I have internal fogging as well. I’ve never had this before and I’ve had the cameras for a couple years now.
Only one out of three. It’s mounted under the gutter system
It was during a brief February rain storm with driving winds. I am in New Jersey. Should I assume that the camera seals have failed and allowed moisture in?
It’s been 3 days without much change.
At first I thought it was just dirt but when I went to clean the lens I saw it looked fine from the outside.
Temperatures have been warmer than normal in the Northeast but still cool enough (40s- 50s and cloudy where I could see that it might not dry out.
Does this mean this camera is now going to always fog up even if it does clear?
I have found once it fogs internally the image never clears although it may get a bit better. At night though if lights are near they become big blobs with the internal residue even when it dries. Wyze says to bring them inside to dry but you will still have the residue issue and never as clear as prior. My solution untimately is to replace if lucky under warranty, or out of pocket unfortunately.
Yeah, I finished off the V3 lens by squirting alcohol in it and shaking it around to get the rest of the water out. That loosen the little glass dust cover that was tacked on the back of the lens. Later model seem to be a little piece of plastic glued on. The alcohol must have loosen the glass. But upon further inspection taking apart the lenses, two of the lenses up front were clouded. From what I can assume was maybe sun or maybe just moisture drying out over time. There’s definitely etched effect on one of the little lenses in the main lens.
The sun does cross its path on sunset which sometimes made me wonder if that could ruin the camera.
I didn’t think it was worth trying to buy an aftermarket lens that would fit. That is a lot of the mods online. Use a lens that will work but then you have to try to keep the water out because the lens length is not the same size. I’d have to find an exact replacement. Then I think it could go back together and still work. It appears because the camera is mounted upside down with the SD card slot up, that that’s most likely how the water gets in. I did have a little corrosion on the SD card.
I recently had the same with a couple of the battery cameras. Soon after the fogging they failed. They would drain the battery overnight. I was unable to repair them. I hoped I could swap parts between the two but they were different versions. Also, had a third one fail, my fault. I was able to repair a burnt spot on the power board circuit trace. These have all failed within a couple of months. Since one was in a slightly covered area, I am concerned this might be the start of a trend. I have taken three apart, they really are not sealed that well.
It’s five years since this post. I have a wise cam three, the plug-in model, outdoors, and it becomes uselessly fogged anytime theres rain. I replaced it, thinking that perhaps it was the unit itself, but the new one does the same thing. Hopeless.
Wyze uses low quality lens assemblies that the glue breaks down over time and eventually fails, remarkably just beyond the warranty (Go Figure)
They have used this lens ever since the V3 and know of the issue. But still use this low quality lens in ALL their products going forward from V3.
This and poor software and firmware releases with bugs all the time prompted me to buy better brand cameras.
I will use the Wyze cams that still work because they are in a barn not exposed to elements. Or direct sunlight which accelerates the glue breakdown.
Won’t waste ANY money on Wyze Garbage any more.
I have had over 20 cams lens failures, some I replaced the lens assembly with and placed back in use.
Wyze is well aware of the lens issues but too shady to fix it, obviously they sell more cams if they get replaced.
Reolink or Eufy are much better cameras, I like Reolink’s myself though. Both these brands don’t hobble the camera like Wyze does if you don’t have a subscription.
EDIT: And to further prove that Wyze went to crappy lenses after V2 I put a V2 lens in a V3 that had lens fog.
So far no issues with a V2 lens in a V3 in direct sunlight and elements. Wyze just makes disposable cams now and they are not designed to last too far beyond warranty if used outside.
Once it’s fogged it means there’s moisture in there and you can try putting it in some desiccant. But I found that the moisture can ruin the lens and if there’s moisture on the lens and the sun is hitting it on a hot day, you could also cause it to act like a magnifying glass and ruin the lens as well. We’re dry with spots. There’s also a sensor in there that if that gets moist and then dries can cause image issues. If the camera is upside down it definitely can get moisture in it easier through the SD card. So far I haven’t had issue with the OG black. As far as that goes, it might only be a year old. And if you’re buying these things when they’re on sale then I guess you have to figure that everybody’s making money off of it. So how much are they really making above what it costs? So yes the parts are going to be cheap there one step above toys
If you are having issues with moisture, you might experiment with mounting cameras inside. All of my v3 cameras are inside double pane windows looking out.
My oldest v3 is 3.5 years old with no problems with cameras, lens, power cords or power bricks. I have had buggy camera firmware over the years but no problems with Wyze hardware. One drawback is I can’t record sounds with my cameras inside. Here is a sample photo.
Not necessarily, part of the combination is UV exposure which breaks down the glue then add moisture.
Over half my outdoor V3’s got the lens fogging 15+ cams
Funny how a V2 lens in a V3 that is in same location the V3 lens failed has survived, it’s V2 life was in the same spot before installing a V3, and is now in the V3 and still just fine.
Maybe not all V3’s get the issue but most all in direct sun light and elements have for me and my friends….
None of my Wyze cameras are outside. Most of my v3 cameras are sitting on the inside window sills. I have one mounted on the inside wall of a window frame.
I have a v3 that’s been in direct sun all day for nine months (southern exposure) and no fog yet. The rest are under eaves or the like. Should be a good test case.
You can’t use the IR Leds when thru a window so kind of useless at night for most cases if inside. Most of my V3 fail if in the elements toward the 1 year mark or slightly after. The ones under a roof overhang do not typically.
I leave IR lights and Night Vision Off since they are aimed through windows. I light up my driveway with two 100 watt equivalent LED bulbs which works well for me.
As the man and dog run by, notice their shadow on the garage across my street from the brightness.
since the V3
