Uniview's Indoor Mini PTZ Full Review (IPC6412LR-X5P & IPC6415SR-X5UPW)

Uniview's mini PTZ security cameras just may be the perfect solution to your indoor surveillance needs. They are light, compact, and powerful cameras loaded with features. From Wi-Fi connectivity, to two-way audio, to presets and patrols, these cameras combine the convenience of an indoor camera with the powerful function of a much larger PTZ.

Uniview Mini PTZ Product Overview

This camera is available in two resolutions: 2MP (FullHD 1080p) and 5MP. Featuring a 350┬░ pan, a 90┬░ tilt, and a 5x optical zoom, this PTZ brings a ton of powerful performance packed into a compact and attractive housing. Set up to 1,024 PTZ presets. Rotate between the presets with up to 16 different patrols. You can even trigger a certain preset based on motion detection.

Other incredible features include a gorgeous starlight sensor for low-light performance, 98' infrared range, true wide dynamic range for balanced lighting, a built-in microphone, and a slot for a MicroSD card. The 5MP version even has a built-in speaker for two-way audio.

Another great feature unique to the 5MP model is its Wi-Fi connectivity. After initial configuration with a network cable, you can set your camera up with Wi-Fi and a 12V DC power supply. Or you can keep your camera connected to a network cable and use it as a Wi-Fi access point.

Differences Between the 5MP and 2MP Mini PTZ Models

The most obvious difference between the two models is the resolution. The 5MP version has a much larger and sharper image than the 2MP camera. But the 5MP camera has several additional features that the 2MP camera does not have.

The 5MP camera, for instance, has alarm in and out connections as well as RS485 connections, while the 2MP camera only has the standard RJ45 Ethernet and 12v DC power supply connections. The 5MP camera also has an indicator light that is not present on the 2MP model. The 2MP camera doesn't really need the indicator light, because it does not have Wi-Fi connectivity like the 5MP. Lastly, the 2MP version only has basic events plus intrusion detection while the 5MP model has the full array of Uniview intelligent events.

To learn more about these cameras, check out the video below!

PTZ Functions

You can control the PTZ from your NVR, computer, or cell phone. The motor is pretty quiet and the controls are very responsive. You can access all the typical PTZ functions that you'd expect, like setting up presets and patrols, setting a home location, and triggering a preset based on motion detection.

Presets

Presets make it simple and quick to move your camera to various areas of interest. You can set up to 1,024 presets with your mini PTZ, which is most likely way more than you'll ever need. Setting up the presets is as simple as positioning the lens where you want it and clicking the plus icon in the lower right-hand corner. Give it a number, give it a name, and click "Save."

Check out the following screen recording of me calling a few different presets around our warehouse.

Patrols

Once you have some presets, you can enable some patrols, or routes. This allows you to cycle through your presets at a predetermined speed and for a predetermined amount of time. You can have up to 16 patrols, which you can activate by manually calling the patrols or by setting up a daily patrol schedule.

In the video below, you can watch a full patrol cycle as the camera moved between three of our warehouse presets at various speeds.

Home Position

You can also use your PTZ presets and patrols to set a home position. Once the PTZ is idle for a set amount of time between one second and one hour, you can set your camera to return to a particular preset or patrol.

Motion Detection Triggers

One final way you can use your patrols is in the motion detection menu. Note that this only works with basic motion detection events, and not any of the intelligent events. This function allows you to set up a preset (not a patrol) as a response to an event trigger, either motion detection or audio detection. For the 5MP version, if you have an external alarm connected to your camera, the alarm input and output events can also trigger a preset.

PTZ Controls & Web Interface Video