can see what's on your camera and record what they see and/or hear. If they try to enter "Settings" then they are presented with the login username/ password box again. As long as they don't have your admin password, then you are safe from unauthorized changes to the camera settings.

For up to 8 concurrent logons, you don't need to create 8 separate guest user accounts. One will suffice. I have logged onto one guest account through a browser on my PC over the internet, through my iPhone on WiFi over the internet, and also through another browser on the same PC but using the LAN IP address. That's pretty cool to be able to log on over LAN or WAN while connected through the same router the camera is connecting to. Like if somebody chops up your internet cable connection with a ditch digger, you can still see the cam by using the LAN address.

The instruction manual supplied with the camera is very good. I only found one typo and it wasn't important. It was not translated three times from an original language using obscure clucking noises and hieroglyphic symbols. An email to tech support was answered promptly and with great attention to detail. The techies are REAL ENGINEERS, not some morons in monkey suits with a license to confuse and aggravate.

I mentioned before that the camera "itself" was easy to set up. That is true. What might be a bit challenging for some is the router configuration. I suggest while waiting for the camera to be delivered, brush up on your router's help files. Find the range of IP addresses your router is assigning to devices automatically, such as 192.168.1.25 through 192.168.1.125, because the IP address you choose to assign to the cam to make it a permanent host will be somewhere outside of that range. Also check to see if your router has the latest firmware. My Trendnet TEW-452BRP had a glitch with running DDNS updates, even if all the fields were input properly. This would have caused me great frustration had I not checked the website first.

If you want to access the cam from outside your LAN, then read up a little bit on DDNS. I'm using a free account from "no-ip.com" and there is a brief primer on using this service in the camera instruction manual. Check your router to see if it has an automatic function to update your current IP Address to a DDNS server. It doesn't have to, as your PC can do it for you automatically every time it boots with a free program you get after registering, but why not be redundant if you can? If you decide to set up DDNS so as to access the cam through WAN, then find out how to give the cam TCP and UDP privileges on a specified port number, typically using a function called "Virtual Server." Otherwise you would open "DMZ" or perhaps "Special AP" to give the cam connectivity rights.

Be warned that DMZ opens all ports, which might be dangerous. Special AP is for programs which require multiple connections that are blocked by NAT, so again that might be dangerous as well. Using Virtual Server only opens the ports necessary for functionality of this specific device, so it is the best way to punch that hole through the wall into the WWW. And remember, if you are restricting access to the router by use of MAC numbers, shut that off when first installing the cam or else you won't get it to connect. Later you can turn it back on.

None of this is rocket science, but if problems do occur, the Engineers at Sharx are competent and they are committed to not letting you fail. It even says so in the instruction manual!

   

Bushnell Night Vision 2.5x42 Built-in Double Infrared (Green)
From Bushnell

Thirteen state-of-the-art, compact designs that offer superior vision in the lowest light conditions. Setting the standard in light-gathering technology, each product features built-in infrared illuminators for enhanced images, even in the darkest shadows. Bushnell Night Vision is ideal for camping, caving and observing wildlife under the veil of darkness. This technology is equally suited for patrolling warehouses and similar surveillance operations where no detectable ambient light exists. The audio monocular model even features a boom microphone, headphone and recording port, so you'll see and hear exactly what you're looking at. Bushnell Night Vision is the ultimate in stealth, and that's a quality no flashlight can ever claim.

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2334 in Sports & Outdoors
• Brand: Bushnell
• Model: 26-0200
• Dimensions: 4.00" h x 7.00" w x 8.00" l, 1.75 pounds

Fantastic for the Price
The title really says it all. While I didn't actually buy mine (business gift), it's something I'd have paid for if I had a need. It's an excellent unit to keep in your pocket in case you need a better view of things, or your "usual" night vision optic is out of whack.

That being said, anyone looking to buy this needs to know two things:

Firstly, this is a night vision device, not an infrared device. While, yes, infrared devices are "technically" night vision devices, this is a standard, light-amplification device. It is an incredibly good one for the price you pay, but it does not do what an infrared display does. You cannot walk into a pitch black room and see everything with a heat signature.

Secondly, this is a low-end night vision device. That is not to say it is not good, but it is to say that it is not excellent. For the price, it is a fantastic value, but if you compare this to other units starting at $600 and going up from there, you will be very disappointed. That being said, don't do that.

This is an excellent device for most hunters, and certainly sufficient to just go out and tool around with because you're bored. If you need something of "professional" quality, this is the wrong device for you, and honestly... why are you shopping on Amazon and not a proper dealer?

GREAT
I am really enjoying this purchase. As other reviewers of NVDs have stated, this is not a military class unit (unless you are comparing it to a 1960 era unit), but for $200 who cares. I have about an acre of land and I can check out the whole yard without a problem. It is more solid than the picture gives it credit for, and is comfortable to hold. I would recomend this unit to anyone who just wants an NVD for recreational purposes.

the point of night vision
When I first ordered this item I was hoping it would help me see in very dark environments. When I finally got it and tried it out I realized in order to see in night vision you have to already have some type of light source in order for these night vision mono's to pick anything up. In very dark conditions you still can not see anything out of these mono's. That defeats the purpose of having this item. I should of bought a flashlight I would of been able to see better and it would of been cheaper.

   

Famous Trails FT 1200 Night Eyes
From Famous Trails

The Famous Trails 5x FT1200 Starfox night vision monocular utilizes a large-aperture camera lens to bring you a wider and brighter field of view. It has a special housing for protection against high dust or humid environments and includes a built-in IR illuminator for use in darkest conditions. It comes with a lens cover and a padded carrying case.

• Amazon Sales Rank: #415298 in Lawn & Patio
• Color: Black
• Brand: Famous Trails
• Model: FT1200
• Dimensions: 4.25" h x 6.00" w x 10.25" l, 1.90 pounds

Rugged, but image quality lacks compared to the competition
Pros:
- rugged, rubberized housing;
- strong IR illumination LED;

Cons:
- lot of black spots in view;
- any light source nearby oversaturates the image;
- I wasn't able to focus it sharp enough;
- battery cover hard to screw back;
- needs special battery;

I've bought this monocular and compared it to two Night Owl products with similar features and pricing (the 3x and the 5x magnification versions). I tried them indoors without any lighting, and outdoors at night in a park-like setting with dark areas and some lights that were weaker than streetlights. Everything in my review is based on comparing the two brand's products.

The FT1200 is more appealing with its rubberized housing that looks way more rugged and tough. However, it uses batteries that are more expensive and less commonly available than the AAs other products use, and it's hard to fit the battery cover on its thread so it screws back without seizing. Since it's all plastic, I predict the thread will wear out sooner or later as the batteries get changed.

The IR illumination is stronger than in the competing products, but every other aspect of the optics performs worse. With this technology it's normal to have some tiny dark spots in the view, but this unit had so many it was annoying, and there were way fewer in the Night Owl monoculars. I was never able to focus as sharply as with the Night Owls. The occasional outdoor lights in the distance made the whole image so light that nothing else could be seen, even if the light source was far and just at the edge of the viewable area. The same lights did not ruin the rest of the view in the other brand's products.

I loved the ruggedness and grip of this monocular, but the image quality was so noticeably worse that I returned this, and kept the Night Owl with the 5x magnification.

   

Carson Aura 2.5x50 Night Vision Scope
From Carson Optical

2.5x50mm F1.5 Night Vision Scope

• Amazon Sales Rank: #352703 in Sports & Outdoors
• Color: Black
• Brand: Carson
• Model: Aura NV-5
• Dimensions: 3.00" h x 2.00" w x 6.00" l,

Carson's Aura 2.5x50mm is a fully focusing night-vision scope with coated optics and anti-bloom protection. It features a self-energizing power supply that eliminates the need for a main battery, and a built-in infrared illuminator for use under the darkest conditions. Its rugged composite body is both lightweight and durable, and is easy to use. Its minimum focusing distance: 4.4 feet, with a field of view of 15 percent minimum. It weighs 19 ounces / 475 grams. It comes with a lens cover, padded case and strap.

   

Outdoor Weatherproof 100 Ft Infrared Color Camera
From EverSecure

ir camera learning curve
I had the camera set up in a short time, and began monitoring on my PC via video capture. I have a semi-retired time-lapse VCR that I plan to hook up for recording later. The first thing I learned was that having it mounted behind the glass of the garage door, it's great in daytime, but the glare at night renders it almost useless. Not a fault of the camera, rather the location. Aimed into the pitch dark garage with no light interference you can see everything clearly. Pretty awesome. I just need to come up with a way to view the driveway without all that glare. I may have to consider placing it out back to monitor owl activity if I'm unsuccessful out front. One question, should I place it in a housing or is it weatherproof as-is?