Lorex is now shipping a new Wi-Fi pan/tilt security camera with an integrated LED light source. While it’s not an entirely new idea, the Lorex 2K Wi-Fi Lightbulb Camera draws power from a standard E26/E27 light socket and can operate indoors and out.
The camera records in 2K resolution (2560 x 1440 pixels) at 15 frames per second with high dynamic range. When the camera is stationary, its lens has a diagonal field of view of 107.9 degrees (92.2 degrees horizontal, 50 degrees vertical), but an onboard motor allows it to pan 360 degrees (its degree of tilt is not specified). Video can be stored locally on a microSD card (not included, capacities up to 256GB are supported) or to one of Lorex’s network-attached Fusion Recorders. Lorex also offers an optional cloud subscription service. The camera is limited to operating on 2.4GHz Wi-Fi networks.
The Lorex 2K Wi-Fi Lightbulb Camera supports motion detection with person and vehicle detection, and it’s outfitted with a microphone and speaker for two-way talk. It also has an onboard siren. Its camera housing carries an IP65 weatherization rating, but the lighting element must be protected from the elements if installed outdoors. According to our IP code decoder, IP65 means the camera portion is impervious to dust and that it can withstand a blast of projected water from any direction (although it probably wouldn’t stand up to a pressure washer at close range).
The wrap-around, dimmable LED light on the Lorex s 2K Wi Fi Lightbulb Camera delivers 400 lumens of brightness at a color temperature of 6500K.
Lorex
You won’t mistake the onboard LED lamp for a floodlight, given that its maximum brightness is just 400 lumens (equivalent to a 40-watt incandescent bulb). The light encircling the camera has a fixed color temperature of a cool 6500 Kelvin, and it is dimmable. It would probably be sufficient outdoors to illuminate a door lock beneath it; it would be considered mood lighting indoors. In either case, it should be sufficiently bright to enable the camera’s color night vision (black-and-white night vision is also supported).
This news story is part of TechHive’s in-depth coverage of the best home security cameras.
The Lorex 2K Wi-Fi Lightbulb Camera has a retail price of $99.99, but an introductory sale reduces that to $74.99 for a limited time. We’ll have an in-depth review of the product as soon as we can.
Author: Michael Brown, Executive Editor, TechHive
Michael is TechHive's lead editor, with 30+ years of experience covering smart homes, home networking, and home audio/home theater. He holds a BA in Multimedia Journalism, authored the book Desktop Video Production, and was awarded Best Online Review by the Computer Press Association. Michael built a smart home in 2007 and used it as a real-world product-testing lab. Now living in the Pacific Northwest, he is converting his 1890 Victorian bungalow into a modern smart home. Michael has worked at CNET, PCWorld, Electronic Musician, and Maximum PC. As a freelancer, he contributed to New Media, Camcorder, MacWeek, and more.