For all my fellow apartment dwellers out there 😅 (peephole cam)

[Vince]

[Mod Note]: Topic moved to Tips & Tricks for better visibility and title enhanced for search clarity.

[ssummerlin]

Wow. Somehow I missed this insightful post. I have been waiting on Wyze for a couple years now to develop a peephole cam.

Did not realize it was that easy.

[Crease]

I like that it’s using the magnetic mount, so it’s easy to pivot out of the way (so someone could look out the peephole the normal way) and/or pull away entirely to make accessing the microSD card (if used) easier.

I think I’d want some kind of “stop” or something that would click it into place so that the camera can repeatably “return to zero” and give a consistent view.

I appreciate the simplicity of this approach. Sometimes simple is best.

[ssummerlin]

@Crease

I think I’d want some kind of “stop” or something that would click it into place so that the camera can repeatably “return to zero” and give a consistent view.

Didn’t understand returning to zero. This is not a pan cam.

[dave27]

Erin Andrews would have PTSD if she saw this post.

[dave27]

@ssummerlin

Didn’t understand returning to zero. This is not a pan cam.

I’m guessing if you move it to use the peephole normally or access the SD, re-centering it just right probably takes a bit of time, so some sort of ring or peg or something might help do that for you.

There are video peephole cams out there (and not just for perverts), they replace your peephole lens and give a very good wide angle picture of the hallway. Of course not every peephole is the standard kind, but yeah a bit surprised Wyze hasn’t jumped on that.

I guess even if you rent, sticking up a video doorbell outside your door probably wouldn’t be against the rules, though if you make it easily removable, it is easily stolen too.

[Crease]

@ssummerlin

This is not a pan cam.

I realize it’s not.

@ssummerlin

Didn’t understand returning to zero.

I was thinking in terms of firearms optics, where you want your “zero” (where you’ve dialed in an optic so that point of aim is (nearly) equal to point of impact at a given distance) to be repeatable if you make adjustments to the optic and/or have to remove/reinstall it for some reason.

@dave27

I’m guessing if you move it to use the peephole normally or access the SD, re-centering it just right probably takes a bit of time, so some sort of ring or peg or something might help do that for you.

That’s kind of what I was thinking with my prior comment.

@dave27

a bit surprised Wyze hasn’t jumped on that.

So are a lot of us who have commented in the Wishlist topic for such a thing:

Peephole (Door View) Camera

Hi, This message is for Wyze Cam product managers. Please make a peephole door view camera. The problem with the Ring Door View Cam is that it doesn’t allow repositioning of the camera angle to point on an angle or downwards towards the ground to watch for packages. This is not the same device as https://forums.wyze.com/t/video-doorbell/6763. Thanks, D.

@dave27

if you make it easily removable, it is easily stolen too.

That would be one of my concerns, as well, which is why it’d be nice to have something that’s actually designed to work from behind the door.

[dave27]

@Crease

I was thinking in terms of firearms optics, where you want your “zero” (where you’ve dialed in an optic so that point of aim is (nearly) equal to point of impact at a given distance) to be repeatable if you make adjustments to the optic and/or have to remove/reinstall it for some reason.

I’ve yet to find a setup that can be removed and reinstalled and keep zero that doesn’t cost thousands (sniper grade stuff).

I’m guessing this peephole cam needs to have the focal point of the camera lens aligned pretty perfectly with the focal point of the peephole lens, which sounds equally as aggravating.

All this talk about peeping, surprised @peepeep’s ears aren’t ringing. Probably peeping on his critters.

[ssummerlin]

@dave27

There are video peephole cams out there (and not just for perverts), they replace your peephole lens and give a very good wide angle picture of the hallway. Of course not every peephole is the standard kind, but yeah a bit surprised Wyze hasn’t jumped on that.

Thanks. I never thought of looking outside of Wyze for a door peephole camera.

[Crease]

@dave27

I’ve yet to find a setup that can be removed and reinstalled and keep zero that doesn’t cost thousands (sniper grade stuff).

Yeah, I was just trying to explain myself a little better to @ssummerlin. It’s one of the goals with optics, not always ideally achievable.

[ssummerlin]

@Crease

I was thinking in terms of firearms optics, where you want your “zero” (where you’ve dialed in an optic so that point of aim is (nearly) equal to point of impact at a given distance) to be repeatable if you make adjustments to the optic and/or have to remove/reinstall it for some reason.

Thank you. I totally missed your train of thought.

@dave27

I’m guessing this peephole cam needs to have the focal point of the camera lens aligned pretty perfectly with the focal point of the peephole lens, which sounds equally as aggravating.

All this talk about peeping, surprised @peepeep’s ears aren’t ringing. Probably peeping on his critters.

Definitely something more zoomed in and somewhat a fisheye.

First time I felt awkward talking about a peephole.

[dave27]

@ssummerlin

Definitely something more zoomed in and somewhat a fisheye.

Yeah the ones I’ve seen totally replace the peephole and put the camera lens on the outside and image sensor is usually close to it inside the core of the door, not quite 180 degree view but pretty close to it. Obviously the side views are somewhat distorted but straight on is pretty clear.

[ssummerlin]

@dave27

Yeah the ones I’ve seen totally replace the peephole

Do you remember any brand names? I need to investigate. Thanks.

[Crease]

@ssummerlin

Thank you. I totally missed your train of thought.

You’re welcome, but you’re not missing much. This may not be a train you’d want to board.

@dave27

I’m guessing this peephole cam needs to have the focal point of the camera lens aligned pretty perfectly with the focal point of the peephole lens, which sounds equally as aggravating.

Yeah, and now that the Bird Feeder is out and Wyze has that macro lens adapter and people are asking for that to be sold separately, I suggested a lens adapter for peepholes. I don’t expect that to go anywhere, but it doesn’t hurt to ask.

[dave27]

The ones I remember were a couple people in NYC and they had a monitor attached to the inside of the door (the batteries in the monitor ran the cam also). They weren’t app controlled or wifi, it was a while ago. I don’t recall the brand, it was something they had a security company install.

Just googled them and I’ll be damned, Ring has one. It is basically their doorbell with a shaft that runs through the peephole to a battery pack/brains inside it looks like. Would actually be good for the people I know in cities where the peephole also has the doorbell as part of it. Looking on amazon there’s a bunch of them there, but I don’t recognize any of the brands.

[peepeep]

@dave27

surprised @peepeep’s ears aren’t ringing

Ears ringing, teeth on edge, portal puckered…

AAAAAAAGGGGGHHHHH!!

A good loud scream solves many problems. Temporarily.