I bought my Wyze v3 cams when they first came out. I use them outside my home exclusively. Over the past six months or so I’ve noticed the recordings have gotten a little “cloudy.” I’ve cleaned the lens, but it doesn’t seem to help. I believe this may be water intrusion.
I just received the v4 cams and did a side-by-side comparison. Obviously, the image quality of the v4 cams is much better, but the cloudiness of the v3 cams is very evident (see photos below).
Is there anything I can do to revive the v3 cams so they may be used elsewhere?
I have a V3 also (May 2022) that looks like your top photo. I replaced it with another new V3 and use it for non-important things since the view looks slightly blurred. The cam was also outdoor exposed to a lot of sun and other elements. I also installed a new Gray V4 the other day and it looks great.
I don’t see any physical signs of water in the sealed lens, but it has definitely fogged over time. Gonna give this a shot for a few days and see if I can bring it back to its original 1080p glory.
I’ll do another side-by-side comparison and repost it here.
Thanks Steven. Looks a little beyond my skill set. I think I’d just spend the $30 to replace it if the desiccant doesn’t help. Appreciate the video link!
Well, 48 hours in a sealed Ziploc with a desiccant bag didn’t yield much in the way of results. I guess the old v3 will be relegated to the basement or garage.
You may consider putting some v3 cameras inside. Here is a thread with pictures of the quality you can expect and ideas on cutting down on reflections. One of my v3 cameras is working great after 2 years inside of a double pane window facing the southern sun. I believe double pane windows cut down on UV rays on my cameras.
Thanks all for the good conversation and suggestions. At this point, I am going to say three of four of my old v3 cameras are pretty well done. The lenses are cloudy, and I don’t have the patience or skill set to replace them. I’ll use them in other applications (TBD) that don’t require a crystal clear picture.
I ordered four new v4s for exterior use ($29.99 each), and I’m thrilled with the results. Hopefully I can get another 2 1/2 years out of these before the v5s come out.
Yup, most of my outdoor v3 cams are cloudly, especially if they’re mounted upside down. Water eventually gets in and I also believe the sun roasting the lens all day contributes to the cloudiness too.
EVERY Wyze cam I’ve ever owned and used outside has done this.
I’ve come to the conclusion that there are three causes:
1j some lenses get “scoured” by dust, rain and wind over time.
2) that the material used is not UV stable.
3) the cams are not weatherproof as advertised. Moisture does get in (I’ve watched the condensation form and “burn” off). Over time, this repeated wet/dry cycle seems to remove a lens coating and leave a film of fine dirt in its place.
Any attempts to fix any of the above issues on any of my cams has been a failure or isn’t economical.
Basically, this is the main reason I’m NOT buying any more Wyze cams. It’s ridiculous to be replacing them every year.
So I’m looking at alternatives. I figure if I pay twice as much for a better product built by a company that cares about their products and customers, I’m breaking even after two years (or less) and I don’t need to go around the place balancing on ladders, etc as often.
Buy Buy Wyze, it was fun while it lasted but I’m about to become completely UNwyze… (spelling deliberate).
PS. I have NO other Wyze products due to their well documented policy of “release and abandon” sometimes with horrendous bugs that make the product unusable.
