The Foscam D4Z IP camera is a gap-filling product. Its IK10 vandal-proof and impact-resistant housing allows it to be used in places where more vulnerable cameras would not be suitable to perform their tasks. Its IP66 water resistance allows even outdoor use. However, we are reluctant to recommend this kind of use, because the silicone ring that separates the lens from the dome of the hemispherical glass can move over time due to winter/summer temperature differences, and as a result, your night pictures may be blinded by scattered light. The reason for this is that the camera lens and the infrared LEDs enabling night vision are located inside the hemisphere and if there is an air gap between the silicone ring and the hood, the hood can direct the light of the LEDs towards the lens. This is indefensible in the long term, not only for this type, but for similar dome-type cameras from any manufacturer.

When installing, make sure that the ring around the lens is carefully pulled forward a little, otherwise a poorly fitting ring will only be capable of poor night imaging from the very beginning. For this reason, we recommend the use of tube cameras outdoors rather than the G2 AND G4 series, because their lens and infrared LEDs are physically separated from each other by a component placed for this purpose. We recommend using the D4Z camera in places where the temperature is balanced. It can also be the refrigerator, but there should not be a big difference between the lowest and highest temperature values.

The Foscam D4Z IP camera is a PTZ camera. This means that the camera can be moved remotely with a motor, so the field of view of the camera can be changed. The camera lens can be controlled 350 degrees horizontally and 85 degrees vertically inside the housing. In addition to moving the camera head located inside the housing up/down, right/left, the camera also includes a 4x optical zoom lens with autofocus. Without using the zoom, the camera has a wide angle of view of 86 degrees, which can be reduced with full zoom. The 4x optical zoom is just enough to easily monitor the events taking place in the area of ​​our family home, and zoom in on potentially interesting points, e.g. for a window, door, back entrance. The viewing angle of the camera can be changed between 39.8°~86.1° with motor control. Of course, the zoom can be controlled both from a mobile application and from a PC.

Its 4MP, i.e. 2304x1536p, resolution makes it suitable for both day and night monitoring thanks to the 1/2.7″ CMOS sensor used. Thanks to the built-in 2 high-power LED light sources and the quality of the sensor, its night range pushes the limits to 20 meters. Remember, however, that its resolution provides sufficient detail within 15-20 meters during active use of the zoom. Despite the 20-meter night range and the 4x optical zoom, you can only observe the movement of figures beyond 20 meters in night mode in complete darkness.

The CMOS sensor in the camera has extremely good light sensitivity, so it can provide you with a color image even in low ambient light, but it can also produce excellent black/white images in pitch darkness thanks to its infrared performance. The night operation of the camera can be customized. It can operate in automatic time of day change cycles thanks to its built-in sensor, but the infrared illumination can also be switched on and off manually, or the northern mode can also be used with timed operation. We may need this if cars driving with their headlights on often come into the camera's field of view. If the infrared mode works in a timed band, the camera will record at night even if the amount of light emitted by the approaching vehicle would otherwise be sufficient for daytime operation.

A very important feature of the camera is that the camera head can be raised 85 degrees, so its lens cannot zoom horizontally, which it does not need, because it is recommended to install it on the ceiling. The camera head can be completely rotated in both directions, so there is practically no dead space for the camera.

Even with the Foscam D4Z IP camera, you can use a memory card for recordings without loss of warranty. The MicroSD memory card slot was placed inside the camera, which could not have a suitable place elsewhere in order to maintain water resistance and vandalism. Inside the camera, under the head of the camera, there is a slot capable of accepting a MicroSD memory card with a maximum size of 128Gb. You can record your recordings on a memory card continuously or for motion detection. With maximum settings, a 128GB memory card can record approx. This can be calibrated multiple times by using a release but extended fixation to store 3-6 days of material.

The memory card can be used with the FAT32 file system, so the cameras must be prepared for use in this file format.