Painting My Wyze Cam Black w/Plasti Dip

[Newshound]

Whether you are an indoor-looking-outdoor user wanting to cut down on the reflection of the camera in the window, someone that doesn’t want to freak out the neighbors in the backyard, or someone who wants the camera to be hidden from intruders, the black version of the Wyze Cam was for you. Unfortunately, it was a limited edition model, and as of this date it is no longer available.

Now, there are lots of options for turning your Wyze cam black. Vinyl covering. Physical enclosure. Black paint, etc. The option I chose was Plasti Dip. Plasti Dip is a removable rubber covering that can be applied with a spray can. Think of it as rubber spray paint! It will not permanently change your cam at all. You can simply peal it off when you no longer want it on the camera. I think I like it better than glossy paint, as it is a great dull, non-reflective surface. It comes in other colors too, including camo: Plasti Dip Can & Spray Supplier - Peelable Rubber Coating I bought my can at Walmart for $6.

I am an indoor-looking-outdoor user, so I didn’t need the infrared LEDs, or the two nonfunctional circles on the front panel. I also hate that I can’t turn off the microphone from live streams [take note, Wyze!] So I masked the microphone with a tape circle, but don’t really ever intend to uncover it. Turns out it doesn’t matter much anyway, as the coating and mask combo are still thin, and there are plenty of other holes in the case. So the microphone still works way too well. The IR lights also still work thru the coating, but are attenuated.

The functionality you want may vary, so just adjust your masking technique. Even if you don’t mask, simple trimming with an exacto knife should get you back whatever you want. It’s the perfect ‘paint’. You can’t make a mistake!

Here are my pics. Note I put my can in warm water between coats to keep the spray mist fine:

[Demonfire]

Barely noticeable. I like that. Makes me want to do mine a camo color.

[Bam]

there is a guy one here that does vinyl covers too. check him out or message him if you’re interested …i love my covers he did.

@robertcedwards

[KaYaKr]

Why did they stop making black out wyze cam? I’d paid more for that

[Loki]

Vote for it here (be sure to click the VOTE button at the top):

Bring Back Wyze Cam Black

EDIT 2/28/20: While this has been launched, supplies are limited and it is possible that the availability may not be extended when the supply is exhausted. EDIT 11/25/19: Check wyze.com at 12 AM EST (9 PM PST) on November 29th! We launched Wyze Cam Black as a special edition product for Black Friday. You can find more information about it here. We recently sold out of our stock and don’t have a timeline for when (or if) we’ll bring it back. But we’re open to the idea and want to keep track of…

[KaYaKr]

Nah… wanna catch that sneaky bastard that’s been letting his dog crap on my lawn. I don’t want him to just pick another one of my neighbors yard to move to. In your case, why not just buy a bunches of dummy cameras that would be a lot less work.

[ManAbove]

As prior law enforcement, covert and overt regarding cameras my experience have been that properties with visible cameras may deter a rainbow criminal (one who breaks in just on a whim) but to the one’s who has this activity as a career it is not a deterrence it still occurs but the subject(s) can not be identified because they come clad in disguise which further allows them to continue their activity upon the next victim without apprehension and the property owner items rarely recovered.

[Newshound]

Please don’t turn this into a debate on whether or not the camera should be black. This is a heads-up on the Plasti Dip method for turning one black if that is what you desire.

Thanks

Edit – I see you deleted that post.

[HDRock]

Point taken

[Newshound]

I’ll tell ya, once you get several coats on the camera it absorbs light so well I need a high-intensity flashlight to see if I missed anything. Sweet. Just painted a second cam.

[99guspuppet]

brilliant idea … hide your real cameras and install some fake cameras at other locations to act as “honey pots”

[seasnake215]

I have one v2 cam pointed out a window. Against the dark green blinds, it stuck out. I thought about painting the cam, but decided on a quick reversible solution. I used the packing material from the box, cutting off the back and bottom pieces. Then with green and black permanent markers, colored packing material to blend in with the blinds. A couple of pieces of tape, on the inside and to hold onto the cam, and done. From the outside, you only see it if you’re looking for it during the day and not at all at night.

[bill6]

Definitely prefer the BLACK cams!! You have my vote and I’ll buy at least 4 more of them when/if they become available again.

[summerm]

I’ve done the plastidip on my camera as well a while back. I covered the lenses and any holes with electrical tape, then sprayed.

I’ve also used black electrical tape to cover the entire case, this works nicely as well.

You can also use contact paper in any color/design you choose! Have a brown house? Get some wood grain contact paper. Pink house, they have pink contact paper as well!

However, for a quick, easy and cheaper alternative, Black sharpie markers are your friends! Stays on and you can do multiple layers to make it darker and look smoother.

[Newshound]

The real advantage in going full black in my opinion is to get rid of that great cyclops eye that tells everyone it’s a camera. If you want people to know it’s a camera, just leave it white. In my opinion a mysterious black box is harder to see, or to identify if you can see it (what is that black box?)

I now have 4 cams painted Plasti Dip black. Two are behind glass and you can’t see them from the outside even with direct sunlight on them. A third is outdoors on my patio to watch for squirrel damage, and just looks like a mysterious black box. I don’t want that one looking like a camera because I don’t want to freak out my neighbors, as it incidentally records several of their back yards. The 4th is a spare that I will either use as a replacement, use as an ad-hoc camera (maybe even with a portable power bank), or use in the living room to watch the inside of my front door when I’m on vacation.

[juan1]

Just painted one of my camera. Totally blends in.

[Newshound]

Oh yeah, black works. No more cyclops eye, lol.

[Newshound]

Since they don’t make a black V3 yet, I Plasti Dipped some of those too:

[mvb]

I was thinking about doing this to a couple of mine. Why didn’t you coat the base or the power cord pigtail?

[Newshound]

I just thought it was more trouble than it was worth. YMMV. The cord is behind the camera, and the base has moving parts and information that would have to be masked off. Since the base is low-profile too, I just decided to skip it. I did the same on my V2s, but those bases were gray.

The main thing I was trying to defeat with the paint was the cyclops look that gives away it’s a camera. Also, the black keeps it from reflecting, but if they see it, they just see a non-descript black box.

I don’t see any issue in painting them, if you want to do it. Be sure to mask off the part of the base that goes up into the circle on the camera.

One thing I didn’t mention is when you separate your base from the camera, be sure to mark your camera with the last two sets of numbers of the hardware address shown on the base. That way you know which base goes back on the camera.