Uploaded November 2015 | Updated September 2026, 1 day ago
Link to buy the C2 amzn.to/2Zfks4m
My review of the Foscam FI9821W - youtube.com/watch?v=3CMXNcd7hlI&list=PLQqDGoQRj-oIIW-cLp-kh4kABNsCJv_QK&index=8
This is my second Foscam review, my first one was on the 9821W V2 which I literally have on for 10 hours a day every day and it’s still running strong, this security camera is a true workhorse. I wanted to check out something smaller and newer so I went with the C2 to monitor my upstairs. Overall they’ve made some nice improvements like the nice and crisp 1080p video, and cleaner, compact more modern design. To achieve this small size the Foscam C2 did away with the pan and tilt functionality but with such a wide-angle lens I don’t really find the need to pan the camera from side to side.
The C2 has a much wider field of view at 120 degrees. You’ll be able to see a much larger view of a room vs the 70-degree field of view on most other IP cams. This does mean you’ll get somewhat of a bent image around the edges but it’s still surprisingly sharp thanks to its 1080P HD video and that’s not just a 720 camera stretched to 1080, it’s actually a full HD high-quality camera that Foscam uses. Even objects that are far away and close up have a good focus which is pretty impressive. One thing Foscam nailed with this one is a problem other camera have with high contrast. For example, with cheaper cameras, if there were a bright window and a dark hallway in the same shot, the picture would flicker back and forth to find the right brightness level.
The digital zoom works good, especially on smaller screens. The clarity of your video is going to depend a lot on your connection speed to the internet. If you have a cable with speeds of at least 5mbs you shouldn’t have a problem getting high quality streaming video with this camera. If you have DSL, dial-up, or share one connection with other people you can lower the quality to help save your bandwidth or to get better frame rates.
IP cameras are getting a lot easier to set up and with the C2 you don’t even need a computer to get your camera online. Just download the free Foscam app from the app store and register a free account. It’ll have you scan the QR code on the back of your camera and then you can enter in your wireless routers password.
If the wireless connection fails then there’s another way to get the camera connected to your wireless router. In the back there’s an Ethernet port, just hardwire your camera to your router and now you’ll be able to access the settings from your app on your phone.
If you’re still having trouble, Foscam also includes free “remote installation” when you buy a new camera.
You can also access it through a web browser on your computer for a larger view.
I could only get it working on FireFox. You go to www.myfoscam.com, if you leave out the www it might not work.
You’ll then log in with the same login information that you used when you first set up your camera.
In your browser you can record video and pictures directly to your computer, listen and speak through the camera, change the quality of the video feed, control the IR light, adjust things like hue, brightness, contrast, saturation, and sharpness. You can also purchase cloud recording if you want to schedule times to have the camera record which is helpful for babysitters, repair men, or if you want to monitor your employees.
Overall, Foscam made a great compact HD security camera that will look good in any environment. If you have any questions, please leave them in the comments below.
Link to buy the C2 amzn.to/2Zfks4m
My review of the Foscam FI9821W - youtube.com/watch?v=3CMXNcd7hlI&list=PLQqDGoQRj-oIIW-cLp-kh4kABNsCJv_QK&index=8
This is my second Foscam review, my first one was on the 9821W V2 which I literally have on for 10 hours a day every day and it’s still running strong, this security camera is a true workhorse. I wanted to check out something smaller and newer so I went with the C2 to monitor my upstairs. Overall they’ve made some nice improvements like the nice and crisp 1080p video, and cleaner, compact more modern design. To achieve this small size the Foscam C2 did away with the pan and tilt functionality but with such a wide-angle lens I don’t really find the need to pan the camera from side to side.
The C2 has a much wider field of view at 120 degrees. You’ll be able to see a much larger view of a room vs the 70-degree field of view on most other IP cams. This does mean you’ll get somewhat of a bent image around the edges but it’s still surprisingly sharp thanks to its 1080P HD video and that’s not just a 720 camera stretched to 1080, it’s actually a full HD high-quality camera that Foscam uses. Even objects that are far away and close up have a good focus which is pretty impressive. One thing Foscam nailed with this one is a problem other camera have with high contrast. For example, with cheaper cameras, if there were a bright window and a dark hallway in the same shot, the picture would flicker back and forth to find the right brightness level.
The digital zoom works good, especially on smaller screens. The clarity of your video is going to depend a lot on your connection speed to the internet. If you have a cable with speeds of at least 5mbs you shouldn’t have a problem getting high quality streaming video with this camera. If you have DSL, dial-up, or share one connection with other people you can lower the quality to help save your bandwidth or to get better frame rates.
IP cameras are getting a lot easier to set up and with the C2 you don’t even need a computer to get your camera online. Just download the free Foscam app from the app store and register a free account. It’ll have you scan the QR code on the back of your camera and then you can enter in your wireless routers password.
If the wireless connection fails then there’s another way to get the camera connected to your wireless router. In the back there’s an Ethernet port, just hardwire your camera to your router and now you’ll be able to access the settings from your app on your phone.
If you’re still having trouble, Foscam also includes free “remote installation” when you buy a new camera.
You can also access it through a web browser on your computer for a larger view.
I could only get it working on FireFox. You go to www.myfoscam.com, if you leave out the www it might not work.
You’ll then log in with the same login information that you used when you first set up your camera.
In your browser you can record video and pictures directly to your computer, listen and speak through the camera, change the quality of the video feed, control the IR light, adjust things like hue, brightness, contrast, saturation, and sharpness. You can also purchase cloud recording if you want to schedule times to have the camera record which is helpful for babysitters, repair men, or if you want to monitor your employees.
Overall, Foscam made a great compact HD security camera that will look good in any environment. If you have any questions, please leave them in the comments below.
