A Review Of Camball SG-31 Tiny Spy Camera
About the size of a golf ball, the Camball is a 1 camera surveillance system that takes clear video with audio, and large color photos, recording them to tiny SD cards you can view later.
Made by Starnex International, a South Korean company, the latest version of the CamBall features improved motion activation, accepts a maximum 16GB of memory, and includes many accessories that were previously sold separately.
Gadget lovers drool over this cool spy camera, and there are two versions, depending on your needs. Record motion activated surveillance video with the SC-31, and straight video with the SC-30.
If you want to record action sports, parties, weddings, meetings, or your cat, you might not want the motion activation. If you are trying to watch your Nanny, or keying your car, you gotta have motion activation.
The motion activation has been vastly improved over the prior model, specifically they are using a better chip, so it’s not just a software upgrade. The sun coming out from the clouds use to trip the motion activation.
The CamBall records up to 16 hours of video, more on motion detection. The internal batteries last about 100 minutes, hours with light motion, and with the optional Surveillance Pack, you can run the camera from the electricity of the building.
The CamBall is very easy to use. Charge the device for 3 hours, and turn it on by pressing the big button for 2 seconds. The lights turn on and blink 3x. Once it’s done, push the big button to take pictures, or press the record button (Up arrow) for 2 seconds, and it will record until you turn it off or the battery dies.
It records very clear video and pictures. The video @ 30 frames per second is real time, and while its 320 x 240, its very clear with no dropped frames. Audio can be turned on or off, depending on your needs.
Setting up motion detection is a snap; you just have to hold down the “Left Arrow” button for 2 seconds until its Red, and then press record (Up Arrow) for 2 seconds. Set it down and it will start recording when motion is detected.
The free CamBall manager software allows you to change the settings, as well as automatically updates itself, and performs software & firmware updates on the device.
You can set the time/date, motion activation sensitivity, turn on/off the “Night Vision” capability, and if needed, flip the video 180 degrees if you have it mounted upside down.
While you can hook the camera up to a Mac to watch the video, the CamBall manager software only works on a PC, or you can hook the camera up to a TV, and you can change the settings there.
To view the videos, you can plug the CamBall into your Mac or PC, and find the video files. KM Player works great on a PC, and on a Mac, the movies play just fine in QuickTime. Removing the micro SD card and using a reader will also allow you to view the videos.
There are four optional accessory packs to enhance the camera.. There is the Surveillance Pack mentioned above, the Sports Pack allows you to film your bike or motorcycle rides, and protect it from rain or water.
The Vehicle Pack allows you to operate the camera in your vehicle, running off the lighter, and it also integrates with most GPS monitors. The LCD Pack is used to watch your videos when you are away from a computer.
If you love gadgets, or need a small and easy to hide Spy Camera, check out this CamBall review article, to learn more about the SecureShot Micro Eyes SD Card Recording Ball Camera CamBall, a one camera surveillance system for home, work, sports, events, or your car.
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