Page 2 - Physical Look - Hardware
D-Link has mostly been known for their networking products, but they have released several security cameras before. As for looks, the DCS-8010LH draws a similar design from past wireless cameras or even some webcams. It has a large head where all of its sensors exist with a black face. A D-Link logo can be found on the front. It is interesting to see how all of the visible sensors and inputs are lined up into the middle of the front face. Otherwise, the majority of the body is colored in white, making for a panda-like effect, with the large black circle around, in this case, the single eye. The whole body is made up of a plastic shell with a heavier metal base, as you will see later on. With maximum dimensions of 91mm in height, 91mm in depth, and 66mm in width, the whole unit is relatively compact though it is not necessarily discreet. With a weight of about 138g, the camera is heavy enough to be stable in most positions. There are also some other mounting options if you so desire, which is good for flexibility.
As for the front face of the D-Link DCS-8010LH, everything is lined up from top to bottom. At the very top of the camera, we have an LED indicator to show when the camera is on, as well as to provide some other status information, such as when it is setting up or when it is recording. Underneath, we have a built-in microphone, which is clearly designed to pick up noise when recording videos. In the center, we have the main point of attraction, the lens for the camera. This camera module is capable of recording up to 720p HD videos. Internally, we have a 1MP 1/4" progressive CMOS sensor. While this may not be the pinnacle of resolutions, this should suffice for its purposes, but we will confirm this later on in the review. Finally, at the bottom we have an IR sensor to help with night vision. According to D-Link, users should be able to capture up to sixteen feet of night vision. One more thing you would not actually see are the IR LEDs, as they glow red only during the night mode. These are placed to the left and right of the camera module.
Flipping to the back and side, you can get a bit better view at some other important inputs. From the top and back, you can see there are quite a few ventilation holes around the camera to allow for air to flow in and out, keeping the camera cool. This also shows the DCS-8010LH is intended for indoor use, as there is no waterproofing or sealing to block unintended liquids from entering here. At the back, there are several numbers to identify this camera. At the top, we have a micro USB port, which powers the DCS-8010LH to life. D-Link did provide a micro USB to AC power adapter, though you can also use your own cable and power brick. It would have been nice to see a USB Type-C input here, but it is not a huge deal. At the bottom, a small pinhole exists to allow users to reset the camera. Finally, on the left side of the camera sits a micro SD card slot where you can provide your own local storage. I would have preferred to see a USB slot instead to plug in a USB drive, though this would detract from the camera's relatively small footprint. Up to a maximum 128GB card can be supported by the D-Link DCS-8010LH.
Detaching the D-Link DCS-8010LH Wi-Fi camera from the base is as easy as squeezing both sides until the bottom metal plate pops off. The metal plate itself is coated in white paint. The bottom has five circular pads to prevent the camera from slipping about. In addition, the plate has two holes to allow users to mount this base on their walls. D-Link has provided some screws to let you do as such, as well as some paper instructions. This is pretty self-explanatory, so I doubt I need to go into any more detail than I already have. Finally, a routing valley goes out the back of this plate, which lets users lead the plugged in cable out the back and under the base.
Page Index
1. Introduction, Packaging, Specifications
2. Physical Look - Hardware
3. Configuration and User Interface
4. Sample Videos and Analysis
5. Conclusion
