Powering an outdoor surveillance camera can be a hassle for many. The ones that need to be plugged in require some electrical wiring while battery-powered ones are either too expensive or will require regular re-charging. If you live somewhere sunny, however, a solar-powered option like the Lynx Solar Outdoor Camera might be a better pick for you.

Offered by one of the most innovative camera manufacturers in the market today, the Lynx Solar will help solve the power concerns for your outdoor security camera. You just need to connect it to the solar panels that come with the camera’s purchase and you’re good to go.

Aside from its alternative power source, the Lynx Solar also comes with lots of other exciting and useful features. Its impressive list of features includes night vision, waterproof construction, facial recognition, and a wide field of view. So if you want to get a security camera that can do a lot, this is worth looking into.

A Detailed Review of the Lynx Solar Outdoor Camera

Design and Features

As expected from a wireless camera, the Lynx Solar Outdoor Camera has a clean and modern appearance to it. It has a cylindrical shape that resembles a tiny speaker. Its body is white in color with black details on its faceplate and a mounting kit in the same color. As such, it has a very clean and minimal look.

Its solar panels, on the other hand, also has a similar white body. It’s made of 2 panels on a single white base. It comes with a long cable that is meant to be attached to the camera unit.

With an IP65-rated body, the Lynx Solar camera is meant to withstand severe weather. It’s tested to work in up to -4°F to 113°F (-20°C to 45°C) temperature and up to 20-80% humidity.

Setup and Usage

One of the main charms of the Lynx Solar is its simple installation. It might seem daunting since you’ll need to connect the camera to a solar panel but don’t let that faze you.

Getting the camera ready to record ins quick and painless. Like with other IP cameras, you just need to download the camera’s app then add the device to your wireless network and that’s pretty much it.

What might take longer are the wiring and mounting processes, however. You will need to connect the camera physically to the solar panel for it to charge using sunlight. This is rather easy, however, as the cables required for the job are included in the package and they’re 25’ long.

If you want to make sure that you have an alternative power source for the camera, you can also install its power cord. It comes with an AC adapter that is 10’ long, so you don’t have to settle for a spot that’s near a power outlet. Some folks opt out of this, however, as the solar panel provides an ample amount of power and can run your camera for 7 days even when disconnected to the solar panel.

Using the actual camera is also a breeze as it’s designed in a straightforward manner. Once it’s set up, you don’t really have to fuss with it a lot as most of its functionalities are accessible through the app. You might need to change its angle from time to time but unless you installed it very high up, doing so shouldn’t be too bothersome. The only thing that might cause a fuss is when you need to reset the camera as it can’t be done through the app.

Video Quality

The video quality of this item is fairly standard at 1080p and it delivers crisp and clean images. Its night vision is also good and reliable, allowing you to see what is happening in the area that the camera is pointed to.

With a 105° field of view, you’re also guaranteed to get good coverage. You can pan and tilt the camera on its base so adjusting its angle is very easy. You just need the right spot to mount the camera in and you can already get a good view of your property.

Aside from these run-of-the-mill IP camera features, the Lynx Solar also comes with a facial recognition feature. It does a good job of recognizing the registered people in its database but as the technology in itself is still being perfected, there are a few shortcomings in its execution in this camera. It’s also not available in all states.

Audio Quality

With a built-in mic and speaker, the Lynx Solar is also capable of recording and transmitting sounds. All video recordings will have audio but you can opt to switch the mic off when watching the live stream. It’s also useful when you use the camera’s 2-way talk feature as it delivers clear and audible sounds. The same goes for the speaker, giving this device more functionality.

Motion and Sound Detection

While it doesn’t have sound detection, the motion sensor of the Lynx Solar is very responsive. This guarantees that you’ll be able to capture movements in the area that you’re monitoring without a hitch. Combined with the facial recognition feature, it provides a more precise recording system, lessening false alerts that can be quite bothersome.

You’ll receive a notification through the smartphone app every time the motion sensor is tripped. However, since you can adjust the sensitivity of the motion sensors, you can minimize the frequency of these notifications and further eliminate false alerts. By turning it low, it will be less sensitive to movements while turning it high will alert you of all sorts of movements within your camera’s field of view.

This camera won’t let you assign motion zones and let you do some masking, however, so it’s best to tweak the sensitivity settings at its optimal level to get the best results instead.

Cloud Storage Costs

Next to being solar-powered, the free cloud storage is another strong suit of the Lynx Solar. You are not required to pay the manufacturer a monthly fee just to have your clips saved on the cloud. Opting out of the paid subscription also won’t lock you out of the most advanced features of this camera so you can really be sure that you’ll get everything out of this item.

As this item is also designed to keep working during power and connection outages, it also has built-in storage that can keep up to 3 days of clips so it can continue recording when the device gets disconnected to the cloud or your wi-fi network. The data will then be automatically uploaded to the cloud once the unit reconnects to the wireless network or the cloud.

Smart Home Compatibility

Unfortunately, the Lynx Solar Outdoor Camera has limited smart home compatibility. It works with Amazon Alexa but it’s not capable of interacting with other smart home enabled devices just yet.

Mobile Apps and Web Portals

Access to this camera is limited through the Lynx app as it has no web portal. The app is easy to use and navigate, however, so you can be sure that you’ll be able to use the camera with ease.

You can find the apps here:
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/tendsecure/id1196189005
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tendinsights.tendsecure&hl=en

FAQs

Do you need to plug this camera in at night?

No. When fully charged using the solar panels, its power can already last for seven days until it needs charging again.

How do you reset the Lynx Solar camera?

There’s a dedicated button on the side of the camera that is for resetting the unit. You just need to press that and the unit will be automatically reset.

Can you use this camera for continuous recording?

No, it doesn’t offer continuous uploading of its feed. This camera, like other IP cameras, will only start recording when its motion sensor is tripped.

Do you need a cloud subscription to use this camera?

No, the camera comes with free cloud storage but subscribing to Tend Insight’s cloud service is not required to access the features and functions of the camera. You can upgrade your cloud storage, however, by paying for a monthly subscription plan.

Can you only buy the camera and not the solar panels?

No. The camera and solar panels come as a set and are not sold separately.

Conclusion

There are lots of things to like about the Lynx Solar Outdoor Camera. Its great features come with a friendly price tag, so what’s not to love? As its performance also doesn’t disappoint, it can certainly be a solid contender for those who want to install a security camera in a spot that is quite far from a power outlet.