Foscam R2 review

Foscam is one of the historical companies when it comes to IP Cam (they have been in business since 2007!). Lately, Foscam has evolved and now produces products like the R2 (Check on Amazon.com), a hybrid between a classic IP Cam and a more modern Smart Cam, thanks to the introduction of myfoscam the company’s cloud service.

Inside the box you will find, in addition to the cam, an antenna to amplify the camera’s Wi-Fi range, a power supply and a convenient wall mount. It will be very handy if you want to place it at the ceiling or perhaps in a hidden angle. On the back of the camera we find the power plug (unfortunately not microUSB/USB-C) and also an Ethernet connection, in case you want to maximize bandwidth.

R2 has the advantage of having a motorized head, thus allowing you to cover every area in a room. The footage is in Full-HD, but can be toned down if the connection is slow. The sensor is a 2MP one.

Foscam R2 can be controlled via the app for Android or iOS and allows you to move the camera, take photos or record videos. It is also possible to do a digital zoom, and overall the controls are quite smooth. Video quality is good, although the absence of an HDR algorithm penalizes video from scenes with areas of both bright light and dark shades. Night view can be enabled either manually or automatically. One of the functions that make it a smart cam is the notifications that you receive when there is movement. A snapshot of the moment will be captured and it is possible to rewind for up to 8 hours, but you cannot download the recorded video. In order to do this, you will need to subscribe to the service, which will also give you more continuous cloud recording time.

Among the options you will find the possibility to schedule the time of notifications, but you will not be able to enable these functions based on geolocation. If you want, you can also talk via your Foscam’s built-in speaker. If you prefer, you can also use it as a classic IP cam (activating a public IP on the internet and command it through a web interface), enabling the possibility of local backup to a computer or NAS.

You can buy Foscam R2 on Amazon for (Check on Amazon.com), an honest price for a product that has some limitations and continues to perform best as an IP cam.