Review: Axis 207MW network camera

A high-quality wireless network camera with a one-megapixel sensor

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Price: £315

Manufacturer: Axis

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Verdict

Pros: Excellent image quality; easy to set up and operate; good in low light
Cons: Expensive; fixed lens; audio performance not great
Overall: A good quality network camera, but less demanding users should opt for something cheaper

Will Stapley, Personal Computer World 15 Mar 2007

The price of network cameras has plummeted over recent months and you can pick up a fixed-lens model for under £100.

Axis has been around longer than most in this market and produces a range of cameras, primarily for business use.

And at £315 this model is by no means the cheapest available, especially when you consider it has no optical zoom or pan/tilt functions.

As you might guess from the antenna sticking out from the side, the 207MW is capable of wire-free operation over your Wifi network.

You will, however, need to wire it up to your router via an Ethernet cable on setup in order to enter your wireless network’s Wep/WPA security code.

Setup is made reasonably hassle-free thanks to both the printed manual and intuitive web-based interface. Network newcomers will struggle with some of the acronyms, but there are clear instructions as to getting the camera up and running, and viewing the stream over the internet.

The 207MW’s image quality goes a long way to justifying the price tag. Whereas cheaper cameras exhibit poor exposure and detail levels, the 207MW performs exceptionally. The one-megapixel sensor is also capable of resolutions up to 1,280x1,024. Although you’ll need a pretty fast connection to view smooth video at anything about 640x480, it means highly detailed snapshots can be taken.

The lens provides a wide 85° viewing angle, which lends itself to monitoring a shop floor, while it can operate in light levels as low as 2 lux. A microphone is also built into the camera to allow for one-way communication, but we found interference, lag and frequent breaking up of the audio stream to limit its appeal.

Home users and those who have no need for high-quality images will probably be happy plumping for something a lot cheaper, but if you’re relying on clear pictures and want to simplify the installation process something like the 207MW would be more appropriate. We’d like to see it under the £300 mark though.

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