Purchased this little camera for a piece of mind as we were going to be away from home for a vacation. I purchased a SD card to go with it to record any events while we were away. I like that you can use the camera without purchasing an online monthly subscription account. I dislike the fact that you can't adjust it to record longer than the set time limit without an online monthly subscription account. I like that you can set up several cameras on one account and share with family so they can also monitor them. I was not happy that the camera quit recognizing the SD card while we were away which also limited our view of the area we purchased the camera to monitor. It has done this twice& I removed the sd card and reinserted it and it recognizes the sd card again. The picture & sound quality are good & you can set the sensitivity for movement & sound detection separately which is nice. You can view live stream online through the app and even talk through the camera to someone & hear them when they reply. It also allows you to set off an alarm sound in live view through the app if needed. You can also have it track movement or not. This can be a little glichy. I have ours installed upside down so I can see three different locations and it loses me going from one room to the next more often than not. Installing upside down was a nice feature though as you can set it to rotate the image so it appears correctly when viewing it online. You can also set it up to not record during set times. When I turn it off from the app, however, it will still push notifications to me every few hours saying it went offline which is a little confusing. I have to unplug it if I want to leave it off for any length of time in order to not continue to receive notifications. It also moves around while off (but screen stays covered) before it pushes a notification telling you it went offline when I have it turned off in the app (?). Another dislike, I have an outdoor camera by another manufacturer that I am able to format the sd card on remotely, without removing it from the camera, which this camera doesn't do. Overall, I am happy with this little camera and the piece of mind it provided while we were away. Now home, I'll be able to use it whenever I go out to keep an eye on the dogs to be sure they are watching the house.

I’m not sure this camera is what I need.First, I’m not a hunter. I’m currently living in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia while borders are locked down due to the pandemic, and I was looking for a covert camera that could provide high quality images day and night of the hashaa (fenced off compound) on which my in-laws have a summer house, as last year the house was burned down under suspicious circumstances and had to be rebuilt. They had security cameras installed but without wireless transmission, so no evidence was recovered. I wanted something I could hide in the bushes.OK, so far so good. This is a well camouflaged unit that could evade easy detection by an intruder into the compound. It’s battery powered so it should run 24/7, and it can be mounted pretty much anywhere. During my brief test I managed to get the camera working, successfully navigated the menu options and took a test shot. Everything seems to work fine.The first problem - and this one is on me - is that I didn’t notice the camera is (I think) locked to AT&T, which is no good for me as I’m not a customer. I guess I could get a plan, but since Mongolia isn’t planning to open its borders and allow me to leave anytime soon the plan would be only for this. It seems like a wasted expense, and in any case it would mean waiting weeks for a SIM to be delivered to me out here.The bigger problem, though, is that as far as I can tell there’s no way to lock the unit itself. The camera is encased in a box closed by a sturdy clasp, so there’s no danger of it opening accidentally, but if I can’t use AT&T to immediately forward photos to my phone it means I need to collect the SD card each week to see what’s been going on, and unfortunately there doesn’t seem to be any manufacturer-designed method of locking the box to stop anyone else taking the SD card or the camera itself. I’m sure I could rig something up to make it hard as hell to get into the box, but that’s not really the same thing.I’m giving this 4 stars because the camera really isn’t designed to address my needs, so it seems a little silly to mark it down. It’s not a security camera and the manufacturers probably aren’t all that worried about ease of use in Mongolia, so I guess I’ll mark this down as an unwise investment and move on. If, though, you’re a hunter or have some other reason to want to photograph wild animals, and if you plan to use it at a location where you’re not concerned about someone breaking in and tampering with it, I’d have no problem recommending this camera.

To begin with, the instructions were very clear. They walk you through the process step-by-step with full color photos and easy to understand text directions. My husband and I worked together and had it up and running in about 15 minutes. We are FAR from experts! But we are both a bit geeky with a fascination for space, so this telescope was a no-brainer.The telescope has an adjustable tripod with storage tray in the center of the three legs. It's very easy to take this out to the roof of our apartment building for some late night star gazing. The image quality is comparable to much nicer telescopes I've used at various university events. You will get a new appreciation for the moon! I will say there is a bit of a learning curve with figuring out how to aim and bring the view into focus. Also, I am not sure if we did something wrong in putting the telescope together, but we aren't able to tighten the lens so that it stays in place. The end result is you are trying to maintain a steady position and angle while bending over to see through the eyepiece at the same time. Based on other reviews, this is a "me" issue and not a telescope issue, so I didn't dock them for that. There are many different attachments for cameras, cell phone, eyepieces, and various lens strengths that we haven't tried yet. It seems like the sky is the limit (pun intended!).Overall we have been very impressed with this telescope. This would be a great purchase for beginners, children interested in astronomy, or simply to just have a fun hobby to do with your family.

I needed to monitor my back patio area and the adjacent parking lot nearby. I did not want to run power and data wiring to this outdoor location. It shipped in a nice box with great packaging and an instruction book that is well written. You need to install the Vicohome app and that is easy to do. The wifi setup for use in the home is typical and went smoothly. Note: it only works on the 2.4 Ghz Frequency. Installation was stupidly simple. I used a cordless drill/driver and a step ladder. I put three screws thru the mounting holes and into the trim on my home and attached the camera. I charged the camera overnight and even though it arrived at 50% power, it took hours to get it charged 100%. The camera attaches to the mount very simply with a threaded stud and a locking ring. This whole process is super DIY friendly.The videos are captured when motion is detected. Each video is 10 s and I think that is adjustable but it is fine with me so I left it alone. The motion sensitivity is adjustable and I have it on medium. I tested it by walking around the perimeter of my yard and it catches all motion inside my yard and beyond to the parking lot behind my home (apartments). The videos are stored in the cloud and available to view or download through the app. I can also store them redundantly on a micro SD card - I chose not to use that.Installed for one week and taking about a dozen videos per day. Battery is at 94%. The battery in this camera is not removable. You either have to take the camera down to recharge it or bring a charging cable to the camera. I plan to rig up an extension cord with a charging cable when I need to charge the battery.This camera has extra features and additional cloud storage for a fee. I don't use any of that. I get 7 days of unlimited cloud storage for free. After a full month, if all goes well, I plan on getting another one for the driveway beside our home. My only other experience with security cameras is the Skybell doorbell camera (also no fee for cloud storage). This VicoHome camera streams faster with the same resolution setting. I am satisfied with it.ProsGreat package and instructionsEasy installationNice AppExcellent video - I can zoom the live feed if I want to check something out real time.I can view live feed and recorded videos from anywhere. Works great!No Cloud Storage FeesConsI wanted to set up my wife's phone so that she can see the videos. Instructions for that are included but I could not get it to work. I have not called support about this but I will sometime. This is a small inconvenience at the moment for us.I removable battery would have been nice.

We purchased the Celestron NexStar 6 SE Telescope 

Celestron NexStar 6 SE Telescope









 in time for my son's birthday in August. He is a serious student of Astronomy with great encouragement by his high school teacher. The Celestron NexStar 6 SE Telescope is a terrific investment and the perfect education outlet. The 6" telescope is working just fine for us, but knowing what we know now, I would have purchased the 8" Celestron NexStar, only because the viewing capabilities with the 6" are so incredible, we can just imagine how much more we would be able to see with the 8" telescope. My son takes the telescope with us on Boy Scout Troop expeditions now, which has proven to be great way to wind down the day.The only trouble we have had with the telescope is achieving the initial alignment. We can find bright enough objects in three different directions, and the "on board" computer seems to work pretty quickly, but so far we only get a message saying that the alignment process failed, after several minutes of "computer contemplation." My son is certain that this is something he can remedy. Getting the viewfinder aligned with the lens should be a first step priority.On our first night out we had a brilliant full moon to work with, and seeing inside the impact craters was truly amazing. But on the same night we found Jupiter, and with a 2X Barlow lens we could see the planet, in color, including the cloud bands around the planet. My six-foot baby boy was doing the Happy Dance at 2 AM on a quiet gravel road. He woke up all the critters, and we had to go home!

[ATTENTION: My review is for a "Trail Camera 4K 20MP, Wildlife Camera with Night Vision Motion Activated IP56 Waterproof" --- which seems to no longer be available. Given the price, I was impressed with its capabilities and would recommend it as a basic trail cam. I make no such endorsement for any other cameras to which this review might become attached.]First, two admissions and then a caution: (1) This is my first trail cam, so I have no frame of reference or experience with which to compare the performance of this product. (2) I’m grading on a curve — This is decidedly a budget camera in terms of potential picture quality and weather-resistance (4K “lite” max. video vs. true 4K, 20MP max. photo vs. 32MP or more, IP56 vs IP67 dust and water protection). My intent was to see how well this camera served its purpose and, after playing around with it for a while, I am quite impressed. I’m not shooting nature photos for National Geographic; I just wanted to see what wildlife (or lowlife) wanders through our backyard at night. Even with less than greatest detail — I’m taking video at 720p and photos at 5MP --- I’m very satisfied with the results. Pictures have been sharp — no motion blur — and the video is clear. Shooting range is as advertised --- both day and night — and is pretty much the same as much more expensive trail cams. The camera is easy to set up and almost intuitive to use. If you need help, the included manual is clearly written (in six languages). If I have any complaints, it’s that the micro SD card is a little difficult to insert if you’ve got fat fingers. An on-screen message will let you know if the card is not fully inserted. More significantly, the documentation that came with the camera states that the trigger time is 0.5 - 0.8 seconds whereas the Amazon listing gives it as 0.3 sec. That is a considerable variance but I can’t say that I saw any negative consequence with my pictures.This leads to my caution: I can’t guarantee that the camera I was sent will be the same as the one you receive. It may be that sellers ship whatever model with similar specs they have in stock. The listing makes no mention of brand, so anything’s possible. That’s OK, as long as the features and specs match what they advertise but it means your results may vary. According to the package, I have a TOGUARD model H45A which differs not only from the listed specs — in small but not insignificant (though not undesirable) ways — but also from the included manual and pictures of the camera on the box. Aside from the aforementioned trigger speed, the IR array at the top of the camera is clearly visible in photos in the listing, on the box I received and in the included manual. However, my camera’s IR array is behind a black filter (as shown in one of my attached pictures) so you do not see the individual LEDs. This is generally typical of “no-glow” 940nm IR LEDs rather than 850nm “low-glow” LEDs (although the listing says both “No glow”and 850nm). Whichever they are, the lights are invisible to my eye, though they show quite clearly in operation when seen through a digital camera (see photo). [Update: Without any ambient light and looking straight at the camera, I am able to see the flash (dimly) when it goes off...therefore, likely 850nm LEDs.] The placement of the control buttons also differs noticeably from diagrams in the manual. I might suspect that I had gotten a different model except that TOGUARD Model: H45A is printed clearly on the back of the camera.Other undocumented features or details of note:In a notice at the bottom of the Product Description, the seller recommends a Class 10 SD card up to 128GB. However, it must be a micro SD card (TF) and the manual states that they only support up to 64GB.While the listing says “Rechargeable batteries are NOT recommended,” the manual indicates that, instead of alkaline batteries, low self-discharge NiMH batteries 2000mAh or higher may be used. (1.5V AA Lithium-ion batteries should also suffice.) I’m using Amazon Basics 2000mAh rechargeables and they work just fine…although I imagine that the operational and standby times are considerably reduced. Also not mentioned is that the camera will operate on just four batteries — using either the top four or bottom four slots in the battery bay.(There is also a receptacle for a 6V DC (1.5A min.)Menu selections allow you to choose to take photos only, photo + video or video only. Photos may be taken individually or in clusters up to 3 at a time. Video length can be 3 - 59 seconds or 1 - 10 minutes. There are five settings each for photo and video resolution. You can also set time between each picture or video, so you’re not just shooting constantly if there’s a lot of activity, as well as set a time range when the camera is operational…if you only want to shoot at night, for example. You can also do time lapse photography.It is noted several times that video and the IR LEDs consume a lot of power, significantly affecting battery life.You can connect the camera to your computer via the included USB cable to transfer photos.All in all, I have found no major flaws in this camera. It may not be the most feature-laden, most weatherproof or offer the highest resolutions or on-board storage, but it works extremely well for my purposes. If anything occurs to alter my opinion, I’ll update this review accordingly.

I opted to update my review since, Akaso customer service reached out to me with various options including refund or replacement, and alternatives wich company now a days dont offer and forget about customer service. This has a lot to say about a company and customer satisfaction!! Kudos to you Akaso!!My review will be based on the feedback collected in various environments and conditions (underwater, indoor, outdoor) for my device. Mainly I bought the camera for vacation purposes for different scenarios and underwater capture of images and video to be exact. I also wanted to take advantage of the other features on land. Sadly, it didn't meet all expectations and took a major risk trying it out on a first-time route experience cruise vacation, putting all my faith in the reviews and research for this camera.First to be fair the underwater experience was quite good for image quality, when there was sufficient lighting. I also added the extra protection of the underwater case in occasions (The original AKASO brand for this camera). I know this is underwater but DO NOT rely on ANY good or at least decent audio capture because you will not get any, even when you resurface and are no longer underwater and would like to comment or make any statement. At least in my case, with or without the case, audio was a no go. Had also various issues of camera shutting down and stop recording by itself underwater, it did it with and without case, but especially when in case, which cutoff some decent recording until I noticed and had to power up again. Switched to another full charged batterie and did the same. You don’t notice until you see the camera shutoff and does not respond to any button. Sadly, loosing the footage you assumed take. This was a nightmare after always worrying if camera was recording or not.Regarding video quality is pretty good, NOT GREAT, like mentioned before in places where there is sufficient lighting. Otherwise, you will get grainy video to dark images or recording. Even inside illuminated places that regular cameras work like malls and inside open window house during daytime.The main deception and issue are audio, even though you are in land close to the camera audio seems so far and faint when recording. I have to raise the volume level of my devices to maximum to at least hear the recording at bare minimum. Even when you’re in places where there is not so much noise around. I thought it was with my phone but in any device it’s the same with every device I play any of the recordings. You have to be very close to camera (inches away) to capture at least decent audio if so. Like mentioned before, put all my trust in capturing family and special moments with this camera and it didn’t meet the expectations. Debating on returning, replacement, or benefit of the doubt for the Brave 8. Will definitely return!!

I'm new to the world of action cameras, so I'm just getting my feet wet, so to speak. I tried my hand with one several years ago and I was in for a huge surprise. This camera is quite an improvement in technology. I had been looking at a couple of brands other than Akaso, and at a couple of models other than the Akaso V50 X. I'm very pleased with my choice.I should explain that my primary goal is to have videos of my grandchildren: I'm not participating in extreme sports. I also have a background in still photography. I know that there are cameras with extended feature sets or more impressive specs than the Akaso, but for the price, and for my needs, the Akaso V50x fits the bill.Here's what impressed me:Build quality for the price.Quality of the videos that it took.Great image stabilization.Excellent array of accessory items included.Spare battery included.Clearly laid out touch screen menu.Not so great:The Akaso DV app doesn't connect at all. I've used two Google Pixels (a Pixel 2 and Pixel 3XL) and Samsung S7. Also, the Akaso V50 X doesn't appear in the opening choices.Sound seems muted (I did purchase the external mic (https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B07XDPMD3T?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title) which improved things significantly.Support literature is vague and not well written. Note to manufacturers: if you make the best made product in the world, but your user guide doesn't explain how and why to use a function, it becomes useless. Spend some time having a native speaker review user guides and instruction.It takes far too much searching to find and install firmware versions.A suggestion:Although I probably won't use the underwater housing much, I would like a lens cap.I thought it would be good if Akaso offered a video editing app. I know there are good ones out there, but I like end-to-end solutions, and would be willing to pay for the convenience. I understand that this camera is made to hit a price point, but it could be offered as an accessory. End-to-end solutions is what makes Apple so successful.In sum, the Akaso V50X is a camera that performs well, is well made, has a number of useful accessories, and is priced well. The app needs a serious revision, and attempting a firmware upgrade is equally bad. While the negatives don't lessen the overall impression of this camera, a couple of improvements would go a long way.