Tenda CH10 — 10MP Dual lens linkage outdoor wifi pan/tilt camera

Buying it, and when not to

The CH10 is a 10MP dual-lens linkage outdoor WiFi pan and tilt camera. Dual-lens linkage means the two lenses work together - typically a wide view with a second lens that follows detail - and pan and tilt means the camera moves rather than staring at one fixed angle.

This is the camera for a position that has to cover a lot and still produce usable detail: a compound gate, a shop frontage, a yard, a car park, a market unit. At 10MP a recorded face or plate stands a chance of being identifiable, which is the whole point of the exercise and the thing cheaper cameras quietly fail at. Being outdoor-rated and WiFi-connected, it can go where running cable is difficult, though a cabled camera is always the more reliable build.

For an indoor position - a shop interior, a corridor, a child's room - the CP7 Pro is considerably cheaper and is sufficient. For a serious multi-camera installation, do not build it on WiFi: cabled PoE cameras on a TEF or TEG PoE switch are more reliable, do not compete for airtime, and keep working when the WiFi does not. Also plan storage and power before buying the camera: a 10MP dual-lens unit generates substantial recording, and a camera with no recorder and no backup power is evidence that stops existing at the moment it matters.