Axis M1065-LW
It’s pricey, but this little 1080p camera simply won’t be beaten for video quality and surveillance features
SCORE ✪✪✪✪✪ PRICE from networkwebcams.co.uk
T£267 exc VAT he Axis M1065-LW is one of the smallest IP cameras on the market, making it an attractive option for offices seeking a discreet indoor surveillance solution. What’s more, despite its miniscule size, it comes with a list of features to match IP cameras twice as big.
That includes a maximum resolution of 1080p at 25fps, with support for both wired and wireless network connections. With an integrated infrared illuminator and a PIR motion sensor, it can detect movement and record video in the dark as well as the daytime. There’s also an internal microphone and speaker for two-way audio, while a microSD card slot means you can store video locally as well as to network storage. It’s a shame that there’s no PoE support, but the included power supply has a decent 2.9m cable, so your positioning options aren’t too limited.
We found that the camera took less than a minute to set up over a wired connection, and its native web interface is very easy to use. From here, setting up a wireless connection is simplicity itself: you can choose your SSID from a list, or use the WPS button on the side of the camera.
The M1065-LW impressed us with its video quality. Its live view is pinsharp, with excellent contrast and colour balance. You can choose from ten resolutions and configure multiple stream profiles, meaning you can set up different image sizes, frame rates and compression levels to suit different destinations.
For night-time operation, the IR illuminator has a range of 10m and switches on automatically when light levels drop. We found the PIR sensor also worked well, with movement within 6m triggering our alert actions.
The one concession you’ll probably have to make is accessing the camera via Internet Explorer. Neither Edge nor Chrome supports the Axis Media Control plugin required for H.264 streaming – so if you want to watch your feed in one of these browsers, you’ll have to live with MJPEG. And while Firefox will stream H.264 through the QuickTime plugin, there’s an annoying three-second video delay. IE has no such limitations, however: we were happily able to stream in either video format, with latency of less than one second.
When we enabled audio, the web interface also installed an AAC decoder plugin. Audio transmission is half-duplex: to speak to someone, you click and hold the Talk button at the bottom of the live view page, and let go when you want to listen to them. Overall sound quality isn’t great, but it was good enough for us to hold a conversation with someone
“The M1065-LW impressed us with its video quality: its live view is pin-sharp, with excellent contrast and colour balance”
comprehensive set of surveillance features.
SPECIFICATIONS 1/3in RGB CMOS 2.8mm, f/2.0 lens 1080p max res 25fps MJPEG/H.264v10/100 Ethernet 802.11n wireless PIR sensor IR illuminator internal mic/speaker microSD card slot external PSU Axis Camera Companion and Camera Station (one licence) software 61 x 37 x 106mm (WDH) 128g wall mount bracket and table-top stand 3yr RTB warranty