The nice people at Vimtag contacted us recently, and asked if wanted to test drive their
new mini camera. Since Maxwell commandeered our first Vimtag for his BirdTV channel, Faraday and Allie were all for it.
When it arrived, we saw immediately why it was called the M1 "mini cube" - that thing is nice and compact!
We were also impressed by the packaging. The camera was nestled in a well-padded foam cushion. The accessories were also neatly organized and compartmentalized in their own cushioned spots.
And - surprising no one - somekitty quickly took ownership of the new tech.
Me: Maxie, don't you think you should offer this up to Allie or Faraday first, since you're already using the other one?
Maxwell: But I have PLANS
for this, Momma. And it's not like either of them would know what to do with it anyways ...
Faraday: I HEARD THAT, MAXIE!!!!
Faraday: Seriouslies, Maxie. You monopolize our other Vimtag, and now this??
AND ... does Daddy know you're messing around in his tool box?
Maxwell: Well, I told Momma about my plans for the Mini Cube, and she asked if I was planning to hang out my shingle.
Faraday: What plans, Maxie? And whazza
shingle got to do wif it?
Maxwell: Me and this
Vimtag Mini Cube are going to solve
mysteries.
Though why I'd need a
shingle for that is a mystery to me!
Faraday: Waitaminit, Maxie.
Mysteries?!? I'm the Investigative Reporter in the fambly.
Maxwell: Dood, my client doesn't need breaking news. She needs brilliant deduction and subtle sleuthing. And we all know that
you don't do subtle. That's why she hired ...
Maxwell Holmes!
***
Before we reveal anything else about Maxie's new career, including his very first Paying Client ...
we want to give you our honest opinion on his newly acquired investigative tool.
The Vimtag 4-1-1
This M1 mini cube camera has a much lower profile than our other one. Because of that - and the fact that it's a static image (and not a camera that can pan and tilt like the other one) it has very broad image coverage. The image is so wide it keystones a little around the edges. Take a look:
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| Our original Vimtag VT-361 |
 |
| Same view from the Vimtag M1 Mini Cube, sitting right next to the VT-361 |
Since this camera can be used for security and monitoring purposes, that makes sense.
It runs on the same app as the VT-361 model we reviewed earlier this year, so it has motion detection, two-way microphones and night vision. And you can set it to record when motion detection senses movement.
This Vimtag came with a Quick Start Guide that included instructions where you could set it up without ever attaching it to an ethernet cable, which surprised me, since our first camera didn't have that feature. It involved the camera reading a QR code off my mobile phone's screen.
No matter how hard I tried, though - I couldn't get it to work. Maybe it had to do with my screen's brightness, or resolution, or the distance I held the camera. And being more than a little stubborn, I had a hard time admitting defeat.
I should have called it quits
much sooner.
Turns out that Vimtag doesn't just have really great cameras.
They also have a pretty impressive customer service department.
 |
Here's how you hook it up to your router. The white adapter handles power & ethernet connectivity.
You can store the adapter and the cute little ethernet cable after you've connected via wifi. |
I called the 800 number and to my surprise, an answering service was on the other end (with a real human, too). They took my information and told me someone from tech support would get back to me within the hour. I headed downstairs to grab something to drink and was only halfway down before the phone rang again.
Okay, that was fast! I ran back upstairs while explaining my problem. He had it up and running in under 2 minutes. We never did figure out why I couldn't set it up wirelessly using their new QR code sign on feature. However once I turned on wifi while connected via ethernet and waited 2 minutes for the connection to stabilize, I could untether myself. I haven't needed an ethernet cable since.
And before I hung up, the guy urged me to call back at any time - even during the upcoming holiday - if I encountered additional problems. "We'll be here," he assured me. "We want to make sure you have a good experience." (
BTW, I did not tell him I was reviewing the camera)
But I haven't needed to - it works great. And every time I unplug to move the camera around the house to different locations, it automatically reconnects to the wifi signal.
Which makes Maxie very happy, because he finally hung his shingle, and has his first client.
Me.
Faraday: ooooooooh Maxie, wait'll Mommy finds out you nailed your shingle to her kitchen wall ....
***
Tomorrow: Maxwell's First "Cold Case"
aka
"The Fruit-Juice Felony"
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FCC Disclaimer: While this is a review and we were compensated
for the time it took to photograph and tell you about the Vimtag Fujikam, we told you the honest truth about our experience. We only share content we feel may be relevant to our readers. All opinions are our own.
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