In all honesty, when Sharx Security contacted us to review one of their outdoor IP-cameras we were a little skeptical of their offering. Sharx is a lesser-known manufacturer of IP-cameras and we were unsure of the level of quality we would see in this IP-camera. We are skeptics no more.
From the moment we opened the box containing the IP-camera and the rest of the materials needed to setup and utilize the unit, it had all the feelings of a quality professional unit.
The Sharx SCNC-3805 IP-camera is an outdoor unit, quickly recognizable as a bullet style camera with an adjustable sunshade. This surveillance camera has a weight and feel to it that builds confidence in the overall quality of the unit.
With a suggested retail Price of $349.95 and a street price that seems to average about $280.00, this IP-camera provides quality features and functionality needed for today’s larger size organizations. The SCNC-3805 IP-camera includes high definition (HD) 720P wired PoE and 802.11B/G/N wireless IP66 weatherproof outdoor H.264/MPEG4 with infrared night vision and built-in edge recording.
Because this unit is both wired and wireless, one of the quality touches that stand out quickly is the integration of PoE power and an old fashion power brick. Although the camera itself is an outdoor weatherproof unit, the AC adapter is not weatherproof, therefore a receptacle enclosure would be necessary for outdoor installation.
Both HTTP and RTSP streaming protocols are supported for use with browsers or media players on Mac or Windows computers as well as iPhone/iPad, including audio. The SCNC-3805 delivers multi-stream video outputs with three separate choices of image quality available simultaneously. Video can be adjusted from HD 720P with audio at full motion 30 fps (2048K, 1280 x 720) all the way down to a bandwidth saving mobile stream (20K, 176 x 144, 5 fps). With the included 8 GB MicroSD memory card edge recording is available. Stated recording time ranges from 1 hour/GB to almost 100 hours/GB based on selected video quality (not tested).
Watch the box opening video here.
Setup:
Setup of the SCNC-3805 was quick and easy without any need for referring to documentation. We did use the camera finder utility that came on the included CD, which allowed the camera installation with our video management software (VMS) quickly and easily –although the default network IP address of 192.168.100.1 was different enough to cause a moment of pause.
Overall, we had the unit setup, powered-up, and installed into our VMS in less than 15 minutes and recording video.
Configuration:
As with most IP-cameras on the market today, the SCNC-3805 has a built-in webpage that allows for setting changes for configuration and individual adjustments. A video viewer allowed us to quickly see the three streams of various quality settings available for recording.
Multi-stream capability is quickly becoming one of the most requested features of IP-cameras as it allows for viewing and recording in various settings. Some VMS systems are also recording in various quality settings for longer-term retention capabilities.
The SCNC-3805 has a vast number of configuration settings that can be adjusted to your particular use. Understanding how these settings impact your bandwidth output can make a large impact on the recording file size of your video.
Also understanding how the environmental (such as direct sunshine and nighttime) conditions impact the bandwidth must be taken into consideration when configuring the camera for your particular use.
To provide a “fair” review, we made no changes to the default settings and started recording in 1280 x 720 resolution (720P) HD quality video. To clarify – although 720P is considered high definition (HD), remember it is just slightly less than actual megapixel quality video.
Use:
This camera is marketed and built as an outdoor camera and with its IP66 weatherproof rating, we feel confident that it would hold up in typical outside weather conditions.
Quality of Video:
SecurityHive reviews typically walk the camera through a series of 10, 25, 50, 75, and 100 feet positions displaying various camera focus boards to showcase the clarity and depth of the surveillance camera.
Watch the outdoor walk through video remembering the first camera focus test is at 10 feet and the last position is 100 feet away. NOTE: The original video was recorded at 1280×720 with this web optimized video transcoded to 720×480 keeping the clarity of the original video as close as possible. (Make sure to download the original resolution video from the link at the bottom of this article.)
As you watch the video, notice the clarity at 10 feet (initial camera focus board set) as well as the trees and the depth of the image. Although this camera at this resolution does not seem to be able to capture the minute details at distances greater than 10 to 15 feet, evidentiary-quality video is delivered.
Audio: Also listen closely and you will here the sounds of traffic from a road just on the other side of the trees on the right side of the screen. The microphone on this camera was impressive.
Watch the outdoor walk through video here.
The field of view is wide angle at about 110-degrees with the infrared LEDs for night use providing good coverage from edge to edge of the image. This camera can see up to 40-feet in absolute darkness with its infrared LEDs.
As with any surveillance camera, lighting conditions are paramount for optimal live-viewing and recorded video. Remember that the Sharx SCNS-3805 IP-camera
is sold as an outdoor camera.
SecurityHive.com always performs an indoor and outdoor walk through of all IP-camera tests. We walked through the indoor camera focus positions at 10 feet and 25-feet in a setup to give you more of a feel for the quality of video delivered by the SCNC-3805 within an indoor environment.
(Make sure to download the original resolution video from the link at the bottom of this article.)
Watch the indoor walk through video here.
With the built-in edge recording capabilities, the SCNC-3805 camera can be configured to automatically upload recorded video to an FTP server or standalone network drive.
Conclusion:
At the $280 street price, the Sharx SCNC-3805 IP-camera surprised us with its quality construction, packaging, most importantly, the quality of video. Although not quite mega-pixel the 1280×720 resolution provided crisp, clear, and detailed video and was capable of simultaneous multi-stream resolution output. The wide field-of-view and IP66 weatherproof enclosure would make this an ideal outdoor surveillance IP-camera that would deliver quality live-view and recorded video. This is a top quality IP-camera.
Download the original resolution videos here:
Sharx SCNC-3805_Box Opening (99M zip file)