What is the general opinion of doorbell cameras?

Trail cam here, but not doorbell. I don't have a problem with them, just don't need one. Oh.... well yeah, there is a slight annoying problem with them... at least in my area. Pictures keep appearing on Facebook and Nextdoor... "anyone know who this person is who was on my porch at 7:00?" Most of the time it's a salesperson, or someone with a reason for being there like returning misdelivered mail... and suddenly their picture is all over social media like they were a criminal. Someone posts it, others share. :rolleyes:
 
They are a poor substitute for adequate policing in many communities.

It has been shown they can be thwarted by determined crooks who use WiFi blocking apps to block the WiFi to the doorbell camera.

They also don’t even have to be that sophisticated. If crooks dress head-to-toe in black, or wear a costume mask, the camera won’t be very effective.

In other words, they are a false comfort since crooks can outsmart the technology.
 
I don't have one, I really don't need one. That said, I think they're terrific for those that do. It's sad that the world has turned into such a place, but sometimes you simply have to fight back. If it makes you feel more secure, then it's a good option.
 
I don’t like mine. Every time I want to photograph a grand kid I have to get him or her to stand on the front porch. When I go on vacation I have to disconnect the darn thing and then connect it to my car‘s power supply so it works. Last month I was photographing a grisly bear in Montana when I accidentally rang the doorbell. The grisly did NOT like being awakened, and charged me. I had to wrestle it to the ground, and bruised two ribs pinning the beast.

Next time I’ll leave it near the door.
 
Our kids have them. They can let us in when we get there and they are at work or coming toward, U know, us arriving early at their homes.
We often do that because of rush hour traffics Scenarios. They're so sweet & good to us.
 
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One interesting aspect of Doorbell cameras, or ANY cameras at your home for that matter, is the laws around placement.

In the UK you can take a picture of someone in public where there is no right to privacy. However, this is different for Doorbell cameras. You're really only allowed to view your own property due to the Data Protection Act. So, if you can see a neighbors property through your camera, you are opening up yourself to issues (such as neighbors being able to demand copies of your footage).

One would hope common sense would prevail, but when does that ever happen? :D
 
I was thinking of getting one. I'm not sure how well they work. I have a couple of questions. I'm surrounded by deer, and they are walking by my deck every night, starting at dusk. I don't want to be notified 38 times a night because of Bambi. And that leads me to question #2. Say there's a serial killer at my door, what happens? Am I immediately notified? Or is it just a recording to be seen on "play"?
 
We have a doorbell cam plus a floodlight cam that covers our driveway. I've also installed on both sides of the house and backyard, motion sensor, solar powered lights. I've found dumped garbage, and a stolen bike which lead me to install the solar lights.

Had a fuzzy looking guy come walking up my driveway once. He spotted my camera as he was walking up, then turned around and took off. So yeah, I think they help out in the long run.

@Paco Dennis you can go to YouTube and do a search to find a bunch of information. The products seem to be getting better along with the price. I just upgraded my doorbell cam.
 
HazyDavey said:
We have a doorbell cam plus a floodlight cam that covers our driveway. I've also installed on both sides of the house and backyard, motion sensor, solar powered lights. I've found dumped garbage, and a stolen bike which lead me to install the solar lights.

Had a fuzzy looking guy come walking up my driveway once. He spotted my camera as he was walking up, then turned around and took off. So yeah, I think they help out in the long run.

@Paco Dennis you can go to YouTube and do a search to find a bunch of information. The products seem to be getting better along with the price. I just upgraded my doorbell cam.
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We live in a very rural setting but occasionally a knock on our front door does happen. It disturbs us. If we r did have the camera, we would know who it is. It might be something nefarious in the making.
 
I don't have any but people do even at this apartment complex.

I think they are a great idea. If these small and apparently easy to use cameras had been out when I owned that house, I'd have loved to have one.
 

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