Reviewed By: Dr Hira Arshad
What is that you look for when choosing a security camera? A wireless design? Easy Installation? Night vision? Or, a device that is easy on the pocket? The HemiVision HMD2 can offer all of the above straight out of the box. It is a budget friendly, battery powered device that can be set up effortlessly, from store to door, without requiring complex procedures or extensive wiring. Its weather proof design makes it a good fit for both outdoor and indoor surveillance.
AT A GLANCE
The HMD2 is a quirky little “minion” looking device with smooth round-edged white plastic body. The only word to describe its appearance is “Cute”. Located on the front is a 130° FOV lens, motion sensor and a microphone.
. The back side has a speaker, an indentation for the magnetic mount and a rubber weather shield covering the input/output ports and buttons.
Removing the rubber reveals power button, power input, memory card slot and reset hole. With the dimensions of 2.1”x 3.9”, this little guy weights just under 500g and is extremely portable.
WHAT’S IN THE BOX?
- HemiVision HMD2 Camera (Obviously!)
- Micro-USB Charging cable
- Magnetic mount
- 3M adhesive pads x2
- Screw-in wall mount
- Mounting Screws
- Quick guide
PRODUCT HIGHLIGHTS (as specified by the manufacturer)
- Camera – 1080p 130° / Wide Angle / 25fps
- Sensor – PIR
- Night Vision – Up to 30 Feet
- Battery: 2pcs 18650 6000mAh / 4-month battery life per charge (activated 10x per day for 20sec per activation)
- IP65 Waterproof
- Two-Way Audio
PROS AND CONS IN RELATION TO FEATURES
Installation
| Pros | Cons |
| Very easy set-up (less than 15 min)Excellent Quick Guide Manual Provided complete with visual aidsNo wiring/constant power source required | Does not support 5GHz Wi-Fi (only 2.4GHz) |
HeimLife Application
| Pros | Cons |
| Easy to download and launchVery intuitive. Friendly User InterfaceSends push notifications when motion detectedLive view availableScreenshots and video recording available Camera feed can be remotely viewed from anywhere with an internet connectionLocal and Cloud storage available | Unable to export/share video via app (if stored in memory card)Timeline zoom in/out to toggle between motion detection is very finicky and requires a great degree of precision No 24/7 continuous video feed option available |
Motion Detection
| Pros | Cons |
| Only starts recording when “Human” is detected | Camera is slow to wake up and start recording, sometimes even after the “person” moved out of view (hence defeating the purpose of surveillance) |
Video
| Pros | Cons |
| Offers SD and HD video optionsDaylight video quality is good (but not super)Automatically switches between day/night modes depending on the lightDigital zoom option is available (in live view mode) | Very little difference between SD and HD modesThe video seems to have a very high contrast resulting in a blown-out image and obscuring the detailsIR mode obscures the image details even further and makes recognition very difficult |
Daylight Mode
Night Mode
Audio
| Pros | Cons |
| 2-way audio communication is available. Can send live voice messages to camera via app | Audio clarity is averageThere is a lag between video and audio in stored clipsSpeaker audio not recorded in video clip |
Battery
| Pros | Cons |
| In-built rechargeable 6000mAh batteryConstant power source is not requiredSolar-charge option available (not included in base package) | Battery life no way near to the manufacture’s specifications (requires recharge every couple of weeks)No indication of low battery on camera (only in-app)No “Charging Indicator” on camera (only in-app |
Storage
| Pros | Cons |
| SD card (Local) storage option availableCloud storage options available with reasonable subscription packages available | Can use up phone storage if not using SD card or cloud storageSD card not included |
Overall ratings
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| Performance | |||||
| Usability | |||||
| Value |
Final Verdict
HemiVision HMD2 comes with a manufacturer warranty of 1 year and is priced at $79.99 on Amazon at the time this article was written. Despite some limitations, the HMD2 is a well-built, attractive and compact wireless device with decent video and audio quality in a budget friendly package suitable for home or small office use. Where the surveillance needs are basic, and continuous video recording is not required, HMD2 is worth consideration.
Disclaimer:
The HMD2 wireless IP camera was received as part of a product review from HemiVision. Although the product was offered free of charge, all the views in this review remain my own.